liya Voznesensky, anatomists in the Imperial Zoological Museum, spent in the Russian America 5 years (1840-1845) and brought to St. Petersburg unique collections which high cultural value has been recognized by Russian and foreign museums. Voznesensky went to the Russian America by the Academy of Sciences assignment to gather collections both for Zoological and Ethnographical Museums of the Academy of Sciences. Iliya Voznesensky arrived to Novoarchangelsk, the administrative center of the Russian America, in May, 1840. Within 5 years he travelled almost all over regions of the Russian America – North California, the islands of the Alexander Archipelago, the Kenai Peninsula, the Kodiak Island, the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, Norton Bay coast and the region of the Bering Strait. Voznesensky made contacts with many employees of the Russian-American Company, who also became enthusiastic about collecting. The Academy’s of Sciences Ethnographic Museum was enriched with 950 object on culture and everyday life of the indigenous peoples of North-West America. Among them – drawings made by Voznesensky. He depicted views of the Russian-America Company’s settlements, including the capital of the Russian America – Novoarchangelsk, fort Ross in California, landscapes, made portraits of colonists and native peoples, scenes of their everyday life.

14.03.2018