On January 28, 1986, the Minister of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the RSFSR, I. F. Obraztsov, signed an order to establish the Altai Archaeology and Ethnography Museum. Before its creation, teachers, staff from the department and laboratory of archaeology, as well as students, conducted significant expedition work that began in 1974. They explored the mountainous and steppe regions of Altai, conducted excavations, and collected extensive archaeological material that became the foundation of the museum's exhibition. Since 1978, after the establishment of the 'Laboratory of Archaeology, Ethnography, and History of Altai', the work on enriching the museum's collections became more targeted.

A significant role in the museum's formation was played by the exhibition of archaeological monuments of Altai, organized in 1984 for the visit of Japanese archaeologists. It was held in the premises of the Museum of the History of Education in Altai.

The first step in forming the museum was the creation of an archaeological exhibition for the visit of the member of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Heydar Aliyev. This visit was important for the university, as Vasily Ivanovich Neverov was Aliyev's trusted person. In 1985, under the guidance of Yuri Fyodorovich Kiryushin, active work began on creating the museum exhibition. Yuri Fyodorovich involved all laboratory staff in selecting the most interesting finds from the accumulated material. Archaeologists displayed unique exhibits covering almost all archaeological cultures.

The first tour of the museum was conducted by Yu. F. Kiryushin, accompanied by the rector of ASU, V. I. Neverov, and other high-ranking officials. Heydar Aliyev, as a historian, highly appreciated the unique archaeological material collected by the laboratory staff.

Subsequently, staff began conducting thematic lecture-tours. The second stage of the museum's development began in the fall of 1985 when G. L. Nekhvedavichus started improving the exhibition. At that time, Vasily Ivanovich Neverov, along with the rectorate, prepared and sent documents to the Ministry to justify the need for opening the archaeology museum.

The museum was officially opened by the order of Minister I. F. Obraztsov to improve the educational process at Altai State University and was named the 'Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography of Altai'.

The museum's materials were collected during field research conducted since 1975 in the Altai Territory. The museum's collections have been annually replenished with new finds. Currently, the museum has over 100,000 registered items related to various historical periods from the Middle Paleolithic to the Late Middle Ages, as well as ethnographic evidence.

The museum's collections include exhibition, archaeological, ethnographic, and anthropological departments, as well as an archive containing 77,506 units. The exhibition department has over 1,600 storage units, and the archive contains reports of archaeological expeditions and materials from ethnographic exhibitions.

The Altai State University Archaeology Museum serves as a base for students' scientific work. It conducts archaeological, ethnographic, and pedagogical practices, as well as classes for students studying museology. The museum provides practical training for students of the history department, allowing them to work with museum items and exhibition materials.

The museum actively engages in career guidance activities, conducting scientific-educational lectures and tours for schoolchildren. The museum is visited by up to 3,000 people annually, and more than 50 specialists from various universities across the country work with its collections. Scientific conferences and exhibitions are held at the museum.