Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

Recordings were also made of smaller religious sects
who separated from the Russian Orthodox Church, such
as the Old Believers, the Molokans and the Doukhobors.
Different religious and ethnic groups, including Hassidic
Jews and German colonists in Russia, were also recorded,
and the extensive folklore collections of peoples in
Siberia and the Far East are considered particularly
important. The material in the collections is a source for
any potential reconstruction and revival of such declining
cultures.
The original recordings were made on wax cylinders or
gramophone disks. The collection was built up through
the efforts of researchers and staff members in the
field and of organizations and collectors who donated
or deposited their own material. Now the Historical
Collections consist of about 10,000 wax cylinders, more
than 400 wax disks and more than fifty lacquer disks.
387