The article examines the ethnographic collection of the Chaunsky Local History Museum, located in the town of Pevek, Chukotka autonomous district. The author, relying on the methodology of the Russian Ethnographic Museum and scientific literature, provides a classification of objects of applied art, everyday life and ethnography of northern peoples, gives a brief description of their things, describes the technologies of their manufacture. The formation of the ethnographic collection began with the receipt of items from a folk museum. The ethnographic collection of the museum consists of unique items of traditional Chukchi culture in the amount of 456 storage units. The geography of the places of receiving ethnographic items is concentrated in the vicinity of the Chaunsky district. Some ethnographic topics are represented by decorative and applied items and works of bone carving art. In general, the collection reflects the culture of primary production of the Chukchi, their livelihood methods, and reveals socio-normative relations of the northern peoples. However, the collection does not have enough items for a complete reconstruction of ethnographic topics; no traditional culture of the ethnic groups living in the region is represented; no history of collection is presented; and the names of the collectors require clarification. Based on the results of the study, the composition of the collection is analyzed, problematic issues of acquisition and attribution are revealed, and recommendations for promising areas of work of the museum with ethnographic items are given.

Scientific museums in the Russian Federation, in accordance with current legislation, are switching to the collection management standard developed for the Ministry of Culture. The absolute priority of preserving museum items is a serious obstacle to the implementation of the standard, which greatly limits the possibility of their scientific examination, which is contrary to the interests of scientists. The examination of museum items, like any other use, including exhibiting, inevitably has a negative impact on their preservation. At the same time, the examination serves to increase the value of any item, its relevance for modern culture.

The methodology of scientists’ work with collections began to form in the period of antiquity. In our country, tools for processing, describing, systematizing and storing collections were formed in the 18th–19th centuries, namely in scientific museums, museums of the Academy of Sciences. Museums in the Russian Empire were part of the scientific organization system. However, after the Soviet reforms in the 1930s, museum and scientific activities were radically separated. As a result, the research function of museums under the Ministry of Culture is poorly implemented, which is enshrined in current regulatory documents.

Scientific museums, due to their subordination to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, have scientific research as their target indicators, which determines their priority over traditional museum indicators (storage and replenishment of funds, exhibits and attracting visitors). Attempts to combine the interests of examining and preserving collections have been discussed for several decades. This problem is especially evident in relation to natural science collections and museums, most of which are under the scientific department. Its solution requires the development of a methodology for handling museum collections and amendments to regulatory documentation.

The key principle of the Arctic development should be nature-saving nature management. The agro-landscape-ecological zoning of the Far North fodder ecosystems developed at the V.R. Williams Federal Research Centre for Forage Production and Agroecology is aimed at this very goal. About 90 % of Murmansk District is occupied by reindeer pastures, in some places disturbed as a result of their irrational use by reindeer herders, mining, construction, and transport; the ecological state of the territory is tense. In Yamal District, reindeer pastures occupy 65 % of the area; the ecological state of the ecosystems is tense or even critical in some places. The area of lichen tundras has decreased by 3,5–4 times, total fodder reserves in lichen-moss tundras, in those areas where they are still preserved, have decreased by 3–10 times. The total reserves of green grass fodder and shrubs has decreased by 1.5–2 and 2–8 times, respectively. Desertification of highlands (bare sands occupied about 6 %) and waterlogging of lowland areas is going on. Technogenic impact on tundra ecosystems disturbs soil and vegetation cover, hydrological regime. Waterlogging of lowlands due to thermoerosion is starting. It is necessary to find compromises between economy, ecology, social and national interests.

The article presents the main stages of the scientific path of Ivan A. Heim (Bernhard Andreas von Heim, 1758–1821), a representative of the German academic society, who moved to Russia in 1779 and held the position of the rector of Moscow University from 1808 to 1819. I.A. Heim’s scientific heritage in the field of linguistics, geography and statistics is considered. The great merits of I.A. Heim in the organization of evacuation of Moscow University during the Patriotic War of 1812 and its subsequent restoration are shown.

The article is devoted to children’s pencil drawings, which are stored in the museum of the village of Markovo (Chukotka Peninsula). In the 1890s, these pictures were drawn by the pupils of the church parish school of this village and conveyed some events took place in the life of the rural inhabitants. The children took part in the traditional household and reflected what they saw in their drawings. The drawings did not become museum documents at once; they were kept in private archives before. In the 1990s, the drawings were transferred to the rural museum. Each one was named according to the depicted subject. For example, “Training the reindeer in sledge driving and riding”, “Reindeer racing", “The end of migration". Eleven drawings are preserved. The aim of the paper is to analyze the drawings and explain the ethnographic information therein. The author systematized the drawings by themes: “The traditional method of the reindeer herder’s economy”, “The traditional hunting for wild deer”. In the drawings, each character performs some kind of action. Men are depicted in the process of controlling a deer, firing a gun, driving a boat, or while hunting. Women are depicted in their traditional clothes – fur overalls. In the drawings, women carry water in buckets, control a deer and walk with children. One woman is depicted riding a deer as a racer. Children are drawn shorter than adults. The pupils tried to depict features of the structure of animals. In the drawings, the raindeer have branchy antlers and thick wool under their necks. Details of the images reflect ethnographic information about the methods of managing domestic raindeer, traditional transport and clothing. The interaction among different cultures is depicted in the pictures as well. Today, these drawings are a unique heritage because they convey historical events and ethnographic information.