Russian State Archives of Historical and Cultural Monuments (RSAC/RAHMС) in the First Post-Revolutionary Years (1917–1919): The Contribution of Academician P.P. Pokryshkin

Abstract

The first post-revolutionary years (1917–1919) were a period of profound changes in all spheres of life, including the cultural sphere. This article aims to outline the contribution of the restorer, academician of architecture P.P. Pokryshkin, to the organization of the first Soviet state institution responsible for the protection of cultural heritage monuments — the Russian State Archaeological Commission (RSAC), as well as its transformation into a major scientific center — the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture (RAHMC). The main research methods used were the method of historical analysis, historical-comparative, chronological and retrospective methods. Based on these methods, a comprehensive historical reconstruction of P.P. Pokryshkin’s activities in the Archaeological Commission was carried out, with an emphasis on his contribution to the creation of a large restoration and research center based at the institution. A brief acquaintance with a number of archival documents revealed that the transformation of the Archaeological Commission into RAHMC and the creation of the Institute of Archaeological Technology within it in August 1919 was initiated and prepared to a significant extent by P.P. Pokryshkin. At the same time, the scientist worked on issues of determining the place of the RSAC and the RAHMC in the system of Soviet institutions for the protection of cultural heritage. As a result of the expansion of the activities of the RSAC, as well as the work associated with the development of the Statute of the future Academy, P.P. Pokryshkin established himself as a representative of a strictly scientific approach to the organization of activities for the protection of monuments. The study of P.P. Pokryshkin’s contribution was conducted in the cultural and historical context of the time, however, the information presented cannot fully reveal the enormous work of the scientist, which served to organize the activities of the first Soviet institutions for the protection of monuments on a scientific basis, and therefore requires further research.