Preservation of cultural heritage in the Russian empire: a new research perspective

The review analyzes the structure and content of a work dedicated to the problems of preserving cultural heritage in the early twentieth century and their reflection in legislative activities by a famous researcher of the political history of the South of Russia. The reviewed book reveals the content of positive legislation of the late 19th - early 20th centuries and ideas related to the protection of cultural heritage that arose at that time in the field of legal thought. Various aspects of the restoration activities of the Moscow Archaeological Society for the Preservation of Architectural Monuments are covered, and issues of protection and updating of the cultural heritage of the Caucasus are analyzed in the context of joint activities of all-Russian and regional scientific and governmental structures. The reviewer draws attention to the conclusions the author made regarding the bill On the Protection of Antiquities (1911), while emphasizing that discussions between the government and the State Duma in the context of legislative regulation did not at all affect the financing of monument protection activities. The ideas that circulated in public consciousness and had a negative impact on heritage protection activities are considered (the concept of classicism, the doctrine of nihilism, and ideas about the uselessness of preserving cultural heritage in the face of the increasing pace of progress and the associated “new aesthetics”). The reviewer notes that significant damage to the monuments was caused by the confrontation between various subjects of monument protection activities, in particular the Moscow Archaeological Society and the Imperial Archaeological Commission; the lack of a system for recording objects and inattention to statistical issues also had a negative impact. The reviewer evaluates positively the author’s reflection of problems associated with restoration and conservation work, and emphasizes the author’s thesis that Russian restorers were not only well aware of Western innovations in restoration work, but themselves also developed science-based methods for restoring architectural monuments, monumental painting and movable archaeological objects. The relevance of the section on monument protection activities in the Caucasus is indicated, the features and problems of implementing this activity in the region are listed. The theoretical and practical value of the reviewed book is described; the reviewer’s comments and suggestions for improving it are given