Omsk Museum of History and Regional Studies
The Omsk State Museum of History and Regional Studies was founded on July 21, 1878, at the initiative of General-Governor of Western Siberia N. G. Kaznakov. It is one of the oldest and largest museums in Siberia. The collection of the museum includes more than 170 thousand exhibits. Its expositions cover the history of the Irtysh area from the XIIth millenium BC up to this day. Among those who contributed to the foundation of the museum were such prominent scientists, public figures, explorers of Siberia, Central Asia and Altai as G.E. Katanaev, G.N. Potanin, I.Ya. Slovtsov and N.M. Yadrintsev. During the Great Patriotic War unique collections from the evacuated museums of Moscow, Vologda, Novgorod and Voronezh were kept safe in the Omsk Museum. Nowadays the museum is successfully conducting exploratory, expositional, publishing and cultural activities and collecting new sets of exhibits.