Eco-museums in Siberia as Centers for Ethnic and Cultural Heritage Preservation in the Natural Environment

Eco-museums in Siberia as Centers for Ethnic and Cultural Heritage Preservation in the Natural Environment

V.M. Kimeev.

Ethno-ecological museums, or ecomuseums represent a new type of multidisciplinary open-air museums focused both on the natural and the cultural environment of native groups. Their aim is to assist in implementing socio-cultural and ecological programs which include large-scale involvement of the local community in the preservation and use of its cultural and natural heritage as integral parts of the greater landscape. Originally launched in France in the early 1970s, the ecomuseum movement has spread across the world. In Siberia is has acquired a particular form, being highly dependent on the ethno-political situation in local indigenous communities and regional policies. Siberian ecomuseums such as “Tazgol” and “Kalmaki” open up wide prospects for the community. The involvement of both the local population and specialists offers the opportunity to develop and implement mutually benefi cial projects, and to elaborate new approaches to the resolution of one of the key issues of the modern age: the revival of the multinational culture of a region in a favorable environment.