The Mineralogical Museum of the Irkutsk State Technical University is the largest mineralogical museum beyond the Urals. It is famous for richness and diversity of its collection of East Siberian minerals and rocks. The museum already existed when an institute of mines was set up within The State Technical University. The founder of the museum was the brightest Siberian geologist V. Tikhomirov. Currently the museum’s collection numbers more than 35,000 exhibits.