Founded in 1912 in honor of the great Russian composer Glinka, the museum was named after him in 1954. In the summer of 1985, the museum moved to a specially constructed new building. This is the only musical museum of its size in the world. The museum's contents include paintings, sculptures, handwritten music sheets, and the personal belongings of well-known composers. There are five exhibition galleries solely dedicated to the varied musical instruments of many countries. The most interesting pieces are the 13-14th century Russian string instruments, a 17th-century Stradivarius violin and a rare crystal flute.