От простого собирательства к первым музеям (из истории становления музейного дела в дореформенной Сибири)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the issues of local history study of Siberia and the preservation of samples of its natural and historical and cultural heritage in the process of collecting mineralogical, natural science, ethnographic and archaeological collections. A significant role in the compilation of the first large collections belonged to the participants of academic expeditions, mining engineers and craftsmen, as well as individual enthusiasts from among the representatives of the local administration and merchants who are interested in the natural resources of Siberia, ancient monuments and unusual cultural objects of neighboring countries. From a simple collection of rarities and art objects, the most active of Siberian collectors have worked their way up to real researchers, contributing to the creation of local museums, libraries and art galleries. The most culturally saturated environment has developed in Irkutsk, where real merchant cultural salons have been formed on the basis of the collected home museums. The passion for collecting expanded the scientific and social horizons of Siberians, contributed to the knowledge of the region and awareness of their identity.