Yes, admittedly, that sounds a bit odd, why would anyone go see a cockroach exhibition in the Natural History Museum anywhere, but the exhibition recently opened in Dubrovnik has proven to be a hit, and numerous people who have seen it before can attest that it’s worth your time and the “yuck-factor” it might produce.
The exhibition “Cockroaches – the world that endures” was created by Iva Mihoci PhD, Petar Crnčan, Vlatka Mičetić Stanković PhD and Mirna Klaić for the Croatian Natural History Museum in Zagreb, where it premiered in 2017. Now, opening on the Night of the Museums held on February 1st, the exhibition is visiting the Dubrovnik Natural History Museum, where it will be open until May 6th.
It might not be the most obvious tourist thing to do in Dubrovnik, but still, it’s a world worth knowing more about, so if you find yourself in Old Town Dubrovnik, in Androvićeva Street, all maxed out on the history, heritage, dragons and queens coming down some stairs naked, go inside the museum (the museum is located right next to the stairs where the iconic Game of Thrones “walk of atonement” took place), and find out all you’ve ever wanted to know about the world of the organisms who are completely oblivious of our disgust, as they’ve been here long before us, they’ve survived disasters we can hardly imagine and they’ll be here after we’ve been long gone.
The cockroach exhibition will show you in an interesting, attractive and modern, multimedia way the basic features of the biology and evolution of the cockroaches. One of the most interesting exhibits is the insectarium that presents the life cycle of the roaches with live specimens of Madagascar hissing cockroach and Argentinian cockroach. There’s a special part of the exhibit showing the life of the cockroaches next to humans, using an old Slavonian house as an example. Luckily, you’ll be able to learn something about the techniques on how to get rid of the pest as well at the exhibition.
