Zhiganov Nazib Gayazovich (1911-1988) is a composer, a hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR, a laureate of the three State Prizes of the USSR, a laureate of the Republican Prize named after G. Tukay, a founder of the Kazan State Conservatory, and its rector from 1945 till 1988, professor.

    In the house where the museum is situated, N. Zhiganov spent the last 20 years of his life. Furnishing, the world of things, which surrounded the composer, create the atmosphere, in which he lived and worked. Most valuable part is the archive - a unique collection of documents of 20-ies - 80-ies of XX century. These are personal documents, manuscripts, books with notes made by the composer himself, and inscriptions of literature and art figures, as well as reminiscences of contemporaries, photos, autographs of prominent cultural figures.

    Epistolary archive consists of several hundred documents, including letters of Dmitry Shostakovich, A. Khachaturian, T. Khrennikov, R. Shchedrin, B. Pokrovsky, N. Rakhlina, Litinskii etc. The preservation of the archives became possible due to the composer's wife, N.I. Zhiganova