Old Ivanovskoe cemetery of Ufa: historical-archaeological research

Abstract

The subject of this article is the Old Ivanovskoe cemetery that existed in the territory of Ufa. The goal consists in examination of the key stages in development of this necropolis since the moment was sketched in the city plan in 1819 until its complete destruction in the 1950s. Special attention is given to localization of this burial ground in Ufa town planning patter in accordance with the data of cartographic materials of the XIX – middle of the XX centuries, and history of its archaeological research conducted in 1990 and 2002. The novelty of this work consists in introduction into the scientific discourse of new archival documents, systematization of cartographic and published materials on the history of Old Ivanovskoe cemetery, as well as Ioanno-Predtechensky Cathedral that functioned on its territory. Analysis of the existing sources and literature allow concluding that the history of necropolis prior to the Revolution of 1917 was closely related to the development of spatial structure of Ufa, while after the Revolution – with the sociopolitical processes that unfolded throughout the country. Thanks to archaeological research, Old Ivanovskoye cemetery, even after its destruction, elaborates representations on the material and spiritual culture, anthropological and paleopathological characteristics of the Ufa population in the past. Therefore, the author raises the question on the need to publish the materials acquired during the excavations in full, and preserve necropolis as the object of archaeological heritage of the Late Middle Ages and Modern Age.