The Rybinsk State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve is one of the oldest museums on the Volga River.
When the museum opened its doors in 1910, its base was formed by a collection of natural history artifacts. In the 1920s, family heirlooms from deserted noble estates, as well as icons from closed monasteries, were transferred to the museum.
In addition to ancient Russian art, the museum displays paintings by Russian artists of the 18th–20th centuries, artifacts from ceramic centers in Europe, and memorabilia related to the history of Rybinsk and its famous personalities.
The museum’s collection also includes Western European paintings of the 16th–19th centuries, ancient ceramics from Japan and China, Silesian and Bohemian glass, wood and bone products, coins from different centuries, rare books and manuscripts.