Part of the Pushkinskaya 10 Arts Center, which has become the (un)official home of St. Petersburg's alternative arts scene, this ramshackle gallery is a must-see for anyone with an interest in the development of modern art in Russia. Housed in several rooms of this sprawling association of galleries, concert venues, and studios, the museum represents the most interesting aspects of independent art from the Soviet Union.

The Museum was established in 1988 on Sergey Koval'skiy and Yevgeniy Orlov's initiative on the territory of The "Pushkinskaya-10" Art Centre. The founder of the Museum is The "Free Culture" Society. Directors: Marina Koldobskaya (exhibitions of the newest trends; until 2001), Yevgeniy Orlov (since 1998; exhibitions by the artists of the "Gazanevskaya Culture" and by contemporary Russian and foreign artists); the main curator – Andrey Khlobystin.

The Museum owns a collection of works of nonconformist fine arts of the second half of the 20th century. The Museum founded The St Petersburg Archive and Library of Independent Art. The Vadim Voinov "Bridge over the Styx" Gallery, the exposition of which has been built up in collaboration with The Department of the Newest Trends of The State Russian Museum, works as a sub-division of The Museum of Nonconformist Art. In the Museum's fund The "PHOTOimage" Gallery's collection of photographs is kept. More than twenty exhibition projects take place in the Museum every year. Since March, 2002 the constant exposition "The Artists-Nonconformists of the Second Half of the 20th Century" is situated in a separate wing the project of which was designed by the artist A. Menus with the financial support from the Culture Committee of the Administration of St Petersburg.
"The Museum's activity aims at two main goals. Firstly, the Museum collects, keeps and exhibits the unofficial art of the '50s – '80s, first of all the Leningrad artistic underground. Secondly, the Museum works with contemporary art, initiates and supports actual projects. Working in these directions, the Museum forms its collection, keeps in touch with curators and collectors in St Petersburg and Russia, develops international contacts, takes part in major city cultural actions." (Ye. Orlov.)