The article traces the history of the creation and functioning of the Astrakhan state art gallery from the moment of the idea of transferring the private art collection to the city and opening the first art Museum in the South of Russia to the present time. Analysis of the transformation of Museum exhibition dominants associated with the ideological, historical and cultural processes of time in the context of historical and artistic events that took place and are taking place in the country reveals the cause-and-effect relationships in the transformation processes of exposition, storage, exhibition and Museum-pedagogical activities of the time of the Museum location in the private house of the founder P. M. Dogadin before the functioning of the Art gallery as the head Museum, which includes the Engraving office (Department of foreign art), and branches "House-Museum of B. M. Kustodiev", "House-Museum of VelimirKhlebnikov", Museum and cultural center "House of merchant G. V. Tetyushinov". A special place in the article is given to the formation of the publication-bibliographic array accompanying the activities of the art Museum: exhibition catalogues, scientific publications of employees with the results of the survey work to clarify the provenance of each Museum exhibit, its participation in international, domestic and regional exhibition processes. The author addresses the issues of interaction between the state art Museum and the all-Russian public organization "Association of art historians", which accompanies the publication, research activities of the Museum's researchers, as well as supporting the initiative projects of young researchers-cultural scientists.
