The Moscow Kremlin Museums in the second half of the 20th century

Staff of the Armoury Chamber by the Tsar Bell
Photograph, 1954-1956
Acceptance of showcases
Unsealing of the tomb of Ivan the Terrible in the Archangel`s Cathedral
M. Gerasimov, N. Voronin, N. Vladimirskaya, N. Zakharov and others.
April, 1963.
General director Elena Gagarina, Science director Alexei Levykin and scientific secretary Irina Vorotnikova representing the pavilion of the Kremlin museums at the Festival Intermuseum-2005
Moscow Kremlin is on the UNESCO World Heritage list
Moscow Kremlin Museums are on the list of the world's most visited museums
According to the charts of the Art Newspaper Russia

In June 1941 employees of the museum, with the active help of the Commandant of the Kremlin General N.K. Spiridonov, hastily packed and evacuated treasures of the Kremlin museum to Sverdlovsk. The museum items were brought back from evacuation on February, 20, 1945, and in April the exposition of the Armoury Chamber was open first time after the War.

In summer 1955, the Moscow Kremlin accepted first tourists. Process of revival of the museum began. In the mid 50-s new expositions in the Armoury Chamber and cathedrals of the Kremlin were created, techniques of guiding were developed. The museum staff considerably increased.

On the Order of the Government of February, 5, 1960, the Armoury Chamber and cathedrals of the Kremlin were transferred to conducting the Ministry of Culture of the USSR and received the new name — the State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin.

The 1970-80s were marked by the rapid development of a museum in all the directions of activity. The end of 1970 and first half of the 1980-s were marked by carrying out the largest in the museum history research and restoration works both in cathedrals of the Kremlin and in the Armoury Chamber. In 1986, the new display of the Armoury Chamber was open, and in May, 1987 Museum of an applied art and life of the XVIIth century appeared in the Patriarch's Palace.

In October, 1991 the museum received the status of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Preserve. «The charter of Federal Official Body» the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Preserve «The Moscow Kremlin» on July, 19, 2001 was affirmed.

For the realization of general management of the museum the post of the General director has been established. In April 2001, Elena Gagarina was appointed the General Director. The management of research, exhibition and methodical activity is assigned to the Science Director of the museum — Andrei Batalov (since 2010).

In October 1991, the unique character of the Kremlin museum complex found official acknowledgement and was given the status of the «The Moscow Kremlin» State Historical and Cultural Museum and Heritage Site. It was included to the UNESCO list of particularly valuable objects of the nation's heritage.

The 200th Anniversary of the Moscow Kremlin Museums was celebrated with a large programm of various jubilee events.