Collections in Tambov region (cultural and ethnographic aspect)
Collections of famous representatives of Russian culture have all features of a historical, cultural and ethnographic object as well as a great scientific and educational potential. A prominent place in the history of collecting things is taken by representatives of culture and scientific and public associations of Tambov region. Their biggest collections have formed the basis of libraries, archives, museum expositions. In the article the collections of Tambov philanthropists are assessed from the point of view of the social and cultural approach, conclusions are made concerning the fact that collections of monuments of the old times attract users as artifacts, giving them some valuable information about the past. The activity of information and resource institutions including public ones plays a great part in the process of keeping and studying collections. The effectiveness of their work influences the preservation of the memory of science, the access of the society to new knowledge, the quality of humanitarian education.