In 1968 the Polotsk Historical and Archaeological Reserve became a branch of the Local History Museum. In 1985 the Reserve was given the status of an independent museum association. In 1990 the Resolution "On the Polotsk Historical and Cultural Reserve" was adopted and the Regulation "On the Polotsk Historical and Cultural Reserve of Republican Importance" was approved. In 1997 it was given the name of the historical and cultural museum-reserve, since 2004 - the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve.
The museum fund of the Reserve is divided into collections: paintings, graphics, sculpture, folk art, numismatics, archaeology, ethnography, glass, porcelain, weapons, clothing, furniture, handwritten and old printed books, documents, printed publications, photo and phonographic materials and others. The largest collections are collections of numismatics, archeology, photographic materials and printed publications.
About 20% of the museum items of the main collection are exhibited. Every year there is an average replenishment of 2,000 items.