The V. R. Williams Soil and Agronomy Museum is one of the largest soil museums in both Russia and the world. Its collection features soil samples from the Arctic Ocean to the Equator. The museum offers tours, lectures, and workshops for all ages.

The idea of creating such a museum in Russia belongs to Vasily Robertovich Williams, who became the head of the Department of Agriculture and Soil Science at the Moscow Agricultural Institute (now the Timiryazev Moscow Agricultural Academy) in 1894. From April to September, students and faculty participated in expeditions, collecting and studying soil samples. Initially, the exhibition was housed in two classrooms and was constantly expanding.

The collection received official status only in 1934, and in 1938, construction began on a separate building for the museum, which was an innovative step for Soviet Russia. After Williams' death in 1939, construction was halted, and the war delayed work for several years.

In 1943, staff began returning from evacuation, and despite the poor condition of the premises, the museum resumed tours. In the 1950s, construction was completed, and the exhibition occupied ten halls with a total area of 1,700 square meters. However, the museum soon underwent reconstruction in accordance with the new agricultural policy of the country. Williams' office was closed, and materials about his crop rotation system were replaced with an exhibition dedicated to corn. Nevertheless, the museum continued its activities.

Since 1954, scientific expeditions began, studying virgin and fallow lands, as well as soils of the non-chernozem zone. A laboratory was established in the museum, and research on soil formation commenced. The museum's collections were actively replenished. Over three years, more than 500 soil monoliths, about 2,000 soil samples, as well as collections of plants and fertilizers were gathered. In the 1990s, the museum faced difficulties due to lack of funding and staff reductions.

Today, the V. R. Williams Soil and Agronomy Museum remains one of the largest in the world. Since its founding, it has aimed not only to showcase the diversity of soils but also to address relevant scientific and applied issues in soil science and agriculture, as well as to promote advanced ideas in farming.

Many exhibits, including soil monoliths and samples collected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are valuable "monuments" of nature. They allow for the study of changes in the Earth's soil cover under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors.