Angarsk Museum of Minerals

About museum

The Angarsk Museum of Minerals was established in 1962–1963 at the initiative of rock enthusiasts from the geology department of the GPII Siberian "Orgstroyproekt". In 1995 the museum was transferred to the city of Angarsk and reorganized as the Minerals Department within the Municipal Cultural Institution "City Museum". The museum's collection now includes more than 1,800 exhibits. The main hall features the exhibition "Mineral Wealth of Siberia", where minerals of various chemical compositions can be seen. The section "Mineral Wealth of the Irkutsk Region" is presented with a regional map showing deposits and a geologist mannequin. The exhibition includes items made of lazurite, charoite, nephrite, as well as iron ore, gold, salt, marble, mica, talc, and gypsum. For tours a "Stone Garden" has been created, with a mound of large and beautiful minerals arranged under a starry sky with a passing comet.