On the history of foundation of the Siberian Scientific and Art Museum in Tomsk (1911-1920)

Tomsk City Council (Gorodskaya Duma) decided to mark the 50th anniversary of the abolition of serfdom in Russia by foundation of the Siberian Scientific and Art Museum. In order to realize the decision a Museum Committee was specially organized in Tomsk in 1911. The members of the Museum Committee were officials B.A. Aminov and F.Ya. Nesmelov, Professor Ye.L. Zubashev, Director of Tomsk Technological Institute, businessman P.I. Makushin, A.V. Adrianov, a researcher of Siberia, architects T.L. Fischel and V.F. Orzheszko. The members of the Museum Committee found a place for the museum at Solyanaya Square, worked out terms for architectural projects tender. Architects T.L. Fischel and L.S. Knyazev were going to make the museum project. But for the lack of funds architectural works were stopped. Nevertheless the Museum Committee prepared the project of the Siberian Scientific and Art Museum. The Museum structure was developed; it consisted of the departments of natural history and public history (''live and dead days of the old''). Later, in 1915, the third department of the Civil War was set up. The project contained a detailed list of items for the Museum to collect, identify and present the Museum objects, specimens and collections. The first museum objects and collections were registered in 1911. Collector P.A. Shastovsky gave his collection of Siberian birds and mammals. But for him there were other 15 benefactors. The Museum collected more than 350 items in zoology, botany, geology, ethnography and archeology. In 1915 A.V. Adrianov sent two Soyot musical instruments to the Museum. Shortly after the first receipts registration of museum objects was organized. Every collection and individual items which came to the museum were fixed in the inventory book and then placed in Tomsk Museum of Applied Knowledge. So museum visitors could see all collections and individual items. In 1919 the funds of the Museum of Applied Knowledge and the Siberian Scientific and Art Museum were moved to the Institute of Siberian Studies. The heads of the Institute planned to form a new museum using the funds of Tomsk museums. However, the extraordinary circumstances of the Civil War did not allow implementing the plan. It is known that some of the items of the Siberian Scientific and Art Museum had been transported to No-vonikolayevsk (Novosibirsk); the others were preserved in the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of Tomsk State University.

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