Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2015 number

The article analyzes the Siberian merchants’ contribution into the establishment and development of archeology in Siberia; characterizes the state of archeological studies in the region during the given period. The presented data allow to confirm that the development of archeological research in the XIX - early XX centuries was mostly determined by the activities of individuals interested in the history of the region. Local studies were to some extent guided and coordinated by the activities of various scientific societies as well as by the regional museums established in the second half of the XIX century. However, the private initiative remained to be the most important factor in studying, popularization and preservation of the historical heritage of Siberia. The authors describe the merchants’ participation in formation of the unique archeological collections, many of which later were included to the fonds of both local and the largest and most famous museums in Moscow and St Petersburg. It is concluded that merchants played an outstanding role in the development of Siberian archeology. Thanks to the efforts of broad educated entrepreneurs many unique artifacts found on the territory of Siberia were preserved for science and included in the local and metropolitan museum collections. In the second half of the XIX century the Siberian archeology advanced to a qualitatively new level owing to the merchants who provided funding for the expeditions; due to publication of books of well known scientists and to the activities of regional museums and scientific societies. Special attention is paid to such bright representatives of Siberian merchantry who became known in the field of archeological investigations as Efim I. Malakhov, Mikhail G. Shevelev, Innokentiy P. Kuznetzov-Krasnoyarskiy, as well as to the descendants from this social group, who became professional scientists - Ivan T. Savenkov, Innokentiy A. Lopatin, Nikolaj M. Yadrintzev.