Field ethnographic researches of employees of Altai State Local History Museum in the 1950-2010s: history and methodology

The article discusses the history and methodology of field researches of the Altai State Local History Museum in the 1950-2010s. The scientific novelty of the article is determined by the lack of researches devoted to the study of expeditions of museum staff. The authors identify the main thematic areas of ethnographic researches, their geography, characterize the conditions conducive to development, and also assess the effectiveness of field work in the acquisition of an ethnographic collection, which is largely determined by state regulations, personal interests of museum staff, formed gaps in the subject range for different peoples of the region. The methods of field work are considered in the context of the development of ethnography and oral history in the country, as well as the activities of regional research centers. It is noted that the main problem remains the storage system of field materials due to the lack of archives in the structure of museums. Placing them in a special accounting system introduced in recent years requires significant time expenditure of employees, so it has not yet been properly distributed.