Охрана памятников Западного Крыма в конце XVIII – начале XX вв.

The article deals with the problem of the organization cultural heritage protection in the Russian Empire. The author focuses on the description and analysis the practices architectural and archeological heritage protection in the Western Crimea in the late 18 th – early 20 th century. The study is based on the legislative acts, personal documents, official documents of state and academic institutions, scientific publications. The particular attention is paid to the activities of Taurida Provincial Academic Archival Commission ( Tavricheskaia uchenaia arkhivnaia komissiia ) in the sphere of the Western Crimea archeological heritage protection. In the accordance sources data the cultural heritage protection was limited architectural objects in the Yevpatoria (first of all – Juma-Jami mosque) at the end of the 18 th – the first half of the 19 th century. The low interest of official structures and scientific organizations to the antiquities of the Western Crimea led to the loss of most medieval buildings. In the second half of the 19 th – beginning of 20 th century considerable attention was paid to the organization of the archaeological sites protection in the region. Significant efforts were directed at suppressing predatory excavations and destruction of archeological monuments. The attempts were made for restriction of archaeological finds trading. The author describes the main factors affected to the destructions and damages the Western Crimea cultural heritage: effectless system of registration and monitoring architectural and archeological sites, grave robbing and treasure-hunting, cultural properties trading and collecting, unregulated economic and construction activity.