Fayum mummy portraits
In 1913, the museum acquired a collection of items, including a plate with a scene of mourning known as "Mourners". A few precious gifts were made by Yury Nechaev-Maltsov (1834-1913): beautiful Fayum mummy portraits, a golden diadem, and a bronze statue of walking Harpocrates. After the Great October Socialist Revolution, the museum's Egyptian collection acquired exhibits from other museums and private collections. Moreover, scientists whose work was inextricably linked to the museum, such as Boris Farmakovsky (1870-1928), Tamara Borozdina-Kozmina (1883-1958), and Alexander Zhivago (1860-1940), gave their artifacts to the Department of the Ancient East. The museum's collection was significantly enriched after the acquisition of the collection of painter and art historian Nikolay Prakhov (1873-1957) in 1940. The collection included 217 pieces and previously belonged to Prakhov's father, famous Russian art historian, philologist, archaeologist, and critic Adrian Prakhov (1846-1916). Adrian Prakhov went to Egypt many times to study ancient artifacts. Later, the holdings of the Department of the Ancient East were enhanced through gifts, archaeological excavations, and regular acquisitions.