THE IMAGE OF A HORS IN THE ART OF THE ANCIENT NOMADS OF ALTAI (BASED ON MATERIALS FROM THE EXCAVATIONS OF V. V. RADLOV)
Abstract
The article focuses on a brief historiographic analysis of research by Soviet and Russian scientists on the unique wooden horse figurines discovered by V. V. Radlov in the Bolshoy Katandinsky Kurgan in 1865. It examines the work of such prominent researchers as A. A. Zakharov, S. I. Rudenko, S. V. Kiselyov, and V. D. Kubarev, who made significant contributions to the study of these artifacts. Special attention is paid to the description of the figurines’ appearance and their possible interpretations in the cultural context of ancient nomads. Similar finds from other archaeological sites are also presented, which will make it possible in the future to identify common features and differences, as well as reconstruct aesthetic preferences and sacred representations of ancient nomadic societies. The article emphasizes the importance of further research on wooden figurines of Katandinsky horses for an in-depth understanding of the cultural and religious practices of the Scythian cultures that inhabited Altai and the regions of Inner Asia.
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