Architect Е. А. Aschepkov and Field Research in Altai and the Upper Ob Region in 1940–1950s: The Contribution into Ethnography of Russian Long-Term Residents (On the Materials of His Personal Fund of the State Archive of Novosibirsk Region)

Abstract

Purpose. The research reveals the time and routes of field research expeditions of doctor of art history, architect Е. А. Aschepkov in Altai and the Upper Ob region, gives the assessment of conditions and methods of field research, as well as evaluates the source potential of documents of his personal fund in the State Archive of Novosibirsk Region for ethnography of Russian long-term residents. Results. The first expedition of Е. А. Aschepkov evidenced by the documents took place in the South of Western Siberia in the year 1943. The primary attention of the architect was concentrated on long-term residents' architecture characteristic of the Russian population of Rudny Altai. The second expedition in the territory of the present Kamensky district of Altai krai took place in August 1944. The choice was determined by the dominance of groups of the longterm resident Russian population. The result of both expeditions was gathering of significant selection of materials characterizing the elements of material culture of the Russian population connected with the settler body, serviceutility pictures of life in the period of conducting the expeditions, as well as the processes of development of peasant architecture of the years 1930–1940s, considered as consequences of Soviet state policy of influence that changed the layout of the village. Conclusion. The routes of surveyed villages of Altai and the Upper Ob region described in the article allow us to reveal the ethnographic heritage of the material culture of the long-term resident population of two regions – Rudny Altai and Kamenskaya Ob territory. Е. А. Aschepkov’s archive fund has a great source potential both on the ethnic groups of these regions and the methods of his field research work. The results of the research allow us to speak about the necessity of more active use of archive documents containing the information that is not fixed in field research. The interpretation of the expedition work of specialists from interconnected scientific spheres from the ethnographic point of view expands the capabilities of ethnography.