Astrakhan State United Historical, Architectural Museum-Reserve is one of the ancient provincial museums of the country. "Regional Museum" was open according to the initiative of Astrakhan Governor Ivan Timiryazev on the 12-th of December, 1837 (old style). In the 60-th years of the 19-th century because of absence of means for keeping the Museum the part of the exhibits were handing for storage to other establishments. The new rise of Museum cause began in the 70-th years and was connected with creation and activity of the "Peter the Great Society of Explorers of Astrakhan Region". Enthusiasts of local lore rebirth the Museum and replenished its collection. In 1911 expositions of the Museum were placed in newly constructed building of City establishments (building of Administration of the region), in the right wing of which there is Museum of Local Lore up to this time. During many tens of years, Museum was center of local lore researchers, scientific and educational work. Today Museum-Reserve including 15 branches: 6 of them situated in the Astrakhan-city and 9 in the districts of the region. The fund collection of Museum-Reserve is numbered more than 300 000 units and has a great variety. These are natural-scientific, archeological, ethnography, numismatic collections and a lot of others.

    Besides the head Museum of Local Lore in which situated all museum fund-depository, fund section, scientific library, taxidermy laboratory there are more 5 museum branches for visitors in Astrakhan-city. They are: Museum of Culture of Astrakhan, Museum of History of City, Museum of Battle Glory, the only in the Volga-river region Museum of Medicine, and also unique historical and architectural museum complex "Astrakhan Kremlin"