[1] Since June 2013, the building was closed for reconstruction, the Museum itself did a cultural, educational and research activities.

The museum started from an exhibition in Amersfoort, Netherlands organised by Igor Vozyakov, a Russian entrepreneur and collector, maecenas, who donated to Ukraine an ancient icon "Protection of the Holy Virgin" (16th century).

It showed the early days of Communism and displaying photos of desecrated churches and slashed icons.

The collection includes portraits by Faum, and icons ranging from the fifteenth through twentieth centuries, covering iconography centers of Russia, Italy, Spain, Flemish Belgium and Flanders masters and cultural heritage pieces.

[5][additional citation(s) needed] The museum hosts thematic exhibitions: about the House of Romanov,[6] about fakes of icon painting,[7] about activities of the Anti-Religious Commission (ARC) in Soviet Russia.