House-Museum of 1 Congress of the RSDLP

The building where the House-Museum of the 1st Congress of the RSDLP is now located belonged to the noblewoman Frantishka Rzhetskaya. In 1898, the house was rented by P.V. Rumyantsev, an employee of the Libau-Romny railway. Under the guise of celebrating the name day of P.V. Rumyantsev's wife, Olga Mikhailovna, a world event took place, namely, the First Congress of the RSDLP.

Until 1923 the first Congress did not remember at all. This is understandable as all nine of its members were the Social Democrats pro-Western orientation, and not later joined the Bolsheviks. In January 1923 there was a decision on the recognition of the historical value of the house. A March 14, the day of the 25th anniversary of the Congress was open and he House Museum of 1 Congress of the RSDLP. Boris Eidelman, one of the congress participants, was also present at the museum's grand opening. The entire complex occupied just one room—the one where the meeting took place. The rest of the building remained residential until 1941.

The building was destroyed during World War II. According to surviving documents, a similar house was rebuilt on the old foundation by the autumn of 1948, designed by architect Ivan Volodko, and the museum once again opened its doors to visitors. In 1953, due to the reconstruction of Leninsky Prospekt and Victory Square, the House Museum was moved closer to the banks of the Svisloch River, where it remains today. In 1954, the furnishings of P.V. Rumyantsev's apartment, where the congress was held, were recreated.

During Soviet times, not only were tours given here, but also Young Pioneer inductions were held here, Komsomol membership cards were awarded, political studies were held, and meetings with veterans were organized. The First Congress House of the RSDLP hosted virtually every prominent figure of the international communist and labor movement who visited Minsk.

In 1995, a new exhibition was created. In June 2007, the museum closed for major renovations. On April 29, 2008, the museum reopened with a newly created exhibition, «The History of the First Congress of the RSDLP». The exhibition covers the following topics: «Provincial Minsk in the Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries», «Faces of the Congress», «The Gendarme Investigation», and «The History of the House-Museum of the First Congress of the RSDLP». The museum is currently a branch of the National History Museum of the Republic of Belarus.