From the history of the conservation of cultural heritage objects in Tomsk in 1917-1920s

The article deals with the topic of cultural heritage. It attracts many researchers but still it is not studied well. In the opinion of the authors, the view that protection of cultural memorials was weak during the Revolution of 1917 requires more in-depth reflection. On Tomsk materials, the authors can see that traditions of careful attitude to memorials of culture were formed by 1917. Political freedoms granted by the Revolution and social enthusiasm mounted in those years provided development of new cultural traditions, including the preservation of cultural values. The authors must say that during 1917-1920 boards of administration in culture and education were formed, abolished and newly constructed in Tomsk. At the same time, public and private institutions in the field of culture were shaped, and the largest of them were the History-and-Philology Faculty of Tomsk University and the Siberia Research Institute. It is necessary to say that protection of memorials of history and culture were among the most important problems of activities of the organizations. Specialists-historians of Tomsk University and their colleagues developed scientific bases of cultural heritage preservation. Else, they did much in order to survey and preserve the diversity of history and culture memorials. Facts from archives, documentary publications, periodicals of the revolutionary years enabled the authors of this article to provide a stirring picture of the work of professors and teachers of the History-and-Philology Faculty of Tomsk University. In the most difficult conditions of the political and socio-economic instability in Siberia in 1917-1920, they were engaged in collecting and studying the memorials of culture. E.V. Dil', B.P. Denike, P.G. Lyubomirov, M.K. Azadovskiy, I.M. Myagkov, V.F. Smolin, N.N. Bakay, A.D. Grigoriev and others collected and systematized historical documents, rare books, objects of archeology and ethnography, Russian dialects of Siberia. In addition, they gathered material objects and visual testimonies of the revolutionary era. At the same time, good cultural and educational work was implemented in Tomsk. The passion and dedication of the participants of the cultural process in the Revolution offered an opportunity to save many artifacts and memorials of spiritual culture in Siberia. Museum, archival and book funds collected during the period under study formed the basis of the repository of cultural heritage in Tomsk, Biysk, Novoni-kolayevsk (Novosibirsk).

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