Rudenko Sergei I.

Rudenko Sergei Ivanovich (1885-1969) - ethnographer, anthropologist, archaeologist, professor, full member of the Russian Geographical Society. In 1921–1927 - Head of the Emperor Alexander III Ethnographic Department of the Russian Museum, member of the museum board and deputy director. He belonged to a galaxy of researchers who, in the post-revolutionary period, laid the foundation for the modern ethnographic school. An encyclopedically educated and comprehensively gifted scientist, V.I. Rudenko made a significant contribution not only to the development of Russian archeology and ethnography, but also to the acquisition of the museum's ethnographic collection. During 1906-1930. he carried out 14 expeditions and collected over 10,000 exhibits (52 collections), reflecting the traditional object world of the Bashkirs, Chuvashs, Mordovians, Maris, KhantyMansi, Nenets, Komi, Buryats and Altaians. The exhibits acquired by him are distinguished by the breadth of thematic coverage, an integrated approach to the selection of material and a clear scientific systematization. An important addition to the clothing collections are 1290 ethnographic photographs (25 collections) taken by the collector during the expeditions. In his work, he was guided by the following principles: “For the successful collection of ethnographic collections ... first of all and most importantly, to achieve the location and respect of the population”, and this is achieved by “... careful attention to the vital interests of those with whom one has to deal ...”. S.I. Rudenko became world-famous due to his discovery in 1929 of the culture of the Pazyryk burial mounds in the southern Altai. In 1930, he was arrested in the so-called Academic case. He served his sentence in BelBaltLag. He was released ahead of schedule in 1934. Since 1942, he worked as a senior researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Rehabilitated in 1957.