Representation of historical and cultural heritage in the Academic Museum as a factor in preserving and strengthening intercultural dialogue at the regional level (based on the materials of the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of the IES UFRC RAS)

Kamaletdinov Dalmir Azgarovich ORCID: 0000-0002-3587-5048 PhD in History Researcher; R. G. Kuzeev Institute for Ethnological Studies – Subdivision of the Ufa Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences 6 Karl Marx str., Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, 450077, Russia dalmirkamaletdinov@gmail.com

Introduction

The modern museum space acts as a tool for forming historical memory and building narratives of the past. The museum's exposition reflects the unique spiritual and intellectual heritage of mankind, embodied in objects of material culture (museum objects and collections). As an important cultural institution, the museum provides a broad understanding of the patterns of anthropogenesis and sustainable development of nature, the achievements of social progress, and the modernization of people's artistic consciousness. In the era of social transformation, mentality is also subject to changes, it is "an element of the formation of cultural identity, determined by events rooted in the cultural memory of society and determined by the peculiarity of the Russian mentality" ^{[13, p. 29]}. The visual images captured in the museum exhibits not only emphasize the continuity of generations, but also focus on little-known heroic pages of Russian history.

Academic museums of a humanitarian profile (history, archeology, ethnography), concentrated in the system of the Russian Academy of Sciences, are of great importance for the state and society. Firstly, museum funds act as a source base for conducting comprehensive scientific research and forming new research directions. Secondly, they contribute to the educational process by providing students with the opportunity to get acquainted with the material evidence of history and cultural phenomena. Thirdly, they promote the popularization of knowledge and, consequently, increase the interest of citizens in science and culture. Fourthly, they contribute to the implementation of the state cultural policy. Fifth, they serve as a platform for holding events to develop solutions to certain humanitarian problems in the context of modernity.

In this context, it is worth noting the potential of the academic museum of historical profile in the development of dialogue between different cultures and the preservation of interethnic harmony in a multiethnic environment. It serves as a kind of bridge uniting different ethnic groups, local communities, generational groups, etc. Each museum also takes an active part in representing cultural memory ^{[24, p. 22]}. The exposition, built taking into account the accumulated experience and achievements of modern science and technology, allows us to develop mechanisms for strengthening interethnic cooperation, peace and unity in the multinational region.

The scientific research of the scientists is focused on diverse controversial issues affecting problematic aspects of the stated topic, such as the place and role of the museum in intercultural communication. ^{[1],[11],[15],[21],[27]}; in the implementation of national and cultural policy, ^{[8],[23],[28]}; in the formation of identity ^{[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[12],[25]}. In a number of works, an analysis of the functioning of the academic museum has been carried out with a description of the main directions of its activities (scientific and stock (acquisition, accounting and storage), exposition and exhibition, scientific, educational, cultural and educational) ^{[9],[10],[16],[17],[18]}.

The object of research in this work is the activity of the modern academic museum. The subject of the study is the representation of historical and cultural heritage in the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of the IEI UFIC RAS, which is one of the important factors in preserving and strengthening intercultural dialogue in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The purpose of the study is to identify and analyze the interrelationships between the representation of museum exhibits and the establishment of dialogue in a multinational environment, when representatives of different ethnic groups, faiths and native speakers of different languages live compactly in the territorial space of the region.

Representation of the material and spiritual heritage of the peoples of Bashkortostan in the Academic Museum

The historical and cultural values of the peoples living on the territory of one of the most multinational subjects of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Bashkortostan, are a complex interweaving of artifacts from different historical eras, ethnic diversity and a harmonious combination of unique traditions. The cultural landscape of the region reflects the specifics of its ethnographic heritage (for example, material objects, the results of creative and intellectual activity). The preservation and popularization of this heritage in the modern museum space contribute to the implementation of key provisions of Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated December 24, 2014 No. 808 "On Approval of the Foundations of State Cultural Policy", according to which "for the first time the state elevates culture to the rank of national priorities and recognizes it as the most important factor in the growth of the quality of life and the harmonization of public relations, the key to dynamic socio-economic development, the guarantor of the preservation of a single cultural space and the territorial integrity of Russia" ^[26].

It should be noted that the R.G. Kuzeev Institute of Ethnological Research of the UFIC RAS (Ufa) houses collections of archaeological and ethnographic funds. The Museum of Archeology and Ethnography operates on the site of the scientific institution (established in 1976 on the initiative of Dr. R.G. Kuzeev, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences), whose permanent exhibition includes four halls ("Archeology of the Southern Urals", "The World of Bashkir Culture", "Peoples of Bashkortostan" and "Gold of the Sarmatians"). The museum space features exhibits on the history and culture of the Southern Urals, including individual objects and collections of East Slavic, Turkic, Finno-Ugric and other peoples who settled in the Volga-Ural historical and ethnographic region. They are illustrative material for both museum narration and objective interpretation (transfer of scientific knowledge) ^{[9, p. 166]}. Interethnic interaction has led to the formation of a region-wide layer of culture while preserving the national identity of each people.

The Archaeology of the Southern Urals hall exhibits the most striking objects reflecting the main chronological stages of human development (from the most ancient cultural and historical periods to the late Middle Ages). The "Gold of the Sarmatians" exposition presents the results of research on the Filippov burial mounds (IV century BC), the burial structures of the ancient nomads of Eurasia. The archaeological expedition was conducted by the IIAL of the BFAN of the USSR from 1986 to 1990 under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences A.H. Pshenichnik. An integral part of these collections are: wooden deer figures (single-planar and double-planar), bound with gold and silver plates; wooden ritual dishes decorated with gold plates (shackles of the edges, walls and handles of vessels); gold and silver dishes made in Iran of the Achaemenid era (for example, an amphora with double walls and zoomorphic handles, a bowl made of gold, two silver rhitons); the Sarmatian warrior's weapon system ^{[16, pp. 103-104]}.

The museum exhibition "The World of Bashkir Culture" demonstrates important aspects of the cultural heritage of the Bashkirs, the indigenous population of the Republic of Bashkortostan, belonging to the Turkic peoples. Here you can get acquainted with traditional occupations and crafts, housing and everyday life, decorative and applied arts, musical instruments, as well as complexes of Bashkir breast ornaments, which became widespread in the Southern Urals and Trans–Urals in the XIX-XX centuries. The ethnographic collections of Turkic (Tatars and Chuvash), Finno-Ugric (Mari, Mordvins and Udmurts) and East Slavic peoples (Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians) are shown in the hall "Peoples of Bashkortostan". These exhibits reflect important components of the culture of ethnic groups, including festive and casual clothes, household utensils, textiles and jewelry, religious objects, etc.

The Museum as a space of intercultural dialogue in a multinational society

The exposition space of the academic museum has a high-quality empirical and methodological basis for the study of various historical and cultural processes. The demonstration of individual exhibits that existed in the historical past becomes an important source for obtaining objective ideas about the daily life of the region's population in the context of different chronological periods. In turn, the availability of collected and systematized collections makes it possible to establish connecting threads between the culture of the indigenous population and the peoples who migrated to the region. The analysis of expert assessments presented in the work of O.V. Popova and N.V. Grishin shows that institutions for the development and reproduction of culture are among the main tools for forming a common identity at the level of any society ^{[20, p. 331]}. The scientifically based representation of material and spiritual values contributes to the formation of respect for cultural diversity, the development of civil harmony and understanding of differences between peoples.

The museum exposition of the Academic Institute is focused on showing the common historical roots and mutual influence of the cultures of the Southern Urals and the Urals, which contributes: firstly, to understanding the mechanisms of cultural interaction between people in the present through the prism of past eras; secondly, to developing respect for previous generations; thirdly, to strengthening the civil and regional identity of the population;Fourthly, to reduce the risk of interethnic tension; fifthly, to establish communication between representatives of different ethnic groups. This approach emphasizes the unity of the region and the common history that binds different peoples. According to V.V. Lokosov, "Russian society has preserved the human potential necessary for competitiveness in the new social conditions" ^{[14, p. 515]}. The author cites various arguments as the basis for this conclusion, but first of all draws attention to "the historically formed social, ethnic, and confessional consolidation of Russian citizens, their spiritual and socio-cultural community" ^{[14, p. 515]}.

Museum objects and collections emphasize the common historical and cultural ties between the peoples and regions of the Eurasian continent. According to A.L. Safonov, "national culture is created on the basis of the culture of one or more ethnic groups around which the state arose, but at the same time it actively integrates the achievements of cultures of other ethnic groups included in the common political space" ^{[22, p. 69]}. Therefore, we believe that the material and spiritual heritage of the Ural-Volga region as a historical and ethnographic region is the most important component of the Russian cultural code. The exhibition helps visitors expand their horizons, allowing them to see the connection between local, national and global heritage. Images of the past are an important resource for the formation of the ideological attitudes of the inhabitants of the republic. They determine a person's belonging to a particular culture, local community, region, or country, and transmit from generation to generation moral, ethical, and spiritual principles that influence the behavior of modern people. At the same time, one cannot but agree with the statement that culture is a unique phenomenon of humanity and "its role is not only not decreasing, but is increasing, and every century it imposes new requirements, introduces special rules that meet the conditions of modernity" ^{[7, p. 24]}

The Academic Museum is important for a multinational region. On its site, visitors not only inspect exhibits placed in special open-air display cases, but also get acquainted with the latest scientific achievements in the field of archeology, ethnography, religious studies, ethnic history, etc. During the guided tour, topical issues of ethnology and socio-cultural anthropology (for example, the ethnogenesis of the peoples of the Ural-Volga region) are touched upon. This activity helps to explain complex theoretical approaches to a wide range of people (residents of the region, representatives of different ethnic groups and faiths, tourists, etc.) in a popular scientific way. The exhibition, which reveals the elements of cultural interaction of the population in the past, highlights the fruitful interaction and mutual enrichment of ethnic cultures. The fundamental purpose of culture is the search for a system of values ^{[19, p. 41]}, which form the basis of the functioning of the state.

Museum objects and collections also reflect the images of everyday life in pre-industrial society. Scientific foundations have great potential both for understanding the modern way of social life and for reviving lost artistic and everyday traditions, festive rituals, and established rules of behavior in the past.

Thus, the museum as a socio-cultural institute is an important platform for establishing positive intercultural communication in a multinational republic. Conducting scientific and educational events (sightseeing tours, exhibitions, seminars, master classes, etc.) with an emphasis on the history of the origin and existence of exhibits activates socio-cultural changes in the life of the region (presentation of cultural potential, development of popular science tourism, formation of cross-cultural competence of the population, etc.).

Conclusions

Bashkortostan as a multinational region is a unique example of a harmonious combination of historical and cultural diversity. First of all, this is due to the long-term experience of interaction and peaceful coexistence of representatives of different ethnic groups, faiths and linguistic families. Ethnic culture, imprinted in the material and spiritual heritage, is an important factor for establishing interethnic understanding in modern society.

Cultural values are an integral attribute of the identity of the territorial space of the region. Human activity shows the evolution of cultural practices from antiquity to the present day. The traditions and foundations of ethnic groups not only emphasize the specifics of the cultural landscape of the republic, but also act as an important component of the implementation of state national policy at the level of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation.

The exposition of the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of the IEI UFIC RAS demonstrates the cultural heritage of different peoples living in the same region, highlights their common historical roots, interrelations and points of contact. Visitors not only broaden their own horizons, but also form a more objective view of the diversity of the Russian cultural world. Intercultural dialogue is achieved by overcoming stereotypes, expanding ideas about the early stages of the history of the Southern Urals and the Urals, and exchanging scientifically based (verifiable) knowledge about indigenous people and migrants.

Thus, the representation of the historical and cultural values of a multinational region in the museum exposition is an important factor in strengthening intercultural harmony. Acquaintance with the exhibits, arranged according to the collection-themed principle, allows us to consider common themes in the formation of the cultural space of the East Slavic, Turkic and Finno-Ugric peoples living in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Cultural ties between generations of different ethnic groups contribute to strengthening civil harmony in modern regional society.

This paper shows the degree of influence of the representation of archaeological and ethnographic collections in the museum exposition on the preservation and strengthening of intercultural dialogue at the level of a particular region. The prospects for further scientific development of the given topic may be related to the study of the place and role of the academic museum: in intercultural communication using digital technologies; in the development of a multi-level identity of the population (civil, ethnic, confessional, regional, etc.); in the formation of the historical consciousness of the inhabitants of the republic and the Ural-Volga region.