It has been almost ten years since the Primorsky Aquarium, the largest aquarium in Russia, opened its doors to the public. Throughout this time, both new guests and regulars have never ceased to be amazed by a green oasis nestled among the many aquariums teeming with marine and freshwater life. We are talking of course about the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit, showcasing inhabitants of this Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem. Here, you will not just find plants, but also animals: insects, amphibians, and reptiles.
Today, we are delving into the story of how the Primorsky Aquarium’s collection of terrestrial tropical animals came to be, focusing on the enthusiast who was there from the very beginning. Meet Artem Gerasimenko, Principal Specialist of the Tropical Rain Forest Department.
Artem, despite your relatively young age, you are one of the Aquarium’s veterans. How did you end up here? Did it happen by chance or was it a conscious choice?
It was 2013, and I was finishing my military service. About 3–4 months before my discharge, I started reading job adverts online and found two that matched my career goals and background: one from the Primorsky Aquarium and one from the Russian Centre of Forest Health (RCFH). I thought it over and sent my CVs to both organizations. I heard nothing back for a long time. Finally, I resigned myself to the fact that I’m not desired there, took a temporary job at a shop and continued my search for “dream job”. Then, in the autumn, on the very same day in early October, I got two calls: first from the Aquarium, then from the RCFH. I went for an interview to the Centre of Forest Health first, and the next day I was invited to meet Vadim Serkov at the Presidium of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Our conversation was surprisingly informal, warm and friendly. No formalities—I just talked about what I loved as a kid, about my interests during my university years and what I dreamt of doing. At the end of it, he simply said: “Excellent! I think you would be a great fit for us!” To say I was over the moon would be an understatement! Of course, I accepted on the spot. Ironically, about an hour after this decisive interview, I got another call saying I matched the requirements for the Russian Centre of Forest Health, too. But I already made my choice and I have not regretted it for a second to this day.
Do you remember you first day on the job?
Oh, in vivid detail! It was November 5, 2013. I’d passed the medical check, called my department head Svetlana Serkova and got to work. My very first impression was the sheer scale of the project! All the staff worked in the Science and Acclimation Building (the SAB), and the whole place was a bustling construction site. A large indoor greenhouse in the SAB wasn’t even half full. I immediately started learning everything about terrarium keeping, getting up to speed and figuring out how to set up our Tropical Rain Forest exhibit.
Did the original project need any change?
The Taiwanese company that was building the Aquarium’s main structures, had proposed a one large, versatile terrarium for all animals: snakes, lizards, and frogs. As a biologist, that concept seemed odd to me—it was clear that such an exhibit would be a one-shot deal. So, we had to thoroughly rework all those plans and to make significant changes in the original design.
When did you get your first animals?
About six months later I went for an internship to the Moscow Zoo, where I immediately started networking. I had constant discussions, debating plans how to place our animals in different ways. Our first “settlers” were gifted by my zoo colleagues and brought from Moscow. They literally came as a bolt from the blue. I had nowhere to put them—no terrariums, no lamps. I kept them in plastic containers at my apartment for some time. Then I started gathering glass from people I knew, cut it and built terrariums myself. The Aqurium allocated me a what is now a storage room on the second floor of the Science and Acclimation Building, and I put the terrariums with the animals on shelving units there.
What were the first residents of the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit?
First and foremost, there were the stick insects and the tomato frogs I brought from Moscow. They are still with us today, thriving, breeding, and doing wonderfully. We also had spiders and eyed lizards, and we even managed to get offspring from the lizards once. However, strictly speaking, they aren’t tropical rain forest species, and we eventually stopped breeding them. Later, scheduled deliveries began, and our animal collection started to expand.
And from that point, everything went smoothly…
If only! Settling the animals in their new home was one thing, but then came the next challenge: food. We had to find cockroaches and crickets. It was relatively easy to obtain cockroaches in Vladivostok, but crickets turned out to be a real problem. The first batch of these insects was bought from one of the local pet stores, and we tried to breed them ourselves. For some reason, no matter how hard we tried it just would not work out—until one funny incident. Some female crickets escaped and got into the greenhouse. It is always warm and humid in there, and there are sacks with soil under the shelving. This soil appeared to be the perfect breeding ground for them. By that point, I was pretty desperate. Pet stores did not sell crickets separately; they were only offered as a “bonus” with an animal purchase. We had to constantly look for workarounds. One day I walked in the greenhouse completely dejected and suddenly noticed crickets scurrying across the floor. We rushed to catch them all! These escapees became our first broodstock, and for the last thirteen years we haven’t had any problems with them.
Artem, do you consider the species composition of the exhibit to be optimal, or do you still think of adding some exotic animals?
We’ve probably found a good balance now. We can swap one animal for another with similar care and habitat requirements. As for something truly outstanding, that’s a tricky question. When I started working here, I dreamt of having all kinds of animals, lots of them. Now, my first question is always: “Why?” For starters, rare species are generally very difficult to care for. Moreover, the exhibit space has its limits and we cannot display every animal to the public. In addition, about 40% of our species are nocturnal, and they should really be in their own separate exhibit. Maybe someday we will be able to make that happen by reversing day and night for them. But then we should also arrange special tours to their enclosures, because if visitors do not know the setup, they will just walk through the dimly lit space and see empty terrariums.
There was a period when such ideas as to place a crocodile pool and a terrarium for the green iguana in the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit were discussed. What is your take on that?
A large animal definitely becomes a major attraction and creates that “wow factor,” but I was always against those plans. Such animal requires a huge amount of space, and a large terrarium or enclosure puts a massive strain on both the staff and the life support system. If it was not part of the original architectural design, making those changes now is incredibly difficult. Such a structure would not function properly.
You have been with the Tropical Rain Forest department for 13 years. Have you gained any students or like-minded colleagues?
I have to mention Dmitrii Serkov. He began volunteering with me back in 2015, when he just started studying at university. Things did not work out well right away, but he has grown immensely, both professionally and personally, becoming a qualified specialist. Most importantly is that he, like me, genuinely loves working here. We are all humans, and I’ve been offered higher-paying jobs several times, but I’ve stayed. The Primorsky Aquarium is something we created with our own hands. It is like your own child—you will not abandon it or give it away to someone else.
