New facts from the biography and scientific activities of V.G. Druzhinin (based on his memories)

Abstract

Memoirs are a remarkable historical source. Therefore, the publication of the well-known manuscript written by V.G. Druzhinin is long overdue. Written during the tragic years of his administrative exile, it is filled with important and sometimes unknown information and facts about his biography and professional activities. In addition, V.G. Druzhinin not only describes the relationships between renowned and young researchers, but also portrays their personalities and provides assessments of the professional qualities of numerous colleagues. Despite the fact that the published fragment is not structurally divided into sections, it organically highlights several topics: the participation of young scientists who were actively working on their master's theses in the All-Russian Archaeological Congress in Yaroslavl; the military service of self-determined individuals, the preparation and failure of the examination for the rank of firefighter; The procedure for defending a master's thesis; the service in the Archaeological Commission, the functioning of the Mintz Cabinet, and the activities of the Hermitage are presented through concise descriptions of its directors. The assessments and judgments about the professional qualities of the dozens of scientists mentioned in the memoirs, who represented various fields of science, will be a valuable addition to historiography. V.G. Druzhinin himself emerges as a remarkable memoirist who created a comprehensive account of the life of scientific institutions (the Archaeological Commission and the Hermitage), which he witnessed from the center of the events he described.