From the funds of the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University. Photographs of the peoples of the North Caucasus in the exposition of the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879: Abadzekhs

Abstract

Introduction. This article continues the series of articles devoted to the study of the collection of photographic images of representatives of the peoples of the Kuban region, collected by E.D. Felitsyn for the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879 and stored in the collections of the D.N. Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Materials and methods. The research was based on archival photographic images of the Abadzekhs, which were presented at an Anthropological exhibition in Moscow in 1879, and then became part of the general collection of photographic images of representatives of the peoples of the Kuban region, collected by E.D. Felitsyn.

Results. A description of the collection is given, which includes 7 photographic images of Abadzekhs who lived during the preparation and holding of the Anthropological Exhibition in Moscow in 1879 in the Maikop district of the Kuban region, in the villages of Khadzhimukovsky and Blechepsin. The photographs are pasted on branded photographic letterheads and belong to photographer A. Starzhevsky. The size of the photo is 11 x 16 cm, the size of the cardboard is 18 x 22 cm. On the front and back sides there are inscriptions containing information about the name of the county, tribe, village, the name of the person depicted, their age and height. The photos show 3 men and 4 women aged 8, 18, 30, 33 and 60 years.

Discussion. The article analyzes the literary information devoted to the problems of studying the origin, ethnic history, socio-cultural traditions of the Abadzekh, as well as data on the study of their anthropological features.

Conclusion. For the first time, photographic images of the Abadzekhs were published, which are part of the collection provided by E.D. Felitsyn for the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879. Their scientific and documentary value and significance allows us to introduce into scientific circulation information about the details of the material and spiritual culture of the Abadzekh ethnic group. Digitized and studied photographs can be used as an independent source of research, the advantage of which over written sources is its clarity and visual way of preserving information over time. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

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