Collaboration of the State New Exports Office (Novoexport) with the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1930–1932)

Abstract

The work is based on documents of the St. Petersburg branch of the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences related to the activities of the State Office “Novoexport” to identify new export items through the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences in Leningrad. Great importance in 1930–1932 was given to attracting academic researchers of the Museum to export activities since they could organize export of the museum-level items without harming the funds. The role of the most prominent Siberian researcher, ethnographer, head of the Siberian Department of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography Vladimir G.Bogoraz on saving the collections is highlighted. Assessing the capabilities of the Museum’s funds and the research team Bogoraz insisted that the work on identifying export collections should be based primarily on a specific order from a private collector or museum. The experience of expeditionary procurement of ethnographic collections in Khakassia and Altai without a specific order was not effective in terms of export. Unclaimed ethnographic collections remained at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The joint participation of the Museum and Novoexport in the Fur Exhibition within Fur Auction in Leipzig in 1930 also did not bring export contacts. Bogoraz persistently proposed to organize a laboratory of replica of museum collections in the Museum. The scientist developed a thematic structure of goods. The structure is published in the article for the first time. It mainly covered the traditional culture and life of the peoples of the North of the USSR.The Anthropology Department established some contacts with foreign customers among scientific institutes. The items of export could be materials on physical anthropology. The work of the replica-making laboratory did not take on a large-scale character, the activity was curtailed with the reorganization of Novoexport.