Imperial Novorossiysk University was opened in Odessa in May 1865. The department of natural science of its physics and mathematics faculty included zoological and zootomy rooms, which consisted of collections of museum exhibits that were used for educational purposes and began to be collected even before the appearance of the university itself (during the existence of the Richelieu Lyceum). One of the most valuable of them was the collection of Professor Alexander von Nordmann, who studied the fauna of the Black Sea region. Over time, the collections of exhibits were transformed into a museum, the collections of which were replenished due to the vigorous activity of university scientists who acquired the necessary items, including abroad. In 1919, the museum opened its doors to visitors not associated with the activities of the university. Due to the dissolution of the university in 1920 and its revival in 1933, the zoological museum also underwent a reorganization. The museum is the largest in terms of the area of ​​the halls in the universities of Ukraine and in Ukraine as a whole. The total area of ​​its premises exceeds 1000 sq.m.