History of the Museum 
The State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia (the former Museum of the Revolution, renamed in September 1998) is the national museum of federal importance. The Museum is housed in the architecture monument of late classicism (end of the 18th century) right in the heart of Moscow. This building was occupied by the Moscow English Club from 1831 till 1917. Then it was handed over to the Museum.
First steps to establish the Museum were taken right after dethronement of the Tsar. Director of the All-Rissua union of towns' museum well-known journalist V. P. Kranihfeld addressed the Chairman of the Moscow public organizations' Executive Committee N. M. Kishkin on March 21 (March 8 Old Style), 1917 with the proposal: "to convene promptly a meeting of representatives of historical sciences and existing museums of Moscow with the purpose of an equal scientific and practical treatment of a subject to establish the Museum of the revolution in Moscow". At the meeting which took place on April 4th (March 22 Old Style), 1917, The Society of Museum of the Revolution was formed. The Society associated many people of different political persuasion, liberal-minded scientists, cultural workers, writers and publicists, representatives of different tendencies of Russian liberation and revolutionary movements.
It was then that the guidelines of the future Museum's activities - to collect dissimilar sources and to study comprehensively the history of Russian liberation movement - were laid down.
Exhibition "Red Moscow"was opened in 1922. Soon this exhibition was transformed into the Moscow historico-revolutionary museum. In 1924 a new name was given to it - the Museum of the Revolution of the USSR.
In the course of time having additions to the collections, extension of chronological scope and elaboration upon the themes of the museum expositions and exhibitions, which reflected comprehensive history of the soviet and post-soviet periods, museum profile had changed. The Museum became the major museum of contemporary history of Russia.
At present the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia is a scientific center for studying modern history of Russia. Historic, historical sources and museology (museum management) studies and research are conducted at the Museum. Scientific transactions are published on the following ranges:
- Study and museum's interpretation of the Russian civilization development distinctive from the second half of the nineteenth century till the twenty first century;
- Studies in the domain of history, theory and methodology of the museum's activities, source study, social and cultural functions of the museum;
- Study of the component parts and the subject matter of the items in stock of the museum's collections, introduction of new sources into scientific usage in actual practice, application of modern computer technologies.
 Scientific conferences - "December readings" - at which results of the research, conceptions of expositions and exhibitions are discussed, are held every year; all those conference issues are discussed there among the staff members of the Museum, guest speakers from the research institutions and high schools.
The Museum collaborate with Institute of Russian history of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of the history of the world of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow state university named after M. V. Lomonosov and with other research organizations from Moscow as well as with foreign partners. Together with the academic institutions the Museum hold scientific conferences during which subject-matter expositions and exhibitions are arranged.
Arrangement and holding of the scientific conferences and seminars on topical problems of the museum activities for the historic profile museums of the Russian Federation, Moscow and Moscow region museums of different profile and subordination, including public and private museums is one of the dominant Museum's activities. Conferences are held at the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia or at the biggest regional museums of local lore, history and economy in different parts of the country.
At the conferences of the past decade issues of national museums, of upgrowth and occupation in the society, of main guidelines of museum's activities, of problems to make true-to-life illustrations of domestic history had been widely discussed. Conferences on "The history of the Great Patriotic War in the museums.", "Museum at the interface of the old and the new centuries: existing conditions and long-term prospects", "The artist and the museum: a step to the third millennium", "Museum and communicative approach", "Adult visitor at the museum", "Museum between its mission and the market" were held in 2000-2004. Materials of the conferences are published and off-the-shelf.
Being the base museum of the country in matters of domestic history the Museum organize twice a year (April and October) a kind of extramural courses of a probation period for museum staff or retrainees of the museums with historical profile (pay courses). The program of the courses includes lectures and practical training on different ranges of museums' activities in the twenty first century: scientific design of the expositions (concept, selection of materials, scientific accessory material, texts and tallying /labeling/, an expositor and an artist); acquisition of the museum materials on domestic history of XX-XXI centuries taking into consideration modern approach to analysis of the historical process; new legislation in the field of the museum affairs; problems of making the museum stocks up; keeping a tab on, study and attribution of the museum items of different types; study of a museum's visitor and new forms of working with the visitor, matters of museum communication, etc. Studies are carried out in accordance with the specialization of the student.
Besides, students of the courses can get consultations on questions they have, acquaint themselves with the experience of other museums in Russia on the basis of materials, collected in the methodological laboratory and to buy new museological and methodological literature. It is also envisaged to get the students acquainted with new expositions, exhibitions and educative programs of Moscow museums. One can take an individual training course at the more convenient time for the student.
| 
