History of the Museums

The history of the formation, development and activities of the museum institution in the Moscow Kremlin spans almost three centuries, during which there have been periods of high growth, rapid development of museum and scientific work, periods of literally heroic struggle for the preservation of national relics, as well as failures, oblivion and revival.

The history of the museum in the Kremlin, in the very heart of the country, has always been inseparable from the history of the Russian state. A treasury museum, a museum preserving state relics and huge material values, has always attracted the close attention of the authorities. This fact sometimes favourably, sometimes tragically, but always actively influenced the life of the museum.