For nearly a century and a half, the red square of Moscow
is decorated with the magnificent building of the
Historical Museum, built in 1875–1883. specifically to
accommodate the national treasury of Russia. One of the
oldest Moscow museums owes its appearance to the
grandiose All-Russian Polytechnic Exhibition. The initiators
of the creation of the museum were the organizers of its
Sevastopol department, dedicated to the heroic defense
of Sevastopol during the Crimean War, as well as the
research of ancient Chersonesos. On February 9, 1872,
the “highest permission” of Emperor Alexander II was
received on the establishment of the Alexander
Alexandrovich Crown Prince Historical Museum in
Moscow. This date is considered the founding day of the
future State Historical Museum. The idea of creating a
museum of national history has brought together many
people - scientists, military, artists, industrialists,
government officials, members of the royal family and
ordinary citizens. The Moscow City Council gave a plot of
land on Red Square for the construction of the museum,
which was originally planned to house its own building. In
August 1875, Emperor Alexander II personally laid the
foundation stone of the future museum. On May 27,
1883, during the coronation days, the Historical Museum
was visited by Emperor Alexander III with Empress Maria
Feodorovna.
Thanks to the participation of philanthropists and donors,
the museum rapidly replenished its collection - Shchukin,
Bakhrushin, Zabelin, Catoire de Bioncourt, Uvarov,
Shcherbatov and many others donated their collections
for the sake of a common cause that had nothing to do
with personal fame or profit. Thanks to the efforts of the
founding fathers of the museum, its trustees, directors
and ordinary employees who, with their ascetic work,
preserved and augmented their priceless collections,
today the State Historical Museum is one of the largest
museums in the world. Here are kept the priceless
monuments of archeology, numismatics, ancient
bookishness, weapons, works of fine and decorative and
applied arts.