Establishing and activity of the Section of art monuments and antiquities protection in Tomsk province Board of Education

The article is devoted to the preservation peculiarities of the cultural heritage in Tomsk province since 1918 until 1920. In December 1919 Bolsheviks began to restore the provincial authorities after Tomsk province was freed from the influence of White Guard. In December, 25 Tomsk province Revolutionary Committee was established. The committee was an extraordinary state body organ of state power to control civil and military affairs. Tomsk provincial Revolutionary Committee consisted of such departments as: Administration, Social Welfare, Labor, Municipal Department, and Health Department, as well as Provincial Council of the National Economy, People's Commissariat for Education, Provincial Food Committee, Provincial Military Commissariat, and Provincial Commission of Inquiry. The People's commissariat for Education headed by KM Molotov was one of the departments of the Revolutionary Committee. The sphere of culture was under the control such departments as: general, school, out of school, preschool, arts, statistical, financial, economic, and information publishing department as well as department supply. Departments were subdivided into divisions and sections controlled by their own heads. Section of Art Monuments and Antiquities Protection was established to control the cultural heritage in Tomsk. Its staff included representatives of artistic clerisy of the city. The section controlled several areas. Firstly, it controlled archaeological excavations in Tomsk province. In addition it monitored the excavations were legitimate and carried out by specialists and also, it stopped unauthorized excavation. In pursuance of "On protection archeological sites, against illegal excavations subdivision degree", dated 16.07.1920, archeological sites were under protection. Secondly, the section kept courses and open lectures to educate of the public, not only in Tomsk, but also in the province. Thirdly, for protecting architectural heritage the patrols were organized round the city to sketch and take photography the most valuable monuments of architecture. To sum up, in the first years after the restoration of Soviet power in Tomsk, formed authorities were formed in charge of accounting, controlling and using of cultural values. The section took the measures in attitude of protection archeological and architectural monuments, as well as paid a significant attention to education of the city-dwellers, and their cultural level. Over time, it was transformed into a division and continued its activity with wider responsibilities.

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