The open-air museum-reserve, located in the village of Shushenskoe in the Krasnoyarsk region, introduces visitors to the life of a Siberian village at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Here, one can see peasant huts, estates, and other buildings that recreate the atmosphere of that time. The exhibition allows visitors to learn about the daily life of the inhabitants, their occupations, crafts, as well as their religious beliefs and rituals.

Originally, the museum was created in memory of Lenin's stay in Shushenskoe, where he was exiled in the late 19th century. Two houses where he lived have been preserved. Over time, the exhibition expanded, and a museum-reserve with branches was established. The central part of Shushenskoe was designated for the organization of the museum. In the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the institution changed its profile and became the historical and ethnographic museum 'Shushenskoe', while still preserving the exhibition about Lenin's life in exile.

Some still refer to this place as Lenin's museum in Shushenskoe.

In 2011, a 'New Village' appeared on the museum's territory, where tourists can live in houses styled in an old-fashioned manner.

The museum complex includes 29 houses, most of which are authentic 19th-century buildings that have undergone minor restoration. Several houses were transported from other locations, while some were newly built in the style of that time. In addition to residential buildings, there are utility rooms, baths, barns, stables, a trading shop, a volost prison, and a tavern.

These unique buildings showcase the architecture and craftsmanship of that era. The interior setting allows one to trace the differences in the lifestyle of various layers of the rural population. Of interest is the peasant wooden furniture: chairs, benches, cabinets, beds, and chests.

Among the valuable exhibits, one can see icons, clothing, items of decorative and applied art, ceramic dishes, towels, tablecloths, paintings and graphic works, and rare books.

Agriculture was one of the main occupations of Siberian peasants, and the collection of tools in the museum helps to understand how they grew their crops. Here, horse plows, cultivators, shovels, hoes, rakes, sickles, and other items are collected.

Museum staff not only tell about the ancient crafts common in the Shushensky volost but also revive their traditions. There are pottery and cooperage workshops on the territory, and one can see wood carving and the making of Russian wooden toys. The souvenir shop sells products made by local craftsmen.

In two houses, the atmosphere of Lenin's life during his exile has been recreated.

The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions of artworks, photographs, and books.