The Orenburg History Museum is housed in a building constructed in the neo-Gothic or pseudo-Gothic style. It was built under the Governor-General Vasily Alekseyevich Perovsky who aimed to give the provincial city of Orenburg the appearance of a capital. During his tenure, public buildings and institutions appeared in Orenburg, stone houses were constructed, balls became popular, and public festivities were organized.
In 1853, the Minister of Internal Affairs received a request from the Governor-General of Orenburg for the construction of a new storage facility for the Orenburg Treasury. No funds were provided from the state budget, and money was raised from the citizens “for the establishment of public offices and prisons.” A site for the new building was chosen on the bank of the Ural River, close to the residence of the Governor-General.
In 1978, the building was
transferred to the city authorities. After several years of restoration, the
Orenburg History Museum opened its doors on April 30, 1983. This day marked the
beginning of a new chapter in the history of this 19th-century
architectural monument.
