“He Remained Faithful to His Duty” (to the Biography of the Archaeologist K.N. Lyubarsky. The Pre-Revolutionary Period)

This article is devoted to revealing the biography of the little-known Russian archaeologist Kassian Nikolaevich Lyubarsky , who was shot by order of the Arkhangelsk Department of the All-Russian Emergency Commission in 1920.As the study showed, K.N.Lyubarsky was not only a professional archaeologist, but also a true citizen of his country.The creation of a life portrait of an extraordinary personality, which was K.N.Lyubarsky, determines the relevance of this article.The work was carried out on the basis of practically unused materials that are stored in the archeologist's archive, which determines its novelty.The chronological framework of the work covers the scientist's life from birth to the revolutionary events of 1917-1918.The purpose of the work is not only to reconstruct the biography of K.N.Lyubarsky, but also to characterize him as a scientist and a person.An analysis of archival materials has shown that K.N.Lyubarsky from a young age established himself as a thorough and attentive researcher who used methods new to archaeology at that time, such as photographing objects.During his expedition to the Caucasus in 1915, K.N.Lyubarsky carefully describes and photographs the studied objects, independently performs graphic reconstructions and plans of temples and fortresses.The absence of drawings and photos of burials in his diaries can be explained by the imperfection of the excavation methodology that existed in his time, the inferiority of which he was aware.The scientist saw the main goal of his life in the preservation of historical and cultural monuments, for which he actively fought until his last days.K.N.Lyubarsky was an outstanding poet, artist, and composer.He had a keen sense of the nature of the places where he had to work, possessed high moral qualities, was a loyal friend and a grateful student.During the Russian Civil War, he selflessly fought to preserve the monuments of the Russian North from destruction and plunder, and sought to inspire others with an understanding of love for antiquities and a sense of patriotism.On false charges of collaborating with the French interventionists, he was sentenced to death by firing squad, repeating the fate of many science enthusiasts who died during a difficult time for Russia.