The museum building is a merchant's mansion of Alexei Ivanovich Petrov, built in 1881. Under the roof of the building, the numbers are carved in wooden relief. The house was erected in 1904, and before that, the merchant lived on Sadovaya Street, now known as Sverdlov Street.

The house has its own history and a significant role in the life of the district. The museum opened in 1973 thanks to the efforts of local enthusiasts and local historians. The foundation of the collection consists of gifts from citizens, and now it has over 12,000 exhibits displayed in 10 halls. Among them, one can find medieval women's jewelry, antique household items of Cossacks and peasants, primitive tools, remains of a mammoth and a steppe bison, and much more.

In 2008, a treasure of merchant Petrov was discovered on the museum estate, including 320 copper coins, which can now be seen in the museum.