The museum was established on August 11, 1988 by order of the Minister of Culture of the BSSR No. 64 as a branch of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Studies. It is located 16 km to north from Vitebsk on the site of the former estate of the artist Ilya Efimovich Repin (1844—1930). The exposition presents copies of photographs, documents, works of I.E. Repin, books, household items of the late 19th — 20th centuries, items found during excavations on the territory of the estate. The museum conducts an active exhibition activity in cooperation with museums and organizations of Belarus, Russia, organizes ethnographic holidays, musical evenings.