On July 9, 1932, the Presidium of the Ural Regional Executive Committee decided to create a district museum in the newly formed Ostyak-Vogul National District, in the city of Ostyak-Vogulsk (now Khanty-Mansiysk). It was decided to allocate exhibits and materials from the Tobolsk Museum related to the new institution as part of a plan for economic and cultural development.

On July 1, 1934, Ivan Andreevich Shabalin was appointed as the scientific employee for the organization of the museum. On October 15, 1934, a resolution was issued to expand the work of the district museum, emphasizing its important scientific and political significance.

At the end of 1935, the museum was provided with premises, an old barrack of the fish trust on Komsomolskaya Street, 9, where a children's library was also located. Although the premises were dark and damp, the museum opened to visitors on November 4, 1936. The exhibition included eight sections reflecting the political history, natural resources, and economy of the district, as well as the way of life of the Khanty and Mansi peoples.

The core of the exhibition consisted of exhibits from a jubilee exhibition dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the district. Exhibits were acquired by various means: they were purchased, received as gifts, or transferred from the offices of the district department of the NKVD and the Berezovsky District Executive Committee after the Kazym uprising and the repressions of 1937.

Ivan Andreevich Shabalin, the founder and first director of the museum, was removed from his position on February 20, 1936, arrested on July 8, 1937, and executed on August 12, 1937, in Tobolsk. He was rehabilitated on June 6, 1989.

From 1934 to 1952, the museum was led by enthusiasts: I. A. Shabalin, V. S. Deniseko, S. P. Lifshits, M. A. Kamkova, M. A. Voskoboynikov, P. G. Ivanitsky, V. P. Gavrin.

The next stage in the museum's history is associated with Yulia Sergeevna Lipchinskaya and Arkady Nikolaevich Loskutov, who directed the museum from 1952 to 1981. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the museum sought to regain its status as a scientific institution. In 1955, scientific employees were hired, which allowed for the activation of exhibition work and the organization of expeditions. In 1956, a comprehensive expedition was conducted to study the natural conditions and culture of the Khanty.

On February 1, 1960, the museum was closed for reconstruction. Within a year, a new building was constructed, which opened to visitors in 1962. Arkady Nikolaevich Loskutov, who became director in 1964, expanded the museum's educational work, organized staff trips, and a mobile museum on a riverboat.

From 1981 to 1986, the construction of a new museum building was underway, and from 1986 to 1991, a new exhibition was created. On December 1, 1991, it was opened to visitors, showcasing the natural riches and culture of the district's peoples.

The latest stage in the museum's history began with its transformation into the "Museum of Nature and Man." This led to reconstruction and achieving a new level of development. The museum became one of the most modern in Russia, with unique exhibitions and extensive collections.

By its 80th anniversary, the Museum of Nature and Man approached its milestone renewed and equipped, continuing its mission to study and preserve the heritage of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Yugra.