Apartment Museum of the Alliluevs, St. Petersburg

Apartment Museum of the Alliluevs, St. Petersburg

The Apartment Museum of the Alliluyevs, often referred to as Lenin’s secret flat, is the former home of Sergey Alliluyev, a worker who was actively involved in the revolutionary events of 1917. Vladimir Lenin and one of his associates, Grigory Zinoviev, used the apartment as a hideaway in July 1917. They stayed here for three days, until they could find a better place to hide. Another revolutionary – Joseph Stalin – took refuge in the apartment from August to October 1917.

Alliluyev's youngest daughter, Nadezhda, later became Stalin’s wife. Apart from Lenin and Stalin, the Alliluyevs' life intertwined with many other prominent revolutionary figures, such as Nadezhda Krupskaya, Maria Ulyanova, Victor Nogin, and Sergo Ordzhonikidze.

The museum was opened on March 1, 1938. Notwithstanding the importance of Lenin and Stalin, it is famous in large part for being the home of Stalin’s tragic wife. Nadezhda Alliluyeva shot herself on 9 November 1932.

Located in a former tenement building, the museum offers a good example of the household of a highly qualified St. Petersburg worker in the 1910s. The furnishings, rather simple and bare, are quite illustrative in this respect. There are many photographs of Lenin found throughout the dwelling. You will also be privy to Lenin’s voice via the gramophone that plays as you walk through. Some may find the display of the multiple Lenin statues atop the numerous stacks of books a bit eerie.

As of the early 1990s, the museum-apartment has been a part of the Saint Petersburg Historical Memorial Museum of Smolny. Its collection includes over 180 items. An average of 10,000 people visit the museum every year. Only group visits are allowed.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in St. Petersburg. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Apartment Museum of the Alliluevs on Map

Sight Name: Apartment Museum of the Alliluevs
Sight Location: St. Petersburg, Russia (See walking tours in St. Petersburg)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery

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