Monument to the laboratory mouse
sculpture in Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia
The Monument to the laboratory mouse is a sculpture in Novosibirsk' Akademgorodok, Siberia, Russia. It is located in a park in front of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and was completed on July 1, 2013, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the founding of the city.
The monument commemorates the sacrifice of the mice in genetic research used to understand biological and physiological mechanisms for developing new drugs and curing of diseases.
Description
The monument, which sits on a granite pedestal, is of a laboratory mouse wearing pince-nez on the tip of its nose. The mouse holds knitting needles in its paws and is shown knitting a double helix of DNA. The bronze figure is itself only 70 cm (27+1⁄2 in) high, but the total height of the monument including the pedestal is 2.5 meters (98 in). The DNA spiral emerging from the knitting needles winds to the left, thus showing that it is the still poorly understood Z-DNA - this symbolic of scientific research that is still to be done. In contrast, the more common B-DNA (depicted in school lessons) winds to the right.
Inscription
Translated from Russian:
Monument of a laboratory mouse, wearing glasses perched on the end of its nose, sitting atop a granite pedestal
The mouse holds needles in its hands, knitting the twin spiral of DNA
Exhibit of the Museum of the History of Genetics in Siberia
Author and artist A. Kharkevich
Sculptor A. Agrikolyansky
Foundryman M. Petrov
Installed by the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
With the financial support of CJSC "Medico-Biological Union"
July 4, 2013.
Background
The foundation stone of the monument was laid on June 1, 2012, in honor of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics. The design for the mouse was the creation of the Novosibirsk artist Andrey Kharkevich, who made more than ten sketches before settling on a final design.
The public source identifies “Monument to the laboratory mouse” as sculpture in Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Monument, laboratory and mouse.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Monument to the laboratory mouse”, the useful work is to connect “sculpture in Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q16684555. Authority coordinates are 54.849, 83.106. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2013 and 2012.
Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Monument to the laboratory mouse”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Monument to the laboratory mouse primary sources, Monument to the laboratory mouse archive and Monument research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Monument to the laboratory mouse”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Monument to the laboratory mouse” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.