He was an archaeologist and historian of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania and White Ruthenia, then part of the Russian Empire.

[5] Two years after graduation, he began his career in government service in 1833 in the Chapter of Imperial Orders of Knighthood.

[6][7][8] At the same time, (1833–34) he began collecting archival material on the literature and history of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania from sources in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

He became a school inspector of the Barysaw District and marshal of the Polish-Lithuanian nobility (1842–1848), then governor of the Minsk Male Gymnasium [ru] (1848–1854).

In May 1855, Tsar Alexander II of Russia approved the creation by Tyszkiewicz of the Vilnius Archaeological Commission and of the Museum of Antiquities.

After losing his life's work, he retired to Astravas Manor near Biržai, which belonged to his relative, Michał Tyszkiewicz.

[5] There he studied local history, organised the manor's library and the archives of the Radziwiłł family, wrote historical treatises and gathered primary sources for publication.

[5] In 1843, he toured Scandinavian countries, establishing contacts with various historical societies and gathering ideas for the future museum.

[16] After the failed Uprising of 1863, the Tsarist authorities instituted a number of strict Russification policies and nationalized the museum.