Formation of the Egyptian collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan: a contribution to the development of Russian Egyptology

Abstract

The article analyzes the history of the formation of the Egyptian collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan during the 19th and 20th centuries. Based on the materials of the archives of the city of Kazan, the national museum, as well as with the involvement of other scientific publications in the context of the museology in Kazan and the development of Russian Egyptology as a science, the four main stages of the formation of the archaeological fund, as well as the current state of the collection of the ancient Egyptian heritage, are examined and analyzed. An analysis of each stage allows the reconstruction of the evolution of Egyptology as a science, and oriental studies in general, in the regions of Russia. This collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan is one of the largest domestic collections of Egyptian culture, which has not been exhibited since the beginning of the 20th century. In this context, cataloging and studying the formation of a collection is necessary for its preservation as a unique heritage. The author of the article came to the conclusion about the importance of Kazan University in the development of the archaeological foundation of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, the role of the collected Egyptian materials in the development of Russian Egyptology and Oriental studies in the 19th century.