Museum of Political History in Russia: opening hours, photos and reviews of tourists

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Each new government wants to leave an indelible mark on the history of the state. The October Revolution of 1917 changed a lot in the development of Russia. Two years after the political upheaval, a museum dedicated to this event was opened in Petrograd. Symbolically, the opening took place in the Winter Palace. The museum received the name of the October Revolution, now it is the Museum of Political History.

Museum address, opening hours

The museum is located on Kuibyshev Street, 2-4. It is quite easy to get to it, it is located near the Gorkovskaya metro station. You can drive from the Petrogradskaya station by minibuses No. 46, No. 76; from the "Finlyandsky Station" by minibuses No. 30, No. 183 or bus 49; from "Sportivnaya" by minibus No. 183.

If you arrived on a sightseeing tour in St. Petersburg, the Museum of Political History can be visited at a convenient time: daily from10 am to 6 pm, ticket office is open until 5 pm. On Wednesday, it is open until 20:00, ticket office hours are from 10:00 to 19:00.

History of the creation of the museum

The Museum of the Political History of Russia (formerly the Museum of the Revolution) has existed since October 9, 1919. It was originally placed in the Winter Palace on the second floor. Famous historical figures, cultural and scientific figures participated in the creation: A. V. Lunacharsky, Maxim Gorky, Academician Oldenburg, populists Novorussky, Figner, Morozov. The purpose of the creators of the museum was to convey to the people the development of world revolutionary movements. During the first ten years, collections were formed that told about the class struggle in Russia (beginning with the uprising of Yemelyan Pugachev and before the construction of socialism in the state), in the West (from the French bourgeois revolution to the Communist International).

The first visitors entered here on January 11, 1920. For many decades, the Museum of Political History of St. Petersburg has repeatedly changed its scientific concept, and, accordingly, its name. The Museum of the Great October Socialist Revolution was renamed in a timely and politically correct manner. It has been known as the State Museum of Political History since 1991.

Moving to Kuibyshev Street

In the middle of the twentieth century, namely in 1957, the museum was transferred to Kuibyshevskaya Street. For his needs, two mansions are allocated, previously owned by the brilliant prima ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya and the large timber merchant Brant.

MansionKshesinskaya was built according to the design of the famous architect Gauguin in 1904-1906. During the 1917 revolution, the ballerina's house was turned into a Bolshevik headquarters. The Central Committee of the Party, the Pravda Soldiers' Club and the Military Committee are located here. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Zinoviev, Trotsky and many other speakers spoke from the balcony of the mansion with their appeals to the people. At present, the Museum of Political History presents to the attention of visitors the working room of V. I. Lenin. The second mansion (of Baron Brant) is listed among the architectural monuments of the city. It was built in 1909, designed by the architect Meltzer.

In 1955-57, according to the idea of the architect Nadezhin, these two mansions were combined into one complex. Here is located the Museum of the Great October Socialist Revolution. On November 5, 1957, it was opened at a new location. In 1972, it began to exist under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, was listed as a branch of the Central Museum of the Revolution of the USSR.

New concepts

The administration and the scientific staff of the museum in the late 70s of the twentieth century began to develop a fundamentally new concept of the exhibition. Then a new project for the reconstruction of all expositions was born. It was planned to reconstruct the newest museum complex in three phases. In 1987 the first exposition was opened. In 1989, due to the political events that took place in Russia, subsequent openings were suspended. The ideas of the new expositions no longer corresponded to the realities of the time. Was takendecision to develop new concepts of exposition, educational, scientific activities of the museum.

Renaming the museum

In 1991, the Ministry of Culture in the USSR decided to rename the Museum of the Revolution into the Museum of Political History of Russia. He was given the status of a state. The parade of sovereignties in the 1990s also affected museum workers. To maintain their independence, to stay afloat, they had to be different. Workers began to organize interesting exhibitions, they covered curious events that were not customary to talk about before. Now the Museum of Political History of St. Petersburg is displaying the economic, political and social life of Russian society from the 19th to the 21st century.

Modern exhibitions

The end of the twentieth century was very vague in the political sense, now, when life flows measuredly, it has entered its usual course, the Museum of Political History of Russia constantly pleases visitors with curious exhibitions.

The exposition covers various historical events, from the Decembrist uprising to the beginning of the twentieth century, tells about the reign of Catherine II, about the reforms of Alexander II and Minister Witte, about the coronations of Russian emperors. The Museum of Political History also presents new modern collections that are being created "in hot pursuit". At one time, materials came from Afghanistan, Abkhazia, Chechnya.

The State Museum of Political History of Russia is unique, the only one in St. Petersburg,which reflects the turning points in the development of the Russian state, events in public life, the work of politicians, parties, and authorities. The museum collection has more than four hundred thousand various exhibits, the materials are constantly updated in accordance with current problems and events in society. Excursions in the Museum of History are of great benefit and interest for high school students.

Museum of the History of Political Police

The branch of the Museum of Political History is located on the corner of Admir alteisky Prospekt and Gorokhovaya Street, 2. It is open daily (except Saturday and Sunday) from 10 am to 6 pm. You can order excursions by phone: 312-27-42.

Here is an exposition dedicated to the history of Russia's political police. The museum building once belonged to the St. Petersburg City Administration. Since 1875, the so-called "Okhranka" (Department for the Protection of Public Security) was located here. Later on this place existed: the gendarme department, the metropolitan police. After the revolution of 1917, the famous Cheka (Extraordinary Commission for Combating Sabotage, Counter-Revolutionaries) was located at this address. Until 1932, the OGPU was also located here.

Museum exhibits

The exposition presents the recreated office of the chief of police (late 19th – early 20th century). Famous personalities worked in it: Sudeikin, Piramidov, Sekerinsky. In 1917, the baton was taken over by the famous "Iron Felix" - the chairman of the Cheka Dzerzhinsky. On theInterrogation in this office at different times was visited by such figures as Rysakov, Lenin, Yemelyanov, Verkhovskoy, Kokovtsev, Blok and many others.

The Museum of Political History (a branch of the history of the police) in its expositions presents a rich portrait gallery of the leaders of political investigation from 1826 to 1917, original documents, photographs and diaries of filers, reports from secret services, photos of witnesses and provocateurs, documents and leaflets from the times "Red Terror", letters from prisoners and much more. The collection is supplemented with materials from the archives of the KGB, FSB.

The political upheaval in Russia in the 90s made it possible to look at many things in a new way. For the first time, it was here that documents, photographs, personal belongings of ordinary employees and leaders of the KGB, Cheka, and FSB were made public. In total - more than two hundred exhibits. Here you can see video reports: the fight against the CIA at the end of the 20th century, the battle in the FSB office with Chechen fighters (Grozny).

Visitor reviews

The Museum of Political History (St. Petersburg) leaves no one indifferent. How many visitors, so many opinions about exhibitions, collections. Someone thinks that the museum is better for adults to visit, children do not belong here. Those who love and appreciate history are simply delighted with what they saw and heard here. Many people leave their reviews, doing this in order to express their opinion and attract the attention of those who have not yet been to this interesting place.

So, some people call this place a combination of incongruous. Howexplain this? The mansion of the refined prima ballerina was turned into a Bolshevik center, where the Museum of the Revolution was opened already in Soviet times.

It is also emphasized that this museum is clearly not for young children. There is a lot to read, think, meditate in this place.

Many in their reviews also describe the sophistication of the Art Nouveau building that once belonged to Kshesinskaya. The mansion was occupied by the Bolsheviks, here Lenin spoke from the balcony. What do visitors say? The exposition is devoted to different periods of Russia's development, much attention is paid to the Soviet era. There are many interesting things for children here. Special thematic excursions and lectures are held for them. Phillipka's school tells about how children were educated in tsarist Russia. Classes are held in a room where the interior of a rural school is reproduced. Craft workshops take place on weekends.

Tourists also say that it is worth coming to the museum to listen to proletarian jokes. Interest is caused by various sound buttons that reproduce political speeches. It will be interesting to everyone who studied history with interest in the Soviet school.

The last hall attracts special attention. This is about the death pen alty. On the wall are excerpts from the diaries of sentenced people, their letters to relatives. Pain, despair just chill the soul. Visitors are invited to put their "vote" for or against the death pen alty into a glass box.