The Activities of the Semirechye Regional Statistics Committee on the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage in the Region in the Late 19<sup>th</sup> - Early 20<sup>th</sup> Century
On the basis of archival material and published sources, the author examines the activities of the Semirechye Regional Statistics Committee in the late 19th - early 20th century the preservation of historical and cultural heritage in the region by means of Museum activities. The analysis of the identified sources allowed to reconstruct certain directions in the Museum's work on the formation of collections and independent expositions. The Museum originally consisted of five departments: physical and geographical, ethnographic, agricultural, handicraft and archaeological. Since the end of the 19th century, the exhibits of the Museum were replenished mainly by donations from individuals, County chiefs, educational institutions, local and central institutions. The first philanthropists were the Committee members E.O. Baum and K.A. Larionov. They donated their personal collections. The need and importance of the Museum collections and expositions being formed in the region was assessed very highly. In order to develop and replenish the Museum's collections, the Committee members organized and conducted scientific expeditions. In the early 20th century, with a scientific purpose with the direct participation of the Committee members Professor of Tomsk University V.V. Sapozhnikova, Balkhash expedition member of the Russian Geographical Society L.S. Berg and the expedition of the Imperial St. Petersburg Botanical Garden worked on the territory of Semirechye.