A collection of expedition photographs by A.I. Skassi in the collection of the department of manuscripts and book monuments of the Scientific library of TSU

The article highlights the almost unexplored issue of the collection of photographs preserved in the Department of Manuscripts and Book Monuments of the Scientific Library of Tomsk State University. The photographs were taken by August Ivanovich Skassi. The author of the article managed to find biographical information about the photographer. As a military topographer, Skassi participated in scientific expeditions in Central and Central Asia. Knowing about his work, Grigory Nikolaevich Potanin invited Scassi on an expedition to China and Tibet, which lasted three years -from 1884 to 1886. It is known that Scassi made a topographic survey of the area along the route of Potanin's journey (more than 7 thousand kilometers long). In addition, he took about 200 photographs, which depicted the urban landscapes of China and the people who met on the expedition path. The author of the article notes that the works of G.N. Potanina, A.I. Scassi, A.V. Potanina in the Chinese expedition were awarded medals of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. Potanin highly valued the photographs of Skassi and kept some of them in his personal collection. It is known that in 1920 G.N. Potanin died and was buried in Tomsk, and his collection of photographs, together with his manuscripts and the library, first came to the Siberian Research Institute, and then to the library of Tomsk University. And a few decades later, a library employee N.V. Vasenkin carried out the attribution of these photographs. The collection of 16 photographs is stored in the collection of the Department of Manuscripts and Book Monuments of the Scientific Library of Tomsk State University as part of the Potanin fund. The photographs depict the Buddhist monasteries of Gumbum, Kadan-Syume and Wutai, the shrine of Yun-zhao-si in Wutai, the streets and individual buildings of Chinese cities and villages. The collection contains photographs of the family of the Dzungarian prince and the family of a Mongol official from Amdos, as well as portraits of ordinary people in China. Photographs of Tangut men in national clothes and servants of the Buddhist monastery Labran are unique. Most of the photographs are pasted onto cardboard or forms from the photo studio where they were printed. Many of the photographs have handwritten text made by G.N. Potanin. The photographs are well preserved, but are damaged: the paper has turned yellow, there are tears along the edges, and others. The collection of photographs by A.I. Skassi has reliable information about the history and culture of China and is an important historical source.