The public museum began its work in Barnaul in the summer of 1918. Distribution of information about the museum activity promoted the transfer of incidentally found by individuals archaeological objects to the museum. In the first half of 1920 there were 150 exhibits on display in the archaeological department. To add up new acquisitions to the collection the head of archaeological department A.P. Kirshevsky made investigation of archeological sites in the Biysk district. As a result the museum had more than 60 new various additions to its collection. G.N. Vagin became A.P. Kirshevsky’s successor in the museum. He was commissioned bythe Moscow Archaeological Institute to conduct archaeological excavation in Altai, but the expedition planned for the summer 1921 didn’t take place. Insufficient financing prevented the museum from taking part in the projects of researchers from other cities and from to carrying out its own archaeological research. Museum collections development depended on incidental findings. In 1925 archaeological collection was put in order by M.P. Gryaznov. In October1927 the archaeological collections totaled 1059 exhibits. The staff members of the Barnaul district natural history museum took measures to protection ancient monuments.