THE HISTORY OF THE LOCAL HISTORY EXPOSITION “ALONG THE RIVER OF TIME” IN THE MUSEUM OF SEVERSK

Abstract

The Exhibition Hall Museum of Seversk was opened on December 24, 1987 as an exhibition hall. In the first years of its existence, it hosted temporary exhibitions from abroad, central museums of the Soviet Union, as well as exhibitions of local artists and the Children’s Art School. In the early 1990s, the government ceased to financially support traveling exhibitions. The museum faced the problem of how to fill its space. The archaeological excavations conducted by the Tomsk State University and the Seversk Archaeological Inspectorate, which were well known to the Seversk Administration, suggested the idea of creating a Department of Archeology and Ethnography at the museum. This Department was created in 1993. PhD of History P.E. Bardina, E.A. Vasilyev and L.M. Pletneva, came to the Department from the Tomsk State University. From the very beginning, they made it their goal to open a local history exhibition in a few years. In order to create its own collection, the museum needed to undertake archaeological and ethnographic expeditions. It developed a clear plan to excavate already known monuments and, with significant financial support from the Seversk Administration (then known as the City Council of People’s Deputies), brought this plan to life. The museum actively collected ethnographic materials in the surrounding villages. After each year of work, it presented exhibitions. At the same time, the museum developed a Scientific Concept and a Thematic Exposition Plan. In 1997, both documents were approved by the Scientific and Methodological Council of the museum. The Thematic Exposition Plan consisted of three sections: archeology, history of the first Russian settlement on the site of the future city, and ethnography. The exposition as a whole covers the ancient history, the Middle Ages, modern and contemporary times. The archaeological section presents exhibits dating back to the Stone, Bronze, Early Iron, and Middle Ages. The historical section demonstrates documents from archives on the history of the Virgin MaryAlekseevsky Monastery, religious items, photographs of churches from the surrounding villages and priests, a copy of a fragment of the S.U. Remezov’s map. A model of a Russian log cabin with three walls, a front corner and a Russian stove is the central part of the ethnographic exposition. Agricultural and haymaking tools, tools for handicrafts, such as cooperage and blacksmithing, as well as for women's handicrafts, are presented on the outer wall of the log cabin. At a certain distance from the log cabin, there is a hunting hut with tools for hunting, fishing and pine nut harvesting. The exposition is continually updated and supplemented. A particularly large update took place in 2009. In subsequent years, considerable attention was paid to the introduction of innovative technological developments into the exposition. Using the exposition, the museum provides guided tours, classes for schoolchildren and senior kindergarten groups on the basis of museum research and educational programs.