Along the picturesque basin on one side of the River Pakhra a historical and architectural museum-reserve has been created demonstrating how Podolsk looked in the late 19th century. The reason this museum-reserve exists is due to the fact that Lenin's mother and siblings lived here and he visited on two occasions. The Vladimir Lenin House-Museum, which is the basis of the museum-reserve, was opened in 1937 in the house that the Ulianov (Lenin's original surname) family lived.

Nowadays the emphasis of the museum-reserve is on the history of the period when Lenin was here rather than just the fact that Lenin was here. The late 19th century interior of the house has been preserved including original everyday items used by the Ulianov family. A Bust of Lenin has been erected outside the house. The museum-reserve includes other historical buildings typical of the age which has meant that a small part of late 19th century Podolsk has been frozen in time for all to see.