Foundation of the Komi Republic National Museum, the largest and oldest museum of the area

4 (17) October 1911 in Ust-Sysolsk (now Syktyvkar), was created a museum of antiquities and curiosities of Zyryan Region (the National Museum of the Komi Republic) - one of the first scientific, cultural and educational institutions of the Komi Krai.

In 1911, at the suggestion of the local intelligentsia – K. F. Zhakov, A. A. Tsember, N. P. Cheusov, F. A. Starovsky and others, was established Ust-Sysolsk branch of the Arkhangelsk Society for the Study of the Russian North, which initiated the opening of archaeological and ethnographic museum. 4 (17) October 1911 district zemstvo assembly adopted a resolution on the allocation of a lump-sum grant of 100 rubles for the acquisition of collections. This date is the day of the creation of the museum.

Initially, the museum collection included dozens of exhibits: a wooden comb, a towel from the Letka River, several archaeological finds and a small library of rare books. Gradually, owing to the efforts of Tsember - the first museum director and his associates, was collected a wealth of material and developed the first collections.

In the 1920's the work of the museum was closely associated with the activities of the Society for the Study of the Komi Krai. Thanks to the scientists, D. T. Yanovich, V. P. Nalimov, A. Gren, A. S. Sidorov and others was formed a collection on the culture of the Komi-Zyrians.

October 29, 1940 the Komi Regional Local History Museum was transformed into the Republican Local History Museum. Since 1994, the National Museum of the Komi Republic became a major museum institution of the republic, acting as the methodological, cultural and educational center.

During a century-long history of the museum,  a collection was formed, numbering more than 235, 000 exhibits, including unique monuments of iconography dated to 16th – 20th centuries, a collection of numismatics dated to the 1st millennium BC – 2nd millennium AD, a collection of objects of material and spiritual culture of the Komi people, natural science collections, rich photo-documentary archives, collections of objects of everyday life for all segments of the population in the region of different chronological periods, archives and collections of prominent political and public figures of the republic, intellectuals.

The museum includes the I. A. Kuratov Literary-Memorial Museum I and the I. P. Morozov Museum.

The museum has permanent exhibitions of history department: "History of the Komi Region from ancient times to the present day," ethnographic exhibition "Traditional Culture of Komi in the rites of the life cycle of the late 19th - early 20th century", "The Life and Work of I. A. Kuratov " collection from the I. A. Kuratov Literary-memorial museum, as well as a permanent exhibition of the nature department "The nature of the Komi Republic."

Annually, the museum holds about 100 temporary exhibitions featuring the museum collections and those from the museums of other cities and regions of Russia. The National Museum of the Komi Republic holds dramatized lessons and holidays in the calendar ritualism, studio classes, workshops, weekend clubs and various themed events.

Lit.: Национальный музей Республики Коми // Культинформ. 2003. № 5. С. 20-21; Пьянкова Т. Международный семинар по проблемам этнографии в музейной деятельности // Финно-угроведение. 2002. № 2. С. 146-147; Стрекалова В. М. Перелистывая страницы истории // Музеи и краеведение. Сыктывкар, 2001. С. 4-9.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Republic of Komi: Pages of History: [digital collection].

National Museum of the Komi Republic: website. 2016. URL: http://museumkomi.ru/?page_id=182.