Participation of women in the formation and development of the museum science of Tomsk university (1880s - early 1920s)

The authors of this article highlight the contribution of women to the creation and functioning of museums of Tomsk University. The using of authentic sources suggests that in the early years of the university's creation, the participation of women in the museum science was limited to charity. Women donated collections of their deceased relatives to Tomsk University or donated their own collections of museum objects. It is known about the generous gift of F.E. Tsibulskaya, Siberian gold-miner' widow. She donated a collection of Siberian minerals to the university. Anna Nordenschild (Smit), the widow of the Norwegian collector Gustav Nordenschild, presented a large collection of butterflies. It was highly appreciated by the head of the University Zoological Museum, professor Kashchenko. It mentioned that among the women-donors were ordinary townswomen, and high-society ladies. For example, the collection of coins and tokens, sent to Tomsk by E.V. von Geyser, the Minister of Public Education I.D. Delyanov had accompanied. The situation was changed by the law of July 3, 1914. This law allowed women to work in university museums on equal terms with men. The implementation of the law began in 1915. The Ministry of Public Education sent additional assignation for the maintenance of educational and auxiliary institutions (offices, laboratories, museums) of the Imperial Tomsk University. In 1915-1916, the first female employees were admitted to the museums of Tomsk University. Graduates of the Siberian Women's Courses Taisiya Tripolitova, Enafa Nikitina and Lidia Sergiyevskaya worked at the Botanical Museum (Herbarium)) on a permanent basis. They participated in scientific expeditions conducted under the leadership of professor of Botany Department V.V. Sapozhnikov, as well as the curator of the Botanical Museum P.N. Krylov. They processed their herbariums, published the first scientific articles. Elizaveta Kiseleva, a graduate of the Siberian Women's Courses, worked at the Zoological Museum. Under the guidance of Professor M.D. Ruzsky, she collected a collection of ants and was engaged in the processing and description of this collection. In 1919, E.F. Kiseleva collaborated at the Institute of Siberian Studies. She studied the fauna of the Ob River and brought a collection of Ob fish to the Zoological Museum. So the study of the causes of the “fish kill” in Ob River was began. In addition to full-time employees in Tomsk University museums female students who specialized in the study of Siberian vegetation worked as well. Their collections replenished the Herbarium of Tomsk University and were used for scientific and educational purposes. In conclusion, the authors emphasize that at the turn of the 1910-20s, Tomsk University formed a core of women researchers, around whom professional museum employees were concentrated.