State Historical Museum
The State Historical Museum of Russia is the country’s largest history museum, occupying a monumental red-brick building on the northern end of Red Square in Moscow. Its encyclopaedic collection of millions of objects spans prehistoric artefacts through the imperial Romanov era, offering the most comprehensive survey of Russian civilisation under one roof.
At a glance
- Type
- National history museum
- Period
- Founded 1872; building constructed 1875–1881; opened to the public 1883
- Style
- Russian Revival (Neo-Russian), designed by Vladimir Sherwood and A. A. Semyonov
- Location
- Red Square, between Manege Square and the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia
- Coordinates
- 55.7553° N, 37.6178° E
Overview
The State Historical Museum of Russia is a museum of Russian history located between Red Square and Manege Square in Moscow. The museum’s exhibitions range from relics of prehistoric tribes that lived in the territory of present-day Russia to priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. The total number of objects in the museum’s collection numbers in the millions, making it one of the largest museum holdings in the world.
History
The museum was established in 1872 following a proposal by Count Alexei Uvarov and Ivan Zabelin to create a permanent institution documenting Russia’s past. Tsar Alexander II approved the foundation, and a purpose-built edifice designed by Vladimir Sherwood in the Russian Revival style was erected on Red Square between 1875 and 1881. The museum opened its doors to the public in 1883 during the coronation of Alexander III. Soviet-era closures and reorganisations affected the collection, but the museum reopened comprehensively after major restoration works in 1997.
What you see
The exterior presents a striking Russian Revival façade of red brick with decorative kokoshnik gables, tent-roofed towers, and intricate ceramic tile ornament, designed to blend with the neighbouring St. Basil’s Cathedral and Kremlin walls. Inside, 39 permanent halls are arranged chronologically, displaying Stone Age tools, Viking-era treasure hoards, medieval armour, Romanov jewellery, and Napoleonic campaign relics. Each hall is itself decorated in a period-appropriate style, making the building’s interior a layered artwork in its own right.
Cultural significance
Positioned at the symbolic heart of Russia on Red Square, the State Historical Museum serves as the definitive repository of Russian national identity and collective memory. Its proximity to the Kremlin, Lenin’s Mausoleum, and St. Basil’s Cathedral places it within the most visited heritage cluster in the country, and its collections underpin scholarship on Eurasian prehistory, Orthodox culture, and imperial Russia.
Practical information
- Address
- Red Square 1, Moscow 109012, Russia
- Opening hours
- Check official website for current hours; generally open daily except Tuesdays
- Tickets
- Paid admission; combined tickets available with the Kremlin Museums complex
Getting there
The museum sits directly on Red Square, reachable on foot from Okhotny Ryad (line 1), Teatralnaya (lines 2 and 3), or Ploshchad Revolyutsii (line 3) metro stations. The Kremlin and GUM department store are immediate neighbours, making the area straightforward to navigate on foot.