Vladimir Rusanov was born in 1875 in Oryol and went on to become a talented geologist and a famous arctic explorer. In 1912 he set off from Novaya Zemlya in an attempt to reach the Pacific Ocean via the Northern Sea Route and was never seen again, although parts of his boat were found in 1937. This museum was opened in 1982 in the house where Rusanov spent his childhood and displays materials on his life and work. The museum is run as a branch of the Regional Museum.