The new Soviet state had, as part of its broader scientific program, invested in the systematic investigation of the natural and cultural heritage of its vast territory.

Archaeological surveys were conducted across Siberia and other regions, producing a body of data about prehistoric cultures that had been largely unknown to the international archaeological community.

The Mal’ta site was one of many discovered and excavated during this period, but it quickly became recognized as exceptional.

The female figurines, in particular, attracted attention from researchers interested in the deep prehistory of artistic expression and in the possible connections between Siberian and European Upper Paleolithic cultures.

The geopolitical context of the mid-twentieth century meant that the findings from Mal’ta were not as widely available to Western researchers as they would have been under different circumstances.