"How to create a zoo": Applied anthropology as a tool for creating an exhibition space

Abstract

In 2014, the Moscow Zoo celebrated its 150th anniversary. A large exhibition under the title of “How to create a zoo” was held to honor the event. The exhibition was based on the results of an anthropological study, the purpose of which was to study the life of the Moscow Zoo from the inside. The study combined two areas of applied anthropology: the anthropology of professions and the anthropology of human-animal interaction. The researchers conducted 40 in-depth interviews with Zoo employees. The information included professional narratives, professional folklore and narratives about animals. The results of the study underwent subsequent analysis, and then several dozens of themes and stories were selected for the exhibition, with about half of those comprising the latter.