On September 23rd, an opening ceremony for a "Little Ancestors: Childhood in the Bronze Age South Urals" exhibition was held at the People and Technologies of the Urals Museum of the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities.
Director of the Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities, Doctor of Sciences (Philology) Lidiya Lobodenko offered a welcoming speech:
"Today we have a new cause for celebration: opening of the second exhibition within this calendar year! As always, the topic is surprisingly original and unique. Every adult surely cherishes a memory of his or her favourite toy from childhood. Here we are giving you a unique chance to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of childhood in the South Urals of the past centuries. We know how important the rites and cultural traditions are for the formation of a child's personality."
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The exhibit includes authentic ancient artefacts dating back as far as 3.5–4 thousand years. These were made not only by children, but also by adults specially for kids: toys, ornaments, amulets, clay pottery, as well as unusual objects that are still a mystery for scientists. To help you better immerse into that era, the exhibition features mock-up models, copies of objects, information boards and photos from excavations. This project has already been exhibited in other cities across our region, and now it is presented before residents of Chelyabinsk.
"It is a great honour for us to open this exhibition at the university. We deeply respect the prominent archaeologists, many of whom are SUSU alumni and continue their pedagogical activity. Each exhibition aims at preserving the historical memory and nurturing pride for our home region! Arkaim is a truly unique place, which deserves to be admired at!" shared General Director of the Arkaim Museum and Reserve Elena Kondrashina.
The objects kept in the collection of the Arkaim Museum and Reserve had been found during archaeological studies in the Bredinsky, Varnensky, Kizilsky and Plastovsky Districts of the Chelyabinsk Region. Several objects were presented by the Teaching and Research Centre for Studying the Problems of Nature and Human Beings of Chelyabinsk State University and by the Laboratory for Archaeological Research and Regional Studies for School Pupils of South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University.
"Ancient toys differ from modern ones by the materials they were made of first of all: they used to be made of organic materials before, like wheat sticks, clay or wood," stressed Director of the SUSU People and Technologies of the Urals Museum Iuliia Vasina. "The main goal of toys was to prepare kids for adult life. Many kids made their toys themselves. For example, dish sets for kids, which are still popular among modern children, already existed many centuries ago."
SUSU student Fedor Gluzdov shared his impressions:
"This is a unique exhibition. It's hard to specifically mention one object before others. I have participated in archaeological practical training this year, and we discovered one of the objects exhibited here today."
This exhibition will be open at the People and Technologies of the Urals Museum and Exhibition Complex of South Ural State University at the address of Rooms 018-020, 76 Lenin Prospekt (main SUSU building) September 23rd through December 22nd.
Free entrance. Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 10:00 to 16:00. You can book excursions for groups of 5 people and more at: 267-96-16.