The collection of ethnographic articles and research works by V. reminds programs of the Russian Geographic Society in structure: it is started with physical anthropology, then, there are materials on homes, costumes, footwear, and food of the Altai peoples. The author put much attention to religious traditions and beliefs of the indigenous peoples of Altai. A large part of the book is titled ‘Beliefs” — it is not only well-structured consideration on gods and spirits ruling the human world, but also a detailed description of various types of sacrifices, and about sacred images. There is a detailed characteristic of the Shaman’s drum, et al. Some parts are on the ‘habits, rites, and rituals’, and concepts of soul. For the religious studies, there is an interesting part on traditional methods of healing. The book is finished with some articles on the folklore, and specific legends (religious legends are classified especially among others), riddles, and sayings.
Verbitsky V.I. Peoples of Altai: a Collection of Ethnographic Articles and Research Works by Altaic Missionary, Archpriest V.I. Versbitsky // publ. Ethnographic Dep. of the Imperial Society of Connoisseurs of Natural Sciences, Anthropology, and Ethnography, at the Moscow University. Edit. А.А.Ivanovsky. Moscow: A.A. Levenson Co, 1893. (in Rus.)