Harvard University

Surprisingly, but the weather in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the next morning was like the weather in California.
People walked in shorts and T-shirts, and the day promised to be hot.
But it was autumn, on 26 September.

We had drove through the streets of Cambridge to one of the best universities in the world - Harvard University.
*Harvard University*

Harvard University - one of the most famous universities in the US and around the world, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Harvard University - the oldest university in the US, was founded September 8, 1636.
The university was named in honor of the English missionary and philanthropist John Harvard.
*Harvard University - Wiki*

You can get to the campus through any of the 27 gates.
But these gate is closed.
There is a sign that the students do not have to go through the main gates of Harvard more than twice:
for the first time - at the beginning of university study;
the second time - after receiving the diploma of graduation of university.
Therefore, the main gate is usually closed for the entire semester.

The main buildings of the University are in the Harvard Yard in Cambridge, approximately 5.5 km north-west from downtown Boston.
*Harvard Yard*

Here, there are central administrative buildings, the university library, academic buildings, homes for students, the memorial church and the museum.

We were struck by two points:
- a large number of trees, shrubs and flowers were in the yard;
- Harvard Yard and the buildings were very similar to the park and buildings of the Polytechnic University in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The University includes 11 separate academic units - 10 faculties and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies.
About 2,100 teachers worked at Harvard, about 6,700 undergraduate and 14,500 postgraduates studied at the university in 2010.

Almost all Harvard University students live in dormitories near the Harvard yard.
Students who have good grades and other achievements, live in residential Houses, which are used as residential and administrative buildings of the University.

There are 13 Homes and each has its own name.

In addition to Homes, there is a church in Harvard yard - Memorial Church.
*Memorial Church*

The first chapel was built at Harvard in 1744 and was called - Holden Chapel.
*Holden Chapel*

The chapel was rebuilt many times, the last time in 1932.
This is memorial of Harvard graduates who died in the First and Second World Wars, in the wars in Korea and Vietnam.

Libraries have also at Harvard Yard.
One of the biggest and most beautiful - Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library.
The library is named in honor of the student who died on the "Titanic", who was carrying a unique collection from Europe.
*Widener Library - Wiki*

The library contains about 3.5 million books, more than on 100 languages.
*Widener Library*

One of the oldest buildings in the yard - is Harvard University Hall.
It was built in 1813-1815 years.
*Harvard University Hall*

Statue of John Harvard (the founder of the university) is located in front of the building.
*John Harvard*

The plate under the statue reads: "John Harvard, Founder, 1638.".
But the university was founded two years before that date - in 1636.
*Statue of John Harvard*

And we go over there...

This is the museum, where we decided to go.
*Garvard Museum of Natural History*

The Natural History Museum includes rooms of mineralogy, of zoology and the herbarium with the exhibit of glass flowers.

All these branches, flowers, pistils and stamens were made of glass over 100 years ago, using the simplest of tools.
This visual aids for training of students at the university.

The exhibits were made by Blaschka family in Germany, by request of Harvard University, in the period from 1887 to 1936.
The collection includes about 4400 models of plants, flowers and their parts.

Models made of glass are remarkably similar to the originals, can to help in the study and observation of the nature.

There are the secrets in Harvard yard too.
If you can stand on the right and left of the door of the building and speak in a whisper, you will hear each other, using the acoustic effect of house construction.

You can exit from Harvard yard through any of the 27 gates.
The First Parish Church is located near one of the gates.

It was the first parish in Cambridge, the age of the church about 400 years.
The church was built in 1632.
*The First Parish Church*

Memorial Hall is located just north of the Yard.
*Memorial Hall*

The building was built in the Victorian Gothic style, in memory about the students of Harvard University who died during the American Civil War.

The building of Science Centre...

The great grandfather of the modern computer is located inside the building.

The building of Austin Hall - Harvard Law Faculty is located inside the campus of the University.
Austin Hall was built in 1882-1884 years.
The building was purpose-built for an American law school.
*Austin Hall*

The building of Saspersen student center is located near...
*Finn M. W. Caspersen*

Существует такая композиция возле студенческого центра Saspersen...

Now September and a semester started recently at Harvard University...
We will not distract students...

We left from Harvard University...
Harvard - old and wise, but at the same time young, full of energy and strength.