Irkutsk regional museum is one of the oldest museums in Russia, was established in December 1782 initiator of its foundation made Irkutsk governor F.Klichka. It was he who called for the city fathers to allocate funds for the construction of the museum and the first book depository.

The heyday of the Irkutsk regional museum came in 1854, when it became a center for the study of Siberia, scientific and educational institution repository, which contributed to the discovery of the Siberian Department of the Russian Geographical Society in 1851, which is in charge and handed over to the museum. As a result of the great fire that occurred in 1879 in Irkutsk, damaged much of the city, including the building of the museum, which houses the 22 th. Of exhibits and a library with 10 thousand. Books. In October 1883, it was built a new stone building of the museum. In 1920 Irkutsk Museum ESRGS nationalized and handed over to the state.

Today the museum has more than 450 thousand. Exhibits reflecting the nature of society and the Eastern Siberia and adjacent territories. Currently it consists of six regional museum exposition and exhibition departments: Department of History, Department of Nature, Studio Museum Division "window to Asia", the stock Scientific Division and the book fund.

Department of History is located in the former building of the museum ESRGS, erected in 1883 in the Moorish style of the project drawn up by the architect engineer Baron G. Rosen. Department of Nature is located in a beautiful spacious two-story building, which is an architectural monument of the city. The building was built in 1903 in eclectic style. Before the 1917 revolution, the building belonged to the Siberian publisher and educator P. Makushina. Museum Studio - a new exhibition space museum. Its opening took place in October 2005. One of the main tasks of the studio is considered to show the collections of the Irkutsk regional museum.

Division "window to Asia" is recreated in the historic quarter of the city. The exhibition is dedicated to the contribution of Irkutsk, researchers Siberia and the Far East in the study, development and joining the North-East Asia to Russia. Research department was founded in 2008. Its main task - is information support of the local history museum in the media, creation and promotion of a positive image of it. The Department of the book fund has more than 90 thousand. Copies. These include books, newspapers and magazines. The library was founded in conjunction with the museum in 1782