THE REPLENISHMENT OF DEMONSTRATION STUDY OF IMPERIAL MOSCOW UNIVERSITY BY N. A. LYUBIMOV IN 1857-1859
In 1857-1859 Associate Professor Nikolay A. Lubimov (26.01.1830-06.05.1897), a future Chair of Physics and Physical Geography Department of the Imperial University of Moscow, was on a trip abroad in order to prepare for the title of Professor. During his study tour he got acquainted with Physics Demonstration Studies of the best foreign universities, with their methods of teaching experimental physics, as well as workshops for making and constructing physical devices and implements. N. A. Lubimov initiated the purchase of new physical equipment for Moscow University and corresponded with the rector on this issue, as a result of which more than 60 cutting-edge devices and implements for the Physics Lecture Demonstration Laboratory (Demonstration Study) was purchased. It was an important contribution to the refurbishment of the Demonstration Study with advanced experimental equipment, which had been used for many years in teaching physics and research work. The installed equipment made it possible to start reading lectures with experiments demonstrations in Moscow University, an advanced teaching technique at the time. In the article the author reveals N. A. Lubimov’s views on methodology of teaching experimental physics and recounts the process of purchasing of the above-mentioned physical equipment. Results. The archive documents (some of which were not previously published or used in research practice), discovered and studied by the author of the article, allowed him to draw a more comprehensive overview of the episode from the history of the Demonstration Study of Physics in the Imperial University of Moscow, related to replenishing the Demonstration Study with new equipment by N. A. Lybimov in 1857-1859. The list of the equipment items with an indication of their cost is presented in this publication for the first time. The data obtained by the author enhance our knowledge about the history of development of the course of experimental physics in Moscow University in the XIX century, on the history of acquisition of the Demonstration Study of this University and on the development of methodological techniques of teaching Physics based on lecture demonstrations.