MUSEUM'S HISTORY  

Central State Museum of Kazakh Republic is one of the largest museums in Central Asia. Acquisition of it's collections started in thirties of the XIXth c. in Orenburg. One of the founders of the Museum was a noted linguist, the author of the "Explanatory Dictionary" Vladimir Dal. Later museum funds included collections of the museums of Semirechye region, Museum of Cossak Army and Rebublic Anti-religious Museum. 
In 1931  Museum opened it's doors. It was located in the Cathedral- a unique architectural complex, planned by famous architect A.P.Zenkov and built in 1904-1907. The Cathedral was one of a few borne a destroying  Verny earthquake in 1911. 
The modern edifice of the museum , planned by architects J.Ratushny, Z.Mustafina and  B.Rzagaliev, was built in 1985. It is rightfully considered to be one of the magnificent buildings of the modern architecture of our city. The total space  of the museum is 17557 sq. metres. 
Three storeys of the building  accomodate  exhibition galleries and four exposition halls, which present  only one  tenth part of the large  museum's collection. Today museum funds numbers  of approximately 200 thousand items of material and spiritual culture.