The displays on the second floor concern historical events between 1917 and the mid-1960s.

The collection in the first room, to the right of the staircase, is called 'The Establishment of Soviet Power in North Sakhalin', and describes the short, but important period, from 1917 to 1925, during which events fluctuated between peace and armed conflict. The previous history of Sakhalin had been significantly different from that of central and other Far Eastern parts of Russia, and it followed that the establishment of Soviet power took a different course.

The display has original photos of North Sakhalin, a chronicle of con-temporary events, and arms and documents of the period. Items concerning participants in these events - like A.T. Tsapko, A.M.Krivoruchko, and Y.F. Fabritsius - are also shown.

One display describes the events of the summer of 1918, when foreign forces, including American and Japanese, landed in the Far East, while internal counter-revolution continued. When Soviet power was overthrown in the area, the regime of the White Russian leader, Admiral Kolchak, was set up in Siberia and the Far East, including Sakhalin,

Materials on display refer to the events of January 14, 1920, in Alexandrovsk. An underground group under the leadership of Tsapko arrested Kolchak's people and garrison officers. But the rehabilitation of Soviet power was short-lived. On April 21 Japanese troops landed near Alexandrovsk, and five years of Japanese occupation followed. The display describes life during these years.

A separate section is devoted to the Far Eastern Republic which included North Sakhalin, and became a buffer zone between Japan and Russia.

The display concludes with exhibits on the difficult negotiations with the Japanese over North Sakhalin, which ended in January, 1925. There is a portrait of the young diplomat V.Y.Aboltin, head of the USSR Commission taking command of Sakhalin. In the spring of 1925 the occupation troops were withdrawn, and a photo shows the meeting in Alexandrovsk on the occasion. A water-colour by the local artist, A.Maschenko, shows the moment of the hoisting of the Soviet flag.

The next part of the display shows life on Sakhalin from 1925 until the outbreak of World War II, and the continuing work on furthering the exploration of North Sakhalin's resources. It begins with photos of Alexandrovsk in 1925.

Next we see the search for Sakhalin's natural resources. The collection has photos of scientists and geologists, participants in the first geological expedition. A prominent Soviet geologist, P.I.Polevoy, began a consider-able program of exploration which ran from 1925-1928.

The materials on party conferences show the activity of the Communist Party of North Sakhalin. The first Sakhalin Okrug Party conference took place in October 1928. It considered the first five-year plan for economic and cultural development that was later approved by the first Okrug Congress of the Soviets.

Part of the display shows the activity of the Young Communist League (Komsomol) organization. Komsomol members came to Sakhalin at the behest of the Central Committee of the League. Photos of the first Komsomol members, personal items, and a model of a house in the Agnevsky timber enterprise show how young people lived and worked. Komsomol members had to work in all branches of industry during the years of the first five-year plan, and the Agnevsky timber enterprise was typical. The greater part of the timber and other products were exported.

A model of the first oil derrick of the venture, "Sakhalinmorneftegas", is on display. The operation was established in August, 1928. V.A.Miller was its first director. Sakhalin oil was of crucial importance for the economy of the Ear East and Eastern Siberia.

Original miner's sledges for coal transportation and a pick, give an idea of Sakhalin miners' work.

In the collection there are also materials on some short-lived Japanese oil and coal production enterprises.

In 1929 the collectivization of agriculture spread on North Sakhalin. The collection has materials on the improvement of productivity movement, begun on Sakhalin by K.S.Borodina.

One of the stands shows the development of transport and communication in North Sakhalin. In the 1930s the railway line from Okha to Moskalvo was constructed, and at the same time Sakhalin was developing a civil aviation service. On January 9, 1930, M.V.Vodopyanov made the first flight from Khabarovsk to Okha.

The display has materials on the changes in the cultural life of Sakhalin people. An original playbill shows early theatre in Sakhalin. At that time clubs and cinemas were being built, and there were both amateur and professional entertainment groups, and politically-orientated shows.

A small set of photos shows the indigenous people of Sakhalin during the post-war period.