Abstract
This article examines the history and activities of the Orenburg Scientific Archival Commission (1887–1917) and the historical significance of the “Trudy” (“Works”) it published. Using archival documents and the recent research, this article examines the reasons for and circumstances surrounding the creation of the Provincial Scientific Archival Commissions of the Russian Empire, their goals, and objectives, in detail. Particurlarly, the formation of the Orenburg Scientific Archival Commission is described. Thirty-nine provincial commissions were created in the Russian Empire, with the Orenburg Commission being the only institution of its kind in Central Asia, including Qazaq territories. Its jurisdiction included the Orenburg, Ufa, and Samara Governorates, the Turgay Region, the entire Turkestan, and the West Siberian Governorate-General. The Commission was engaged in archival, research, and educational activities. The results of its work were published in the “Trudy Orenburgskoy Uchyonoy Arkhivnoy komissii” ("Works of the Orenburg Scientific Archival Commission”). Thirty-five issues were released between 1889 and 1917. They published original research on the history and ethnography of the Qazaq people and the geography of Qazaq Steppe from ancient times to the early 20th century. In 1897, the Orenburg Commission started a museum, which laid the foundations for museology in Qazaqstan, and a library was also opened. The Orenburg Commission conducted historical, ethnographic, and archaeological research in the Orenburg region and throughout present-day Qazaqstan. The scientific and organizational activities of the Orenburg Commission were of great importance in the scientific study of the region; they were distinguished by their multifaceted and comprehensive nature. The Orenburg Commission facilitated the involvement of a large circle of intellectuals in scientific work.