I. I. Popov’s cultural and educational activities in the Eastern Siberian Branch of the Russian Imperial Geographical Society (1894–1897)

The article is devoted to I.I. Popov’s activities in the ESBIRGS, his work at the Irkutsk ethnographic museum in the period from 1894 to 1897. While working as a museum conservator, I. I. Popov participated in the preparation of the expositions, gave public lectures, and compiled annual reports on the institution’s activities. Within a short period of time, during less than three years, he managed to increase significantly the visitors’ flow to the museum, prepare the exhibits for the participation in the All- Russian industrial and art exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod in 1896, and to become also a member of the delegation of the ESBIRGS at the exhibition. I.I. Popov became a prominent figure among the socio-political figures of Prebaikalye at the end of the XIX-XX centuries, while his public and educational activities began with the work at the ESBRGS, which opened the way for his further professional career in Siberia.