On the History of Alexander Lvovich Berthier-Delagarde’s Private Collections (With Reference to Documentary Materials)

Abstract

The article explores the events behind the donation of the collection of books and manuscripts belonging to a prominent scholar of Crimea Alexander Lvovich Berthier-Delagarde to the Central Museum of Taurida, as well as how part of his numismatic and ethnographic collection was sold to a private owner. The analysis is made with reference to unpublished documents of central (Moscow, Saint Petersburg) and regional (Simferopol, Odessa) archives. The author refers to the epistolary legacy of I. A. Linnichenko, A. I. Markevich, and A. V. Oreshnikov. The author considers A. L. Berthier-Delagarde’s biography, his contribution to the study of the history and archaeology of Northern Circum-Pontic Region, and his enthusiasm in collecting artefacts. Special attention is paid to the activity of members of the Tauric Learned Archival Commission meant to preserve unique collections during the revolutionary years. Additionally, the author focuses on archaeologists’ interest in the handwritten documents in the late 1920s. During the Revolution, part of A. L. Berthier-Delagarde’s numismatic collection was lost, and the other part was sold to a European antiquarian. The Crimean scholar’s jewellery collection and the Gothic style Tauric items were purchased by the British Museum. A. L. Berthier-Delagarde’s library and private archive were given to the Central Museum of Taurida.