The Historical Museum of Smolensk was opened in 1888 and is dedicated to history and archeology. It exhibits a huge collection of artifacts found as a result of excavations in the vicinity of Smolensk. These showpieces cover the period from the Stone Age to the medieval period. Among the artifacts you can find the tools of ancient hunters, stone axes, bronze ornaments and ceramics. In addition, here you can see the detailed mockups of the Smolensk Fortress and a real mammoth skeleton.
One of the most interesting sections of the exposition contains the seals of Smolensk princes, birch-bark letters, surviving fragments of Smolensk frescoes and even part of the 800-year-old house. The main exposition has recently been supplemented by a section dedicated to the later history of Smolensk, from the 13th to the 18th century.