The State Historical Museum is today considered the largest national museum institution in Moscow and all of Russia. It is located in the center of the capital on Red Square.
History of creation
The idea of opening such an institution has long existed among the Russian intelligentsia. The exposition was assembled in an extremely short time. Collectors of historical relics were inspired by the success of the exhibition in honor of the 200th anniversary of Peter I.
Veterans of the Crimean War made their contribution. In large numbers, they handed over memorabilia, which later entered the defense department of Sevastopol. A building was required to store all these exhibits and organize a future exhibition. Everything turned out as well as possible when a petition with a proposal to create a museum was presented to the emperor, who liked this idea.
The date of its foundation is considered February 21, 1872, when, at the behest of Emperor Alexander II, the construction of a new building began. The authors of the construction were the famous architect Vladimir Sherwood and engineer Alexander Semyonov. The Moscow City Duma decided to give up the building of the Main Pharmacy for demolition, and allocate the vacated plot for construction. Over the course of seven years, Sherwood changed the project four times. Semenov was engaged in the internal arrangement of rooms and the library. The building successfully embodied the style of Old Russian architecture combined with red brick. The building harmoniously blended into the overall ensemble of Red Square.
In 1883, the museum received its first visitors. For a long time, scientists have argued about the nature of the exposition. Some believed that it should consist exclusively of historical objects, while others wanted to exhibit works of art related to history. However, after the institution was transferred to the maintenance from the state treasury, the idea of autocracy became the central theme. The first thing that greeted visitors was the family tree, which consisted of 68 portraits of the emperor's family members. The exposition was planned to be located in 47 halls, but by the time of opening only 11 were ready, the rest were opened at a later time. Dozens of uniquely patterned windows and custom-made oak and pine doors appeared in the halls. Each room was decorated with mosaics, sculptures with heraldic symbols, and small architectural forms.
The historical museum went through hard times in 1917, when ignorant soldiers shouted that it was necessary to equip a factory in the building, and "all this manure should be thrown out." It was only thanks to the efforts of Lunacharsky and Lenin that the destruction of the exposition was avoided. At the very beginning of the war, it was decided to evacuate some of the valuables to the Kazakh city of Kostanay. The State Historical Museum, despite regular bombings and a crack in the building's foundations, was the only one in the capital that continued to operate even during the siege of the city. In 1957, an expedition opened on the second floor of the State Historical Museum, covering events before the October Revolution.
In Soviet times, the building was not repaired for a long time. For four decades, it fell into disrepair, the electrical wiring was disrupted, and cracks appeared that hit most of the partitions. In addition, the details of decoration and painting on the walls suffered. With the advent of the restructuring, a global renovation of the building began, which was completed only in 2002. In 1990, the building of the State Historical Museum on Red Square was included in the UNESCO List of Cultural Heritage Sites. To date, the work of 40 halls of the institution is supported by a staff of 800 people.
1st floor exposition
After crossing the threshold of the museum, visitors find themselves in the Main entrance, decorated with wall paintings and lions. As in previous times, guests are greeted by images of princes and emperors. The princes of Kiev are at the origins of the tree, the portrait of Alexander III completes the gallery, because during his time the museum opened its doors for the first time.
To the left of the Main entrance halls are located from the 1st to the 21st. The exposition follows the chronology, each hall is a separate epoch. At the very beginning, it tells about the history of primitive society; in the center of the hall there is a canoe made of an oak trunk and found near Voronezh. The main attraction of the Bronze Age hall is the Kolikho dolmen. In addition, a bronze idol, tools and ornaments are presented.
A separate room is dedicated to the art of the Russian state during the early Middle Ages. The museum tells about the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, the battle with the German knights and the Time of Troubles. The seal of Alexander Nevsky and his helmet are of particular value. Most of the exposition of the 16-17th centuries is devoted to Russian culture. There are many icons, framed in gold and silver, inlaid with precious stones. The place of honor is occupied by a globe brought by Peter Alekseevich from Western Europe.
Halls on the second floor
The building of the State Historical Museum has two floors. The upper part of the exhibition tells about the life of the state from the time of Peter I to Alexander III. In addition to the personal belongings of the royal family, documents and objects are presented that testify to the rapid development of the economy, politics and culture of Russia in the 18-19 centuries. A separate room is dedicated to the reign of Empress Catherine II. The design of the second floor is more restrained, but no less interesting for visitors.
In the vaults
The museum fund is replenished mainly by donations from private collections. Every year thousands of items come from expeditions. The State Historical Museum fund today comprises almost 5 million subject and 14 million documentary exhibits. Only 0.5% of them are on display for visitors. The main part is in special storage facilities, where the humidity is 55% and the temperature is 18 degrees. The collections of the museum are divided and transferred to the jurisdiction of the departments: archaeological, precious metals, Russian painting, numismatics, weapons, books, cartography and others.
Exhibitions
The Museum of History regularly holds exhibitions; for these purposes, the State Historical Museum's letter rooms are used. The modern exposition presents an exhibition of gold products from different times and nationalities. Hall "A" tells about the metal of the gods - gold items in church culture. In Hall B, nuggets are displayed and the process of using precious metals in the manufacture of awards is reflected. And, finally, Hall "B" - a collection of unique gold exhibits gathered around the world. The literary halls can be accessed directly from the Main Hall. In addition to the permanent exhibition, there are temporary exhibitions on the top floor.
The branch of the historical museum is the Lenin Museum, the funds of which are part of the State Historical Museum. The red brick building is considered a unique monument of Russian culture. Once the Moscow City Duma was located here. The exposition, completely devoted to the life and work of the leader of the world proletariat, was closed, the Lenin Museum was virtually liquidated, and in its place there was an exhibition telling about the events of 1812.
How to get to the State Historical Museum
The official address of the museum is Red Square, building 1. By public transport, the easiest way to get to the State Historical Museum is by metro, it is the most accessible and fastest mode of transport. It is most convenient to walk from the stations Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya or Ploshchad Revolyutsii, the journey time will take no more than 3 minutes - the museum is nearby. The entrance is located on the side of the Resurrection Gate and the "Zero Kilometer". If you are in the very heart of the Russian capital, have already visited the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, the Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Romanov Chambers, you should definitely take a tour of the State Historical Museum.
Schedule
The opening hours of the history museum are very convenient. In the summer (from June 1 to August 31), its doors are open to visitors seven days a week from 10 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. In 2019, only one summer day, according to the schedule, will become a day off for the museum - August 7. In winter, the State Historical Museum is open every day, except Tuesday, the opening hours are slightly shorter - from 10 to 18 hours, from 10 to 21 hours on Friday and Saturday. It is worth noting that the ticket office closes one hour before the end of the exhibition. The exposition can be viewed independently or as part of an excursion. The audio guide will cost 400 rubles.
Ticket prices
The ticket price for adult Russians will be 400 rubles. For foreigners, it has been increased to 500 rubles. Children from 16 to 18 years old and students purchase a ticket at a discounted price - 150 rubles. Admission is free for children under the age of 16. Pensioners also have benefits, for them the ticket price is 150 rubles.
There is a favorable offer for Russian families with two children, such a company can go for a total of 600 rubles. To capture the exhibits you like and leave in your memory the impressions of visiting the State Historical Museum in Moscow for a long time, you can use video filming and take photos for free.
