The Role of M. D. Butin (1835-1907) in Introducing the Inhabitants of Baikal Siberia to Art in the Second Half of the 19th – early 20th Centuries

The relevance of the article lies in the analysis of archival documents that reveal the life and work of M. D. Butin (1835-1907), the history of the creation of an art collection in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. The presented materials have not been published or analyzed by domestic researchers. The work confirms that M. D. Butin participated in creating favorable conditions for acquaintance of residents with objects of art. The study allows to reveal the meaningful side of artistic events in the cities of Baikal Siberia. The purpose of the work is to determine the role of M. D. Butin in introducing the inhabitants of Baikal Siberia to art in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. The objectives of this work are: on the basis of documents from the State Archives of the Irkutsk region to ana-lyze articles and notes in city newspapers, posters, announcements about the life and work of M. D. Butin; to highlight the difficulties and peculiarities in the process of creating an art collection of the Nerchinsk merchant. Methodology. The article is based on the principles of historicism, consistency and scientific objectivity. Histor-ical-genetic and problem-chronological methods are used. Results. The study, based on the materials of the State Archives of the Irkutsk Region, reconstructs the history of the creation of the art collection of M. D. Butin in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. It was noted that Mikhail Dmitrievich supported the activities of public organizations, scientific expeditions, art exhibitions and other educational events in the region. Conclusions. As a result of the study, it was proved that the activities of M. D. Butin influenced the process of familiarizing residents with art objects in Baikal Siberia in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. The article analyzes the content of previously unexplored historical sources, which makes it possible to consider the social activities of M. D. Butin, the history of the creation of an art collection from different angles.