The museum is headed by the granddaughter of the legendary general Ivan Panfilov, the hero of the Battle of  Moscow. A significant part of the collection is made up of exhibits dedicated to the history of the "Panfilov" division, which was formed in July 1941 in Almaty.

Three halls on the second-floor house show the history of Kazakhstan at the beginning of the 20th century and its participation in the Eastern Front (World War Two)

A small section is devoted to Afghan soldiers and Chornobyl victims. Expositions related to World War II show the main events of those days: the Battle of Moscow, the Siege of Leningrad, the Kursk Bulge and the Battle of Stalingrad.

Among the exhibits of the museum are military weapons and equipment used by the Soviet troops since the beginning of the 20th century. The collection is divided into the four forces: armed artillery, air and special. You can see tanks, armoured tractors, cannons, anti-aircraft installations, reconnaissance patrol vehicles, aircraft, and military boats.