Archaeology and museum construction during the first years of Soviet power

A scientific approach to recovery and storage of archaeological finds starteddeveloping in Russia in the middle of the 19th century, this development continuedin the 1890s and early 20th century. A lack of cultural heritage protection legislation wasan impediment to this process. After establishment of the Soviet power, in early 1918the government took consistent steps towards legislative support of historical sitesand monuments, including archaeological sites, and enforcement of relevant legislation.The government set up the Department of Museums and Preservation of Historicaland Artistic Sites (MUZO) and its regional branches, i. e. provincial committees(provincial museums). It pursued the task of creating a network of museums for keepingand promoting cultural heritage. This activity is known as ’museum construction’.The Archaeological Unit (AU) of the MUZO run by V. A. Gorodtsov was in chargeof archaeological heritage. By the end of 1922 a complete list of state and public museumswhich kept archaeological collections was made up. The AU maintained communicationwith the provincial research and public organizations to carry out systematic activitieson making records of archaeological collections and sites. Gorodtsov personallyvisited archaeological departments in regional museums, read lectures and providedadvice on display and storage of archaeological artifacts. One of the AU functions wasto distribute archaeological artifacts among museums, which sometimes caused conflictswith local institutions financing excavations. Direct transfer of archaeological finds to localmuseums was formalized in legislation passed in 1924. The transfer of many museumsto the jurisdiction of regional authorities began in 1925. It decreased financing drasticallyand reduced possibilities for getting methodological assistance from the center. That wasthe end of the museum construction.