To the origins of museum science in Altai city of Biysk (late 19th to early 20th century)

This article is devoted to the unexplored issue of the birth of museum science in the small provincial town of Biysk in southern Siberia. Reliance on historical sources, many of which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, allows the authors to carry out a historical reconstruction of the sociocultural development of Biysk in the second half of 19th - early 20th century. The article reports on the increasing role of the city bourgeoisie and intellectuals in the life of Biysk, shows the charity of merchants Kotelnikov, Vasenev, Assanov, Sychev, Morozov. The authors emphasize donations of Biysk townspeople to the museums of Imperial Tomsk University. They reveal the role of G.N. Potanin who involved some residents of Biysk in studying of the southern part of Altai and Mongolia, in collecting and descripting of natural and historical memorials. All these events are considered as the most important prerequisites for the origin of the museum science in Biysk. Then the article shows that the first idea of establishing Biysk museum was expressed in 1886. However, it was not possible to implement it. New attempts to open the museum were made in 1911. There were the funds of the merchant Kopylov, who wanted to use them for the sake of culture and education. They also failed. Only the events of the Revolution of 1917 allowed starting works on the creation of the museum. Now it is known about People's University opened in Biysk in 1918 and the museum, which was created under it. The purpose of the museum was educating of townspeople. The first head of Biysk museum was A.A. Khrebtov, a graduate of Riga Polytechnic Institute. He managed to attract knowledgeable people, who conducted expeditions and delivered collections of minerals, archaeology and ethnography to the museum. From the first days of opening rural teachers, employees of the county land (zemstvo) and others visited the museum. The museum became a center of educational work in Biysk and its county. The Society of Nature Lovers was based on People's University and its museum. Members of this society turned to the study of the nature and history of Biysk district. The representative of the department of out-of-school education V.V. Belyanin planned to create a network of museums of the Biysk district. The authors point out that in the future he became a well-known Soviet writer V.V. Bianchi. The article shows that the museum funds, created in 1918-1919, were used as the basis of Biysk Soviet People's Museum. It was opened in April 1920 by section on organization of museums in Biysk district, established in the department of public education of Biysk district revolutionary committee. The authors of the article express their opinion that the preparatory period, which lasted 44 years, had finished with great success. Scientific and cultural center was created in the southern part of Altai, and it still works today as the Biysk Regional Museum named after V.V. Bianchi.

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