The museum's exhibitions range from relics of prehistoric tribes that lived in the territory of present-day Russia, to priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty.

[1][2] The place where the museum now stands was formerly occupied by the Principal Medicine Store, built by order of Peter the Great in the Moscow Baroque style.

The museum was founded in 1872 by Ivan Zabelin, Aleksey Uvarov and several other Slavophiles interested in promoting Russian history and national self-awareness.

The board of trustees, composed of Sergey Solovyov, Vasily Klyuchevsky, Uvarov, and other leading historians, presided over the construction of the museum building.

[5] Its interiors were intricately decorated in the Russian Revival style by such artists as Viktor Vasnetsov, Henryk Siemiradzki, and Ivan Aivazovsky.