The Cinema Museum in Veliky Novgorod was founded by Valery Rubtsov on February 13, 2012. Initially, the private collection of 20th-century film equipment did not have its own premises and participated in various exhibitions.

Today, the museum's collection includes many unique exhibits. This is film technology from the 20th century from the USSR and other countries: more than 120 film cameras, dozens of projectors, editing tables, and boxes, mainly of narrow formats 8 and 16 mm.

The Cinema Museum also showcases technology from the past, creating the atmosphere of that era. The museum's library contains books about cinema from the early 20th century, as well as posters, magazines, newspapers, and tickets. The museum houses personal film archives of famous people, such as actors, film technicians, and cosmonauts.

In 2017, the museum found a permanent location in a historic 19th-century building at: Rogatica St., 16/21, Veliky Novgorod.

On March 1, 2018, the first floor of the museum opened with the exhibition "Black and White of the Great Silent", dedicated to the history of cinema in the first half of the 20th century. Here you can learn about the birth of cinematography and see unique exhibits, from Magic Lanterns to the first narrow-format film cameras and projectors.

Later, the second floor was opened with the exhibition "I, a Film Enthusiast", dedicated to the history of film enthusiasm in the USSR. All models of amateur film cameras produced in the Soviet Union are presented here. Visitors can peek into a 1960s film enthusiast's room, a Soviet store's film goods department, and a children's corner.

The second floor also features the cinema hall "Stargorod", where screenings of old and modern films take place as part of film clubs.

Between the floors, there are two exhibitions. "Stars in Kiosks" offers a look at postal and souvenir postcards from the 30s to the 80s of the 20th century featuring images of Soviet actors. The exhibition "Made in the USSR" briefly tells the history of domestic photographic technology.