State Historical Museum - Definition and Overview

State Historical Museum, as seen from Red Square

The State Historical Museum of Russia is a museum of Russian history located at one end of Red Square in Moscow. Its exhibitions range from relics of the prehistoric tribes inhabiting present-day Russia, through priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. The total number of objects in the museum's collection numbers in the millions.

The spot where the museum now stands was formerly occupied by the Principal Medicine Store, built on the order of Peter the Great in the Moscow baroque style. Several rooms in that building housed royal collections of antiquities. Other rooms were occupied by the first Russian university, founded by Mikhail Lomonosov in 1755.

The present structure was designed by Vladimir Osipovich Shervud (1833-97) (in English, Vladimir Sherwood), built between 1875 and 1881, and officially opened in 1894 by Tsar Alexander III. It went through a major restoration between 1986 and 1997.

Notable items include a longboat excavated from the banks of the Volga River, gold artifacts of the Scythians, birch-bark scrolls of Novgorod, manuscripts going back to the 6th century, Russian folk ceramics, and wooden objects. The museum's coin collection alone includes 1.7 million coins, making it the largest in Russia.

External link

• English version of SHM homepage (http://www.shm.ru/English/index.htm)