V.G. Ananiev^1,*, M.D. Bukharin^2,**

¹ St.-Petersburg University, Russia
² Institute of World History of the RAS, Moscow, Russia

*E-mail: v.ananev@spbu.ru
**E-mail: michabucha@gmail.com

Keywords: the Soviet science, the history of archaeology, historic and cultural heritage, the State Academy for the History of Material Culture.

The founder of the Russian Academy for the History of Material Culture (RAIMK (GAIMK)) N.Ya. Marr and the Permanent Secretary the Academy of Sciences (St.-Petersburg Academy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Academy of Sciences of the USSR) S.F. Oldenburg were connected by almost half a century of close cooperation within the two academies. In The St. Petersburg branch of Archive of Russian Academy of Sciences and the State Archive of the Russian Federation keep plentiful records on close cooperation of Marr and Oldenburg which makes it possible to reconstruct the history of the Soviet science and culture in general and the history of the academic archaeology in particular. The documents reflect Marr and Oldenburg’s fight against transferring of historical and cultural heritage of Georgia in 1922–1923. Correspondence of Marr are and Oldenburg is an important element for the reconstruction of scientific and private biographies of both scientists, moreover, it considerably corrects stereotypic ideas of Marr’s personality. His early letters to Oldenburg show him as an archaeologist who is desperately fighting for development of science in the country, later letters are filled with doubts in the fidelity of the way he had chosen. Oldenburg’s letters to Marr prove the traditional image of the former as an academic scientist and administrator, advocating the interests of science under any circumstances.

DOI: 10.31857/S086960630009077-3