Museum of History and Ethnography

About museum

The Museum of History and Ethnography is located in a building that is a historical and architectural monument from the early 19th century, built according to a model design by the well-known Russian architect A. D. Zakharov. Until the Soviet period this building housed administrative offices. The museum was opened in 1925. Prominent scholars—archaeologists, historians and mining engineers—took part in assembling the collections. Over a long period the museum developed departments of natural history, history, archaeology and numismatics. The exhibitions include documents, photographs, books with autographs, works of visual art, and exhibits that tell about the occupations and trades of the local population. In the natural history department visitors learn about the geographical location, geology, relief, mineral resources, soil and climatic conditions, and the animal and plant life of the region, as well as nature conservation issues. Today the museum's collections hold more than 12,000 items.