History of women's collecting through Russian female autobiographies of the XVInth - early XXth century

The article is aimed at designating women’s discourse in collecting in historical retrospective, namely, in Russia of the XVIIIth - early XXth century. Based on material from female memoirs, the author explores the issue of what collecting was for Russian women and how collecting practices were related to women’s self-presentation. It is concluded that the models of women’s collecting have changed as the role of women in Russian society evolved during the XVIIIth and XIXth centuries.