The Volgograd Memorial Historical Museum is located in an early 20th century estate house and is dedicated to the events of the Russian Civil War in Tsaritsyn (as Volgograd was then known) and the surrounding area around the River Don, in particular the Battle of Tsaritsyn. The building first became a museum in 1937 as the Museum of the Defence of Tsaritsyn which was named in honour of Stalin, who is credited with playing an important role in the Bolshevik victory in Tsaritsyn.