During 2009, an International Year of Astronomy (IAY), Nikolaev Research Institute NAO held different activities which were devoted to this important event. The opening of the IAY 2009 took place in the Round Hall of Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory on January 22. The mayor, V.D. Chayka, and representatives of regional and local authorities, public education, scientific and cultural community of Nikolaev were our
honored guests.

On April 2-3 the projects of IYA 2009 "A Hundred Hours of Astronomy" took place on the territory of NAO. In these two evenings more than 50 people visited the observatory.
On September 12, 2009 the “Open Doors Day” was held in NAO, it was devoted to the City Day. About 1,300 guests and residents of the city of Nikolayev visited the observatory on this day. The program consisted of an excursion to the astronomical museum, a demonstration of current and historical instruments, and in the evening everyone could look at the stars and Jupiter through the telescope to experience how modern astronomical observations are carried out using an automatic telescope.
NAO took an active part in the global project IAU "Astronomical and World Heritage."
Prepared and presented to the working group IAU a new application form of NRI NAO on
subject: "Astronomy from the Renaissance to the mid 20 century." In August 2009, Gennadiy Pinigin attended and took part in the International Congress "Astronomy and World Heritage: across time and continents," which was held in Kazan (Russia).
In August 2009, a book "The dynasty of Knorre astronomers” was issued by Irina Gudym's Publisher.
It was prepared with the participation of descendants of the first director K. Knorre, currently residing in France. In addition, the booklet and other printed advertising are dedicated to the NAO and IAY 2009.
During the year, works on upgrading Astronomical Museum had been done. As a result of tool restoration and the pavilion repair was an open exhibition of a Repsold Vertical Circle (1898). The exposition of astronomical museum was enlarged and improved.
On November 2009 the Center of NAO had been completed. The Center of the Observatory is
the center of Round Hall in the main building. It is marked with a sign on a granite plate, which is fixed in the center of the Round Hall. A four-rayed wind-rose is depicted on the round granite plate, which has a diameter of 575 mm. It is directed along the meridian (the long ray) and the first vertical (the short ray). The representation of two perpendicular rays is a stylization of meridian instruments, as a meridian circle and transit instrument, which were the first instruments of Nikolaev Observatory.