I.V. Bel'kov's Museum of Geology and Mineralogy is a department of the Geological Institute of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Museum was established in the 1930's at the Kola Scientific Station USSR AS in the Khibiny. Currently, the Station is transformed into the Kola Science Centre RAS. At the end of the Great Patriotic War the collection was destroyed by the fire in the Station. In post-war time the Museum was re-established in the Geological Institute, mostly by efforts of Honorary Man of Science, Dr. Sci. (Geol.-mineral.) Igor Vladimirovich Bel'kov (1917-1989). T.V. Novokhatskaya, M.G. Fedotova, T.M. Pisareva and E.M. Kalinina made great contribution to the development of the Museum, its scientific and educational activity.

    The Museum possesses the collection of more that 9000 samples of minerals, ores and rocks of the Kola Peninsula, most of these being rare and unique. The Museum exposition comprises: systematic collection of minerals; collection of new minerals first discovered on the Kola Peninsula; collection of ores and other minerals; collection of rocks. The collection of new minerals is of the highest scientific value. The most attractive for amateur visitors is the collection of colorful minerals from the geological objects unique with their mineralogical wealth: the Khibiny and Lovozero alkaline massifs, Kovdor massif and amazonite pegmatites of the Western Keivy.

    The Museum is engaged in scientific research, working with mineral collections, compiling catalogues and lists of the Kola Peninsula minerals, digital data bases, partaking in meetings and publications of articles on the Museum activity. The integral part of the Museum activity is popularizing the knowledge on mineralogy and minerals of the Kola region among visitors and the educational activity, i.e. delivering lectures and workshops with geologist students of the Apatity Branch of the Murmansk State Technical University