Scientific activity of G.I. Spassky in Tomsk Province (1804-1808)

The article narrates about the early period of scientific activity of the famous Russian researcher of Siberia, Grigory Ivanovich Spassky. In the 19th century, G.I. Spassky was known as an archaeologist and ethnographer and later as a numismatist; as a tireless explorer of Siberia in "its ancient and modern state", and of "countries bordering thereof'. Аt present, Spassky is better known as the editor and publisher of the periodical Sibirskiy vestnik [Siberian Bulletin], first in the Russian Empire devoted to the study of Siberia (from 1825 Aziatskiy Vestnik [Asian Bulletin]). This research reveals little-known facts of the scientific biography of G.I. Spassky during his service in Krasnoyarsk, Biysk, Kuznetsk and other districts of Tomsk Province newly formed in 1804 (in particular in the Narym District). This article lists the main directions of scientific activities of the young scientist: his first works in archeology and ethnography. Moreover, it mentions about the participation of Grigory Spassky in the Embassy of Count Yu.A. Golovkin in China in 1805 and describes the kind of information G.I. Spassky provided for I.O. Pototsky, the chief of the Scientific Part of this Embassy. The active participation of the first civil Governor of Tomsk in the study of the managed territory is emphasized. His patronizing attitude to G.I. Spassky is described. One should note here that the common interest of the service with the hobbies of the young and capable official led to excellent results: Spassky's service under the authority of Tomsk Governor V.S. Khvostov in 1804-1808 brought not only the practical use and allowed accumulating knowledge about the regions of Tomsk Province, but also became the basis for the formation of G.I. Spassky as a scientist. The proposed article is based on the materials from the previously published sources (memoirs of G.I. Spassky's contemporaries, official documents, etc.) and from previously unknown archival documents. A special feature of the article is that it gives a brief description of some documents from the Private Fund of Spassky (No. 805) stored in the State Archive of Krasnoyarsk Krai. The materials of this Fund are the largest in Russia collection of documents that relate to the service and research activity of G.I. Spassky. Until present, the materials of this Fund have not been thoroughly systematized and described, and this article to some extent compensates for this shortcoming in relation to the referenced documents.

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