Central Naval Museum, St. Petersburg

The Central Naval Museum in St Petersburg is one of the oldest and most extensive nautical museums in the world. In 2013, it was moved from the Old Stock Exchange Building to its new location in the renovated Kryukovsky Barracks complex.

Founded by Peter the Great in 1709, over the centuries the museum has accumulated over 800,000 items reflecting the most important events in the history of the Russian and foreign navy, starting from the 17th century to the present day. The main exposition consists of 19 halls and includes, among others, more than 13,000 pieces of naval equipment, 11,000 pieces of weaponry and firearms, 56,000 uniforms, awards and decorations, flags and banners, and 44,000 documents and manuscripts, together with around 300,000 photographs and negatives, and sheets of drawings. The museum also boasts one of the world's richest collections of model ships (nearly 2,000), illustrating the development of the Russian and international military shipbuilding.

Among highlights here are such relics as the Botik (small boat) of Peter the Great, Catherine II’s marine throne, trophies captured in sea battles, and the personal belongings of prominent Russian and Soviet naval commanders.

The artistic section includes 62,000 works of art: paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky, Alexey Bogolyubov, Lev Lagorio and other marine artists, as well as ship sculpture, posters and engravings.

Why You Should Visit:
For those who have a strong interest in the military, this museum is a perfect place to visit – an impressive and impartial presentation of hundreds of years of military history. Some of the displays are second to none in terms of quality and detail.

Tip:
As with other Russian museums, English texts/descriptions here are kept to the bare minimum. Note also that for a guided English tour a minimum of five people is required.