The art people's work in the process of spreading knowledge about the artistic heritage of the Irkutsk province at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries (on the materials of the creative and scientific organizations)

The article traces the process of the art people’s participation in organizing educational work and transmitting knowledge about the artistic heritage of the Irkutsk province at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. The materials found about the activities of the artists in creating exhibition venues and studying the works that were preserved in the cities made it possible, on the one hand, to understand how many unique monuments are on the territory of the province and, on the other hand, to explain what the public attitude was to the preservation and inclusion of art objects in the collections of the museums. The artistic intelligentsia of Irkutsk not only organized the events, but suggested implementing new public projects for the inhabitants. While studying the documents, the participants of the exhibition venues were identified and the work of some active masters in introducing national schools of painting to the inhabitants was considered. The article presents the peculiarities of the research work of the artists of the creative and scientific societies who turned to the study and development of the region, acquaintance with the achievements in science, education, and art. The study includes the documents that show the work of the artists at the turn of two centuries.