Tatarstan Academy of Sciences

Every year students from different regions of Russia undertake the archaeological practical work at the Bolgar archaeological expedition of the Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences. This year a group of UrFU students take part in the expedition.

Archaeologists from Kazan and Yekaterinburg have long-standing close contacts. In 1960, right after post-graduate study and working in Kazan, the archaeological direction of the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology UrFU was headed by the founder of the Ural archaeological school V.F. Gening.

 Although the study of the history of Volga Bolgaria was not the main scientific interest of Vladimir Fedorovich, the research he conducted in the 1955-1960s on the early Bolgar sites allowed to clearly determine the time of the appearance of Bolgars on the Middle Volga, that for a long time remained the subject of

 heated discussions between archaeologists and historians. Besides, V.F. Gening rightfully remains one of the developers of modern theory and methodology of archaeological studies, which will be used in practice by the UrFU students.

The works of this field season on the Bolgar site are aimed at finding materials of the early, pre-Mongol period of the settlement functioning. In particular, an attempt was made to found defensive structures of the pre-Mongol period.

“Within the framework of the agreement on practical training of students, that was concluded this year between the Ural Federal University and the Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov, students of our university together with students of KFU undertake archaeological practice at the Bolgar settlement – a symbolical monument of the Middle Ages. It is very important for us to establish a cooperation, because the studies on the history and archaeology of Bolgar are well known in Russia and abroad, and we are very glad that we had the opportunity to participate in the study of this site.

Our team consists of 12 first-year students of the Department of “Historical faculty” UrFU. For most of them, this is the first experience of participating in archaeological excavations and it is noticeable that they like the practice – the archaeological material is very interesting (coins, jewelry, glazed pottery, etc.), and the atmosphere at the excavation is friendly. I think that our participation in the Bolgar expedition will be the basis for a long-time and fruitful cooperation – both between students and employees of our university, the Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov and KFU,” said Natalia Zhigalova, head of practice UrFU, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Assistant Professor of the Department of History of the Ancient World and Middle Ages.