The Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences



The Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences is a scientific - research institution which has many various scientific trends.

The Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography was established 33 years ago from a tiny department in the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy. The Institute currently has a staff of 350 research workers including 2 members of the Russian Academy of Science, 1 member of the Russian Academy of Naturan Science, 1 member of the Russian Academy of Education , 25 professors and over 80 candidates of science. The Institute headquartes are located in Novosibirsk Academgorodoc, Siberia, with established laboratories in the cities of Khabarovsk (Far East), Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk and Barnaul.

The range of studies of the Institute is very wide: from the time of man's origin - until the early stage of development of Siberia by Russian Settlers.
The Institute carries out joint researsh projects together with scientific centres of the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and China.
International conferences and symposiums are often held here. The Institute's scientific production runs to hundreds of monographs and collective works.

Unique collection of relice accumulated for the period of the last thirty years constitute a large-scale mobile Exhibition "Archaeology and Ethnografy of North Asia".
More than 700 paleontological, archaeological and ethnographical exhibits have been demonstrated in Korea, Australia, Finland, Yugoslavia and already three times in Japan. Paleontological section includes skeletons of mammoth and ancient bizon. Mummies of a sable and a glutton, well-preserved bodies of which were found by scholars after 20 thousand years in Nizhneudinskaya cave are also presented at the Exhibition. Archaeological relics constitute a significant part of the collection. To them refer: stone implements of primitive men, polished stone discs, spearheads, bone harpoons, figurines of women and birds carved of mammoth tusk. Excavations in Gornyi Altai have resulted in surprising finds relating to the Scythian Epoch. Thanks to a number of geologicaland climatic factors fragments of ancient felt carpets, male and female woolen cloths, unique leather, wooden and golden subjects, decoration of horse harness in form of mythological birds, saddles with depiction of fishes and wolves, ritual wooden shields, bronze mirrors.
The centre of the exposition is beyond doubt a reconstruction of a noble Scysian woman burial place. The mummified body in a bright garment, the hands decorated with tattoos in the form of mythological animals leave a deep impression on the visitors of the Exhibition. There are also tools, armory, pieces of art created by people of the Bronze and Iron Age, and Early Middle Ages.

The section of ethnography dedicated to the history of development of more than 30 small nationalities includes shaman costumes, crowns, sables and tambourines of Altaian, Khakass, Touva and Evenki peoples, sacred blankets of Ugrian, clothes sewed of fish skin of the Far East peoples. The visitors of the Exhibition can see a unique reconstruction of ancient sanctuary of Mansi People.

A great amount of festive and evryday costumes, Siberian icons, reconstruction of a furniture of a peasant house, birch bark recipricals reproduce the history of Setting at Siberia of Russian people. The Institute has a great experience of organizing various Exhibitions: "Russian Icon", "Religious believes of Siberian peoples", "Russian Festive costume", "Siberian Shamans", etc.

The visitors can buy copies of the most interesting exhibits. Another trend of the Institute's commercial activities is organizing international scientific tourism in Gornyi Altai. The Institute is the owner of a tourist hotel in Gornyi Altai consisting of separate comfortable cottages with all conveniences. A Cosy restaurant with a bar, Russian bath house and fishing in a mountain river are at your service. Two weeks programme includes several helicopter excursions to the most interesting places and historical memorials of Altai.

Tourists will get acquainted with the excavationsof burial moulds of the bronze Age and Early Middle Ages, will see the rock paintings of primitive men.
During their trip in Altai tourists will spend several days at the Plateau Ukok and on the bank of the Teletskoe lake. We hope you will never forget your date with magnificent beauty of Altai nature and monuments of ancient cultures. If you have questions regarding organizing exhibishions, please, feel free to contact us:

Russia, Novosibirsk, 630090, Lavrentiev Ave 17,
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,
Fax: (7-383-2) 35-77-91, 35-57-33
Tel: (7-383-2) 35-57-33, 35-37-32, 35-05-37, 35-24-63.
E-mail: [email protected]
The participants of "Leipzig innovation fair-95" represent Richness of the Siberia.