Aleksey Kirillovich Kuznetsov

About museum

Aleksey Kirillovich Kuznetsov – a revolutionary, public figure, local historian, museologist, photographer, educator, and honorary citizen of Nerchinsk. He opened the first local history museum in the Russian Far East and a library in Nerchinsk. Later Kuznetsov moved to Chita, where he continued to work as a photographer and to collect local history materials. He was a co‑founder of the Transbaikal branch of the Priamur department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. In 1895 a local history museum and a library were opened at the branch, and Kuznetsov was elected director of the museum. Aleksey Kuznetsov was a professional photographer, created 11 photographic albums, and collected mineralogical and archaeological collections. He discovered dozens of archaeological sites in the vicinity of Chita, in the valleys of the Ingoda, Onon, Argun and Ili rivers, on Lake Balzino, and studied the Konduy fortified settlement of the Mongol period.