The most important anthropologist in Imperial Russia, Anuchin provided the link between ethnography and archeology. A moderate Darwinist, and a translator of John Lubbock’s work, he never made that a credo of archeology, such as the latter did in London. Always extremely active in the congresses, he also edited the IMAO’s “Zapiski” in the 1890s. Although he never succeeded in professionalizing anthropology in Imperial Russia, today’s Institute in Moscow bears his name, as do a crater on the moon, a Kuril island, a glacier, and a mountain. For decades after Alexei Uvarov’s death he served as Praskovia’s righthand man.
Where Associated: Historical Museum
Barshchevskii was a self-taught pioneer in photography, and developed the art of taking photos of archeologically significant architecture. At her invitation, he added photography to Princess Maria Tenisheva’s art studio at her renowned Talashkino estate. Many of his pictures are all that remains today of some of what the Soviets destroyed.
Vasilii Babenko is particularly interesting as he was a village school teacher who became an autodidact archeologist as a result of his discovery of an enormous cashe of Khazar culture. He was especially active in museum work, including these smaller ones: Museum of the IRAO, the Museum of the Moscow Archaeological Institute, and the Museum of Fine Arts and Antiquity at Kharkov University.
Educated in the classics and serving as a professional soldier, Brandenburg found himself director of the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg in 1872, a position he held til his death. Rising to the rank of Lt. General, he expanded his interest in displaying artefacts of artillery to the systematic excavation of numerous kurgans, especially on medieval battle fields. His greatest success came when he restored much of Staraia Ladoga, 1884-89.