Lomonosov Journal of Antropology. 2026. 2.

Introduction. The systematic development of International Anatomical Nomenclature from the Basel Anatomical Nomenclature of 1895 to the Human Anatomical Terminology of 2025 has led to the expansion and refinement of craniological terminology; however, a comprehensive quantitative analysis of chronological changes in terms related to the skull has not yet been conducted.

Materials and methods. A comparison of twelve editions of anatomical nomenclatures was conducted (BNA, JNA, PNA, NA 2–6, TA1–2, TOA, TAH). From each reference work, terms related to cranial bones, their articulations, and the dentomaxillary system were selected; duplicates were excluded. A content-analytical matrix method of “presence / absence” and descriptive statistics were applied.

Results and discussion. The number of original craniological terms increased by 23%: from 524 in BNA to 644 in TAH. The proportion of stable “core” terms appearing in all 12 editions is 57.2%, confirming the stability of basic terminology. The maximum duplication frequency was recorded in NA5 (3.85%), the minimum in BNA, TA2, and TOA. The most thorough revisions were observed during transitions from JNA to PNA and from NA6 to TA1–2, alternating with periods of conservative updating.

Conclusion. The evolution of craniological nomenclature reflects the presence of a “core” and terms subject to regular changes, conditioned by scientific progress and clinical requirements. The obtained data may serve as a basis for further standardization of terminology and improved communication among specialists from various fields.

Introduction. Tuberculosis is a pressing public health issue caused primarily by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Genetic data enables the reconstruction of the co-evolution of this pathogen and humans over tens of thousands of years. The analysis of tuberculosis in ancient human skeletal remains relies on specific osseous lesions, which are rarely formed. This scarcity stimulates the search for new diagnostic approaches. Recently, a probabilistic approach has been proposed. It utilizes non-specific skeletal features of the disease. Individually, these features have limited diagnostic value, but in combination, they can successfully identify the disease. Based on materials from certified collections previously examined by other researchers, ten indicators on the skull and postcranial skeleton have been identified as suitable for this purpose.

Materials and methods. A unified methodological procedure for recording nonspecific signs of tuberculosis and calculating the probability of the disease at both individual and group levels was tested using the Kozino anthropological series (14th–18th centuries), comprising 298 individuals. All statistical analyses were performed in the R environment using custom code developed by K. Yu. Kuprikova.

Results and discussion. This section describes the topography and criteria for recording Tuberculosis indicators and presents a step-by-step algorithm for calculating the Tau index, which estimates the probability of disease presence at both individual and group levels. The algorithm's performance was tested, and a statistical assessment of disease prevalence within the group was conducted, accounting for the model's quality. Twenty-seven individuals were identified with a Tau index suggesting a high probability of bone tuberculosis. Paleogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of the disease in these cases, validating the effectiveness of the proposed methodological approach.

Conclusion. The proposed set of osseous indicators, analyzed through a probabilistic approach, is a relevant tool for diagnosing tuberculosis in ancient skeletal remains. To further validate this methodology, future research should involve the collection of additional data for a direct comparison between diagnoses made using probabilistic approaches and those confirmed by paleogenetic analysis.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Introduction. The mammalian scapula is a product of complex evolutionary development and bears features of functional specialization of the upper (thoracic) limb. This article presents an osteoscopic program developed for studying the morphology of the scapula in modern humans (Homo sapiens) and adapted for other members of the order Primates.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted using osteological materials: scapulae of modern humans (n=85) from the collection of the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, as well as scapulae of other primates (n=193) from the collections of the Zoological Museum and the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University. The program includes 16 traits for morphological analysis (including the shape of the glenoid cavity, scapular spine, acromion, and medial border; the position of the spine base; the presence and prominence of ridges and grooves along the lateral border; the shape of the infraglenoid tubercle, etc.) and 7 traits for age identification based on the timing of fusion of accessory ossification centers. All traits are scored using a grading scale.

Results. The study revealed species‑specific morphological features of the glenoid cavity and introduced two new variants (including the “lemuroid” type); expanded the typology of the scapular spine with two additional shape variants; described specific features of the lateral border in galagos, tarsiers, and lorisids; and detailed criteria for describing ridges, grooves, and other structures. The presented scapuloscopic program is accompanied by detailed illustrations.

Conclusion. The osteoscopic program for analyzing human scapulae was significantly enhanced and adapted for studying scapulae of other Primates. The proposed methodology can serve as a foundation for examining scapulae across other mammalian orders and be applied in anthropology, zoology, paleontology, and comparative anatomy. Osteoscopic data may prove valuable for reconstructing locomotor patterns of fossil primates and other mammals, combining the traditions of classical anthropology with modern research methods.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Introduction. The method of isonymy has long been successfully used in population-genetic studies by both domestic and foreign authors. The ability to describe large areas of study relatively quickly and cheaply is one of the significant advantages of the method. The mandatory conditions for the application of the method are the duration of the existence of surnames in the population and their strict patrilineal inheritance. This report examines the feasibility of using the method of isonymy in describing the population structure of a region with a multiethnic population.

Materials and methods. Data on the frequencies of surnames for this study were obtained from the archive of the Laboratory of Genetic Epidemiology of the Research Center for Medical Genetics in the Adyge-Khablsky district of Karachay-Cherkessia and the Mozdoksky district of North Ossetia-Alania. None of the ethnic groups inhabiting these areas exceeds half of the population. All calculations are performed using standard methods.

Results. Six positive and significant correlation coefficients were obtained between the standard population-genetic characteristics calculated based on the frequency of occurrence of surnames in the area, and obtained from other sources.

Conclusion. According to Dixon and Mood’s signs tests, it is acceptable to use the method of isonymy in analyzing the population structure of a region with a heterogeneous ethnic composition. However, with one caveat – for the majority of ethnic groups inhabiting the studied region, the permissibility of using surnames as a population-genetic marker is shown. The second conclusion based on the results of the study is the confirmation of the previously repeatedly stated assumption that Malécot’s isolation-by-distance model is applicable only to populations with a homogeneous ethnic composition of the population.

Acknowledgements. The research was carried out within the framework of the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

Introduction. The Caucasus, located at the crossroads of Europe and Western Asia, has long served as a major migratory and cultural bridge between regions. Advances in paleogenetic methods have enabled the integration of archaeological and genetic data, allowing for a more detailed reconstruction of the formation and interactions of ancient populations. This study aims to review and systematize the results of paleogenetic research on the North Caucasus, focusing on the genetic structure and interrelations of Bronze Age populations.

Materials and methods. The review is based on recent publications that include whole-genome data and analyses of uniparental markers fr om ancient populations of the Caucasus. The studies considered employ principal component analysis, Admixture modeling, and qpAdm methods to identify sources of genetic ancestry and migration directions. Particular attention is given to tracing genetic continuity among the Maykop, North Caucasian, and Koban cultures.

Results and discussion. A synthesis of published data indicates that during the Bronze Age, the population of the North Caucasus was structured into two major genetic clusters–steppe and piedmont. The reviewed studies reveal varying proportions of Near Eastern, Anatolian, and steppe ancestry components, reflecting complex migration patterns and regional diversity. The cumulative evidence demonstrates genetic continuity among Bronze Age cultures and the gradual formation of a stable population structure in the region.

Conclusion. The summarized paleogenetic data from the North Caucasus Bronze Age suggest genetic continuity among ancient populations in a region wh ere successive archaeological cultures shared a common genetic background. Further investigation of subsequent periods using advanced paleogenomic and interdisciplinary approaches is essential to refine our understanding of genetic relationships among ancient groups and to uncover new aspects of the demographic history of the North Caucasus.

Acknowledgments. The work was supported by the State Assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Agreement No. 075-03-2025-407/2 dated March 27, 2025.

Introduction. The formation of the historical landscape of the Eurasian steppes during the pre-Mongol period of Ancient Rus' took place under the determining role of the Polovtsians, owing to their demographic dominance in this territory. Despite the historical and archeological study of this era, questions concerning the origins of the Polovtsians remain unresolved. Clarifying these issues is fundamentally important for reconstructing such demographic processes as the origins of Polovtsian groups, their migrations, as well as the nature and extent of their interactions with other peoples. This article presents the results of genomic analysis and the craniometric characteristics of a woman who, based on the funerary inventory, belonged to the elite of Polovtsians society.

Materials and methods. The material for this study consisted of skeletal remains of a woman from a burial discovered excavations of the kurgan cemetery "Krasny IV" and dated to the 12th-13th centuries CE. DNA extracted from a petrous part of the temporal bone was used for whole-genome sequencing and subsequent genetic analysis.

Results. The study established that the skeletal remains in burial 3 kurgan 16 of the "Krasny IV" cemetery belong to a woman aged 25-35 years old. The integrity of the cranial vault allowed for a craniometric study, which revealed a mixed European-Mongoloid ancestry of the examined woman. Analysis of whole-genome sequencing data and the application of population genetics methods demonstrated genetic similarity between the studied individual and nomadic medieval steppe groups, including the early Avars (6th-8th centuries) and medieval populations from the territory of Mongolia. Additionally, the woman's mitochondrial DNA was found to belong to the West Eurasian haplogroup T1A5.

Conclusion. We obtained the results of a whole-genome analysis of a Polovtsians woman from the Lower Don region dated to the 12th-13th centuries. The new data indicated genetic links between the Polovtsians and populations of Central Asia and also demonstrated a significant proportion of Eastern genetic substrate in the examined woman from the elite Polovtsians burial in the Lower Don region of the 12th-13th centuries. Even a single burial substantially enriches our understanding of the genetic landscape of the steppe region of Western Eurasia on the eve of the Mongol invasion. This work contributes to the reconstruction of the local population's gene pool and confirms the close historical ties between the European steppes and the deep interior regions of Asia during the pre-Mongol period.

Funding. This work was supported by a grant from the state program "Sirius" Federal Territory "Scientific and Technological Development of the 'Sirius' Federal Territory", Agreement № 18-03 dated September 10th, 2024, project code GEN-BFT-2407 (H.S.E., Z.A.R., R.E.V., M.A.D., A.T.V.).

Supplementary files are available here

Introduction. In anthropological studies, the fat-free mass index (FFMI) and body fat mass index (BFMI), normalized by height, are increasingly used to assess body composition, which makes it possible to take into account population, gender and age characteristics of the distribution of body components. These indexed measures provide a more accurate representation of body composition compared to the traditional body mass index (BMI), especially in cross-population comparisons. The aim of this study is to determine the degree of sexual dimorphism in morphological characteristics in Kabardians and Balkars and the reference values for FFMI and BFMI in a sample of university students with low, normal, overweight, and obesity, classified according to BMI.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted among students in Nalchik (Kabardino-Balkaria) in 2023. The sample consists of 318 people (136 men and 182 women) and includes representatives of two ethnic groups: Kabardians and Balkars. The age range is from 17 to 23 years; the average age is 18.76±1.47 years; 87.4% of respondents are aged 17 to 20 years. Morphological parameters were measured, body composition (using BIA Tanita BC-601) was assessed, and body composition indices were calculated.

Results. The revealed sexual dimorphism indicates fundamental biological differences between the sexes, which manifest themselves at the level of morphology and body composition. A regression analysis conducted on a sample of Kabardians and Balkars showed that the relationship between BMI and FFMI, BFMI, and %FM varies depending on gender and ethnicity. The most stable and predictable patterns were found in women, especially Balkars, which indicates a more homogeneous body structure in this subgroup. At the same time, men showed more pronounced individual differences. The reference values of the indices of fat-free mass, fat mass and percentage of fat mass in Kabardians and Balkars with fixed body mass index values were calculated.

Discussion. The data obtained confirm the informative value of the indexed body composition indicators (FFMI and BFMI) for the analysis of gender and population differences in the physique of students. The use of component indexes improves the accuracy of somatic status assessment and forms the basis for the development of reference standards in anthropological and clinical research.

Funding. The study has been supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), project No. 23-18-0027.

Introduction. Schoolchildren of indigenous ethnic groups inhabiting Magadan Region were examined to study their physical development.

Materials and methods. In 2005–2007 and 2021–2023, an adolescent 11–17-year-old students of the school in Evenks settlement, Magadan Region. In 2005–2007 another one hundredandeleven boys and one hundred and twenty-seven girls, in 2021–2023 participated in the survey, among them one hundred and forty-two boys and one hundred and forty-nine girls. Subjective body height (BH) and body mass (BM), chest circumference (CC), sitting height, right and left-hand strength, physique indices using a unified method. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, overweight and obesity was calculated WHO (Height-for-Age Z-score, BMI for-Age Z-score). Numeric data were analyzed using unpaired t-tests while categorical variables were compared using χ² tests.

Results and discussion. Retrospective analysis of the data revealed a significant increase in body height in boys. The smallest changes were observed in body weight, chest circumference, and handgrip dynamometry. Prepubertal girls (11 years of age) today are shorter and heavier than their peers born in 2005–2007, but the differences level out after a growth spurt. Chest circumference is smaller in older girls of the same age group. Sexual dimorphism is manifested by an increase in body length and hand muscle strength in boys, especially in modern adolescents. The samples are dominated by normal weight-height parameters according to WHO reference. A trend toward an increasing proportion of individuals with above-average/tall height parameters was identified among boys, while short/below-average stature was consistently diagnosed among girls over time. The overall prevalence of overweight increased today's adolescents. Retrospective discrepancies of antropometrics values testify to different rates of change in different times of physical development and indicate the shift of the age of biological maturation in modern adolescents to earlier ages. Greater asynchrony in growth processes between the sexes was revealed among today's adolescents compared to their peers born in 2005–2007.

Conclusion. The obtained results testify to faster acceleration and continuing asthenia processes experienced to a greater extent by boys than by girls.

Introduction. The physical development of adolescents is an important indicator of both their health and the health of society. The lifestyle in an urban or rural environment has a significant impact on the physical development of adolescents. The aim of this study was to compare anthropometric indicators of physical development in children and adolescents residing in urban and rural localities of Magadan оblast.

Materials and Methods. In 2022, a one-time study was conducted involving 2349 schoolchildren aged 11 to 15 years. Of these participants, 1253 were residents of Magadan city, while 1,096 lived in villages located within the continental part of the region. The following parameters were measured: body mass (BM, kg), body length (BL, cm), chest circumference (CC, cm), hand grip strength (right and left hands), as well as body mass index (BMI, kg/m²). Obtained data underwent statistical analysis and were compared with average values across different age and gender groups.

Results and discussion. The research demonstrated that urban adolescents generally exhibit higher levels of physical development compared to their rural peers. Urban boys surpass their rural counterparts regarding BM and BL at ages 11 and 13 (p<0.05), as well as CC at ages 11–12 and 15 (p<0.05). Initial active increases in anthropometric indicators begin for urban boys between ages 13-15, whereas rural boys experience them earlier–from ages 11–12. Urban girls significantly exceed rural ones by BM and BL at age 11 (p<0.05), and by CC at ages 12 and 14 (p<0.05). Active increase in BL and CC occurs simultaneously among both groups during ages 11–12; however, maximum BM increment happens later–for urban girls it’s at ages 13-14, while for rural girls it's already observed at ages 11–12. Regarding muscular strength, hand grip force is consistently higher among urban adolescents of both genders. BMI indicators have increased both towards excess weight and obesity, as well as towards deficiency and delayed weight gain among adolescents from both urban and rural environments.

Conclusion. Urbanization has a significant impact on the physical maturation of adolescents. Urban adolescents demonstrate higher indicators of physical development compared to their peers from rural areas. However, rural adolescents demonstrate higher rates of annual growth in the main anthropometric and strength indicators at the age of 11–12 years.

Introduction. Peculiarities of growth and development of rural Yakut girls aged 8-17 years compared to the number of urban samples of Yakut and Russian of Yakutia and Russian girls of Moscow are under discussion.

Materials and methods. The study embraces literary material: rural Yakut examined in 1978, Yakut and Russian of Yakutsk 1989, mixed sample of schoolgirls of Nerungri city 1978-79, schoolgirls of industrial regions of Yakutia 2020, Russian schoolgirls of Moscow 1980s. Anthropometric traits – height, chest circumference, biacromial and pelvic diameters – menarche age are considered. The statistical analysis is carried using STATISTICA 10.

Results and discussion. Height of rural Yakut fall behind height of girls of urban groups through the whole age interval. Up to 17 years the delay is 1,2–1,9 standard deviations. Early peak height velocity 9,3–10,5 years is fixed in populations with the least level of anthropogenic pressure (rural areas and Yakutsk), late peak height velocity 11,4–12 years in populations with high level of anthropogenic pressure – Nerungri city, industrial regions of Yakut Republic 2020, Moscow. Chest girth of rural Yakut has medium status among urban groups, catch up Moscow sample in pelvic diameter up to 17 years, menarche age is 0,64 years later compared to Moscow sample. Rural girls of the Central region of Yakutia have mosaic combination of indices of development: retardation in height combined with medium levels of transversal body development (chest girth, biacromial and pelvic diameters), modest delay in menarche age, as compared to Moscow sample. Combination of delayed age in menarche with early peak height velocity witness to the prolonged puberty period of rural Yakut compared to Moscow population.

Conclusion. Algorithm of age dynamics of height, including age of peak height velocity, its intensity, duration of puberty period and delta between age at peak and age at menarche is reliable tool to separation groups by development rate into retardate and accelerated samples.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University

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Introduction. The paper is dealing with the analysis of morphological characteristics of Moscow children of preschool and primary school age, with the emphasize on possible secular changes.

Materials and methods. The data were collected in a comprehensive survey of Moscow children aged 5-7 years (730 individuals), conducted in two series: in 2017-2019 and in 2024-2025. In accordance with the objectives of the work, the anthropometric characteristics were analyzed in the context of age changes, and as a comparison between the two series.

Results and discussion. The analysis of age-related changes in the examined preschoolers in the combined sample confirms the presence of a mini-growth spurt in height. For girls, it is occurred at the age of 5-6 years, in the group of boys – a year later and was less pronounced. Age-related changes in body weight, BMI and chest girth correspond to the pattern shown by height for children of each sex.

An analysis of secular changes in anthropometric traits allows to conclude that in all characteristics, boys examined in 2024-2025 surpassed their peers in 2017-2019 series measurements, while girls, on the contrary, practically did not differ from each other.

The obtained results somehow contradict to the classical studies, which state that in changing environmental conditions the representatives of male sex are most affected by those changes. It can be assumed that the interpretation of such results could be connected with psycho-emotional factors. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that other influences associated with the socio-economic changes that have taken place in recent years have had an equal impact on children of both sexes.

Conclusion. The results obtained in this study, on the one hand, are in good agreement with the previously studied age patterns, and on the other hand, to some extent contradict them.

The authors plan to continue the research in order to increase the sample sizes and to confirm the received results.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

The authors thank their colleagues who participated in this study: O.A. Gilyarov and A.A. Vasilyeva (Moscow State University Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology) and M.A. Ilchenko (Russian University of Sport "GTSOLIFK").

The study was conducted with the support of the Moscow State University Center for Collective Use "Technologies for Obtaining New Nanostructured Materials and Their Comprehensive Study," the national project "Science," and the Moscow State University Development Program.

Introduction. Child overweight demonstrates a catastrophic spread across all economically developed countries of the world, despite global efforts for its prevention. The aim of this research paper was to analyze predictors of overweight, the consequences of its development, and approaches to its prevention in children.

Materials and methods. To analyze the current state of knowledge on excess weight in children aged 3–12 years, materials from 168 literature sources from the PubMed database were used. The inclusion criteria for a source were representative samples and the availability of quantitative data for children in the age range from 3 to 12 years, characterizing one or another aspect of the problem of excess weight. The information search was conducted in the following areas: "preschool and primary school children", "overweight and/or obesity", "diet", "screen time", "sedentary lifestyle", "sleep quality", "physical (muscular) performance", "physical fitness", "physical (motor) activity", "environmental influence".

Results and discussion. In Message 2, information is systematized on the role of eating behavior, including daily breakfast, dietary structure, regularity of meals, and eating speed, as well as the influence of family, household traditions, and heredity, and the use of the Mediterranean diet, in creating conditions for the development of overweight (OW) and obesity (OB) in children aged 3–12 years.

Conclusion. The materials reviewed in Message 2 reflect the crucial role of the family – with its traditions in meal organization, preferences, hereditary predisposition, and specific eating behaviors – in the development of overweight (OW) in children. It is shown that various factors contributing to the development of OW affect a child's body cumulatively, integrating prolonged screen time, low physical activity, infrequent meals, and skipping breakfast. Other aspects of the OW problem in children, including the role of environmental and socioeconomic factors, as well as the interrelationship between OW and the physical activity domain, will be discussed in Message 3.

Acknowledgments. The research was carried out within the framework of State Task No. 073-00070-25-03 of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Institute of Child Development, Health and Adaptation" of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Funding. The research was funded under State Task No. 073-00070-25-03 of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Institute of Child Development, Health and Adaptation" of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Introduction. The article presents an analysis of the work by Professor A.L. Lovetsky of Moscow University, which outlines two classifications of human races developed by the French physicians A.C. Soserott and P.P. Broc. Both classifications reflect the state of scientific knowledge in the field of anthropological diversity in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, characterized by a Eurocentric perception of non-European peoples. The study of the structure and content of A.L. Lovetsky's work is of interest to historians of science and specialists in the field of ethnic anthropology.

Materials and methods. The materials for the study included: the original work by A.L. Lovetsky; publications dedicated to his life and scientific legacy; materials from print and electronic sources containing information about A.C. Soserott and P.P. Broc. The application of the comparative-historical method allowed for a comparison of the features of the two classifications and the correspondence of their subdivisions to modern major and minor races.

Results. The Sosserotte tables distinguish four tribes or races, whose characteristics and smaller subdivisions allow us to draw parallels with some of the large and small races of modern classifications. Broc's classification is largely similar to Soserott's, differing from it in its evaluation of anthropological differences from an aesthetic point of view and a generally more positive tone in its descriptions and characteristics. Broc's presentation is free-flowing, highlighting the data he deems most relevant and significant. The features of the terminology reveal the methodological imperfection of early 19th-century classifications, with their blurred boundaries between biological and social concepts. The concluding section of A.L. Lovetsky's book contains a number of propositions that remain relevant even for modern anthropological courses.

Conclusion. The book by A. L. Lovetsky serves as a guide for students, physicians, and naturalists in the field of anthropological classifications, which was new for the early 19th century. Lovetsky not only translated but also adapted and supplemented the materials of Soserott and Broc, creating one of the first educational manuals on the classification of human anthropological diversity. The work of A.L. Lovetsky holds significant historical interest for modern specialists in the field of ethnic anthropology and the history of university education.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Introduction. This article continues the series of publications devoted to the study of the photographic images collection of representatives of the the Kuban region peoples at the end of the 19th century. It focuses on the analysis of images of the Brzedugs, one of the Adyghe (Circassian) subethnoses, which played a significant role in the history of the region.

Materials and methods. The basis for the study was the photographic images of Brzedugs from the collection of E.D. Felitsyn (1848-1903), presented at the Anthropological Exhibition in Moscow in 1879, and is currently kept in the collections of the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Results and discussion. Digital copies of photographic images of the Brzedugs representatives of the late 19th century, who lived in the Yekaterinodar district of the Kuban region in the villages of Kozet, Assokolai, and Brzegokai, are presented. All photos are made on the letterhead of the photographer P.S. Beletsky and are inserted in cardboard frames. The size of the photo is 11x16 cm, the frame size is 18x22 cm. The front and back sides contain textual information about the name of the region, county, tribe, village, the name of the person depicted, his age and height.

The article presents and analyzes literary information concerning the problems of origin, ethnic history, socio-cultural traditions of the Brzedugs, as well as data on the study of their anthropological features.

Conclusion. Currently, the Bzhedukhs represent the numerically predominant part of the Adygeans living in the Caucasus region. They take a significant part in the cultural and social life of the region and, at the same time, facing the challenges of globalization in modern conditions, preserve their identity based on traditional values and customs. The first published photographs of the Bzhedug people - representatives of one of the oldest Adyghe subethnoses from the collection of E.D. Felitsyn (1879), kept at the Moscow State University Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, are a unique visual source of information and make a new contribution to understanding the ethnocultural diversity of the Caucasus as a whole. The presented photographic materials, supplementing and clarifying the available anthropological, ethnographic and historical data, make it possible to expand the source base and conduct comparative studies with other Adyghe subethnoses living in this region in the second half of the 19th century.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Introduction. The years 2025–2026 mark the 95th anniversary of the foundаtion of the State Museum of Anthropology at Moscow State University (1930) and the 90th anniversary of the unveiling of its racial exhibition (1936). These dates provide an opportunity to examine the history of an institution that played a significant role in the development of Russian physical anthropology and in the popularization of scientific knowledge about humans. A that time the racial exhibition at the State Museum of Anthropology, represented a rare attempt to demonstrate systematically the scientific inconsistency of racism—not through mere rhetoric, but through the consistent presentation of factual material about human races, their variability, and their interconnections.

Materials and methods. The reconstruction of the history of the State Museum of Anthropology and its exhibits was based mainly on literary sources: the article by N.N. Cheboksarov «The Racial Department of the State Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University» (1936), and the articles by M.S. Plisetsky (1932, 1936, 1940), as well as archival materials from the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University. This article aims to trace the museum's path from an academic to a public institution and to characterize the scientific content of its exhibits dedicated to racial studies.

Results and discussion. The racial exhibition of the State Museum of Anthropology at Moscow State University is a unique phenomenon in the history of science and museum studies. The methodological solutions developed by Moscow anthropologists remain relevant today. A.I. Yarkho's concept of the taxonomic inequality of racial traits allowed for the construction of a hierarchy of racial differences without any judgment. Demonstrating the variability of traits – age-related, individual, and historical – undermined notions of their immutability and determinism. Materials on miscegenation refuted the thesis of the biological harm of racial mixing. The ethnographic section demonstrated the independence of cultural forms from racial identity.

Of particular value is the documentation of Nazi racial policy «in real time». The 1935–1936 exhibition documented events in Germany – sterilization laws, ideological texts – at a time when it was impossible to foresee the consequences of these policies. The museum performed a function that today we would call monitoring.

Conclusion. The Racial Division as it existed in 1936 has not survived. But its principles – strict factuality, critical analysis of sources, and the distinction between science and ideology – remain relevant in any era in which human biological diversity is used to justify inequality.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The author thanks A.V. Sukhova and A.V. Stepanova for assistance in selecting photographic materials and A.A. Mukhin for assistance in processing the photographs.