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TOP 10 places and ideas for a geek date on February 14

On the eve of February 14, the most active of the 500 developers and IT specialists of M. Video-Eldorado made a list of places for technical and romantic dates, where they already went with their halves or plan to drop in on the occasion of the holiday.



Under the cut is a selection of the best options, and not only in Moscow.


1. Planetarium for two


A planetarium is not just a cinema with a dome screen. It is rather a scientific center, where at times thematic exhibitions, concerts and non-standard lectures are held. And do not think that this is all for schoolchildren. Almost every planetarium has excursions or programs for the “old people”.

For example, in Moscow and St. Petersburg they offer "Romantic dates." There you can stay together under the starry sky and look through a telescope.

In general, even standard programs look impressive. For example, the same "Journey through the Solar System": this is a 30-minute video on a huge "horizon" with landscapes of planets and their satellites.


Presumably a view from the surface of Oberon on Uranus. Frame from the domed roller of the Moscow Planetarium

Tip: almost everywhere you can order an individual program and hint to the organizers at the planning stage what exactly interests you - do you want a near-scientific lecture or just a story about the stars on the day of your first date. If this is not discussed, as suggested by our colleague, the program may be designed for too wide an audience with a minimum technical level.

By the way, in some cities they can even set a table with candles under the dome.
A list of all planetariums in Russia can be found here .

2. Observation of stars through a telescope


Only observatories compete with planetariums according to their “degree of romance”. These are mostly scientific, not public institutions - but there are exceptions among them. In addition, private observatories began to appear. Both there and there are special romantic programs where you can stroll through the lunar craters with your eyes or explore the planets of our solar system in detail. There are several similar places in Moscow, for example, the Ka-Dar Observatory, the People’s Observatory in Sokolniki and her sister in Gorky Park .

3. Flight simulators


Flying on airplanes and helicopters on dates is a pretty common thing. Around large cities, sometimes even several flying clubs function. But the techie is much more interesting not to look out the window at the Google Earth of his native city and the surrounding area, but to steer the equipment. Naturally, for the helm of the aircraft in the air you and the other half so simply will not be allowed. But you can steer on the simulator. And such attractions are gaining popularity. There are several such centers in Moscow, for example, Sim Dream in Tushino or TFT.aero at Avtozavodskaya.


Photo: " Flight Center "

Flight simulator is not just a game with suitable controls. The capsule simulates the tilt of the aircraft in accordance with the actions of the pilot and even shaking during takeoff and landing. And if these takeoffs and landings for the “thrill” are not enough, you can try a flight program or maneuvers in difficult weather conditions. On a real plane, without experience, it is definitely better not to practice this.

The only “but” is that the simulator is still entertainment for one. Although there are seats for several passengers in the cockpit, someone alone controls the situation (and feedback). But the instructors explain in detail the principles of control, so that even someone who has not worked out with the car will be able to sit down.

4. Ostankino tower


Another “technological” and romantic attraction of a heavenly theme is dinner or simply aromatic coffee at the Ostankino TV tower : the tallest building in Europe and the fourth tallest television tower in the world.

Our IT colleagues have visited television towers in many European cities. This is always a great view of the city and surrounding landscapes (as in Munich with a view of the Alps or in Riga with the prospect of the Gulf of Riga; the latter, unfortunately, is closed for visits in the coming years), an art object (as in Prague) or an interactive museum ( like in Ostankino). Unfortunately, in Russia there are practically no television towers available for visiting. For example, excursions were conducted to the tower in St. Petersburg in the 1990s, and now it is closed due to the small dimensions of the elevators that can be installed there. So we would be glad to say that in other cities there are analogues of the Ostankino tower, but in practice they are not.


It seems that from the observation deck you can see the bend of the Earth, but in reality it is a “barrel” from the wide-angle camera lens

From an engineering point of view, the television tower is a rather interesting object. The towers are designed to withstand high wind loads and even hypothetical earthquakes. In a strong wind, you can sometimes even feel fluctuations when the viewing level moves tens of meters in space. At the Ostankino TV tower, the whole interactive exposition is devoted to the influence of meteorology on the structure.

The design of this particular facility is complicated by the rotating restaurant complex, which makes a complete revolution around the axis of the tower in 40 minutes. Above the level there is a cafe, and even higher - a coffee shop with tables along the windows and bar stools.



At the very top is an observation deck. Actually, these are all rooms, except for technical ones, which are at their best.



Visits to the tower will have to be planned in advance. Tables are booked through the site (there is no point in looking for intermediaries offering to do the same for money), on weekends there are restrictions on the duration of the visit (however, they do not expel anyone). And at the entrance you will have to go through an inspection.

By the way, colleagues suggest that last summer, under the auspices of the Moscow Planetarium, a mini observatory functioned on the Ostankino Tower. At certain times, planetarium staff spoke of the celestial bodies that were accessible above the horizon. Perhaps the experiment will be repeated in the future.

5. Molecular cooking workshop


Molecular cuisine is when habitual (or not quite) tastes take on new forms. For example, orange spaghetti, coffee beef steak or mint caviar. Unfortunately, there are not as many restaurants where you can find molecular cuisine as we would like. But various courses and master classes flourish, where they will learn how to cook these unusual dishes. One of the proven places is Molecularmeal , where you can come together or as a group.

6. Museums of enthusiasts


The next idea for hanging out is a museum. While exchanging impressions about who and where we visited with our soulmate, we noticed that in recent years there have been quite a few museums from enthusiasts that compensate for the shortcomings of the collection with the “burning eyes” of the caretaker and guide.

A great example of such an institution - Computer History Museumin the city of Borovsk in the Kaluga region. At the weekend visitors are met by the owner of the museum. He asks at the entrance what the technical base is, and depending on the level of listeners he builds a further story about the exhibits. We are sure that he can tell perfectly for children, but the most interesting thing will be adults. For example, how many people remember why “firmware”? And in this museum there is an exhibit explaining this term, and, of course, the whole story around it. And also an analog computer, the first laptops that appeared in our country, and much more interesting. Each exhibit has its own story, sometimes more than one. It is for such stories that it is worth going there.


The memory cell that needs to be “sewn”.


Almost all equipment works.

A similar institution of a slightly different bias in Yekaterinburg is the Anti-Museum of computers and games. They even include some exhibits, so you can play something very “historical”.

Another example from colleagues is the Museum of Ancient Equipment and Tools from Nizhny Novgorod. The technical scope here is much wider - from diving suits to televisions.

The mentioned museums from Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod have already developed so that there were entire collectives, so it is difficult to predict who exactly you will get when you visit. Will the tour turn out and will it be interesting? But the institution in Borovsk in this sense is beyond competition.

Of the Moscow museums on this list, it is perhaps worth mentioning the Apple Museum of Technology. Here is a collection of devices with a clear bias. Almost everything works and almost everything can be touched. The museum’s working hours on weekdays are limited, but on weekends it’s almost the whole day.

7. Interactive science museums for adults


The theme of interactive science museums is well-documented for school-age visitors. Many cities have small "amusement parks" that demonstrate the simplest physical laws at the household level. But there are similar places for adults. The scientific concepts discussed here are less commonplace, and sometimes not obvious.

A good example is the Optics Museum in St. Petersburg at the National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (popularly - ITMO). The exhibits are not for children at all - here is about holography, and about the illusions of vision, and about the history of this section of science.


Photo: Museum of Optics

A similar project dedicated to electricity and designed for a younger audience is in Adler - this is the Nikola Tesla Electric Museum. There is much less science, more entertainment, but it will be interesting to those who are far from understanding the fundamental principles of electromagnetic interactions.


Photo: Tesla Museum.

There are already quite a few projects throughout the country, such as Galileo and Labyrinthum, where the focus is actually on children, but it will be interesting for couples. True, there is even less science there than in the Nikola Tesla Electrical Museum. But clearly.

8. Quests


Passing quests is a fairly popular entertainment among residents of large cities. Not everyone is interested in quests for films or games, but among the mass of offers there are logical games that require brains to get to the finish line. You can try yourself in the role of a detective who unravels the crime, try to get out of the room, solving logical puzzles, or find an important artifact in the location.

By February 14, such quests as Together , Another World , Movie Magic , or Avalanche of Oblivion will be very helpful . Also, the male part offered a few more “romantic” options, but a few, in the IT department, the ladies prudently rejected them. Keep this in mind if you understand what it is about.

9. Moscow (and also Peter and Kazan) through the eyes of an engineer


This is a wonderful project where you can buy tickets for architectural excursions to famous and unusual objects, such as the House of the People’s Commissar, which was supposed to be a guide from individual housing to communal houses, the House on the embankment with all its gloomy stories or buildings of the “Red October”. In addition to interesting historical and political aspects, guides talk about the engineering device and communications, as well as ideas and visions of the future by engineers of that time.



A separate highlight by February 14 is a series of lectures “Wine through the eyes of an engineer”. Half the time, the story is about engineering and architectural features, for example, Austria of the last century. And the second part is a tasting of Austrian wines with professional sommeliers, who have their own interesting stories, because wine is a real mixture of art and technology.

10. Virtual reality


If real museums, exercise machines and other entertainments are not suitable, the virtual world remains. Especially if you like to crush all sorts of zombies together.


Photo: Anvio club

In the club in a virtual game you can really run. Of course, at this stage of technology development, this cannot be called a full-fledged replacement for real life: you will be aware that you are in the game. Colleagues who were there say that at first they even tried to remove the headset from their heads to make sure that they are far from the walls of a real room. And every time - bingo, they were in the center, everything is in order! All virtual spaces are designed taking into account the fact that you will wander in a circle, and the room in size is selected with the appropriate margin.

Of course, the experienced eye will notice some bugs in games. Colleagues complained that they had to learn to enter virtual doors or aim at enemies. Although, for the most part, movements in virtuality are transmitted quite well. In addition, you can not grab onto the drawn surrounding objects. And you can’t even imagine how much in our head is tied to this opportunity. But in general, the sensations are quite unusual and can capture even those who do not like computer games. A good example here is the Anvio network of VR clubs . But there is a nuance - not everyone may like it.

Colleagues say that to perceive all this is like a technological attraction, rather than as a fantastic virtual reality. And they are advised to read the rules before the visit - there are even conditions for the uniform, since the sensors will be mounted on the body.

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