Abstract. The article deals with the origin and artistic features of the tiled decor of the House of Peter the Great facade in Nizhny Novgorod. This is within the framework of the history of the first Nizhny Novgorod Historical Museum and its collection. The creation of museums was actively unfolding in the late 19th century in the governorates. The collections of provincial museums received unique items that were studied and preserved thanks to enthusiasts. Today these invaluable materials are the basis for local and Russian research. Among them are the tiles of Sergiy Church in Nizhny Novgorod that were made in Balakhna in the late 17th and early 18th century.