Festive occasion dedicated to the 165th anniversary of the Imperial Archaeological Commission held at the Presidential Library

On February 15, 2024, a festive occasion dedicated to the 165th anniversary of the Imperial Archaeological Commission was held in the Column Hall of the Presidential Library.

The head of the Information and Communication Technologies Department of the Administrative Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation, Sergei Grinevich, congratulated those present on this significant date. In his video message, he noted that the Administrative Directorate and the oldest state archaeological institution in Russia are connected by a common history. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the Imperial Archaeological Commission was part of the Ministry of the Imperial Household, which, after many transformations and reforms, became the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. “Today, we and the Institute of the History of Material Culture are united by common goals and objectives for the preservation of historical and cultural heritage”, - emphasized Sergei Grinevich.

At the event, a congratulation from the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov was read out. There were also welcoming words and congratulations from the General Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky, the Director of the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHMC RAS) Andrei Polyakov, the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky, the Chairman of the Russian Historical Society Sergei Naryshkin, the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Leningrad Region - Chairman of the Committee for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage Vladimir Tsoi, Director of the Institute of Archeology of Crimea of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vadim Maiko and others.

Deputy Director of the Institute of the History of Material Culture, Director of the Center for Rescue Archeology of the IHMC RAS Natalya Solovyova, who hosted the solemn event, especially emphasized the connection between the oldest state archaeological institution in Russia and the first electronic national library, subordinate to the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.

According to Director General of the Presidential Library, Yuri Nosov, one of the tasks that unites the first electronic national library and the Institute of the History of Material Culture is the preservation of historical memory, countering the falsification of history, and strengthening spiritual and moral values. The Presidential Library's portal features a collection that includes publications of the Imperial Archaeological Commission, as well as archival documents about its formation and development.

The Imperial Archaeological Commission was established on February 15 (old style - February 2) 1859, when Emperor Alexander II approved the Regulations on it. Throughout the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, being a division of the Ministry of the Imperial Household, the commission was the only Russian government body whose mission was to research, collect and protect ancient monuments.

The creation of the commission became part of the liberal reforms of Russia in the mid-third quarter of the 19th century and reflected the awareness of Russian society of national antiquities as a subject of special pride, requiring preservation, study and careful treatment.

The Imperial Archaeological Commission combined research, organizational and control functions in its activities. The practice that developed during the commission’s activities formed the basis for the modern regulation of archaeological research and the system for the protection of monuments in Russia.