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The State History Museum
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The founders of the State History Museum in the center of Moscow, Count Alexey S. Uvarov (1825-1884) and historian Ivan Ye. Zabelin (1820-1908), wanted it to serve the ideas of enlightenment and to promote national self-determination. Architects R.O. Sherwood and A.A. Semyonov expected the construction of the museum to return Russian architecture to its national traditions. It was not by chance that they decided to construct the depository of the sacred objects of Russian history opposite an ancient Russian holy place, the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed.
Every element of architecture and painting in this building constructed in 1875-1881 represents an artistic version of Russian history: its facades and interiors, wall and ceiling paintings by F.G. Toropov, V.M. Vasnetsov, G.I. Semiradsky and I.K. Aivazovsky, the designs on the mosaic floors, even the transoms, casings and wrought-iron grills. The outer hall leading to Red Square is decorated with a family tree of Russian emperors based on the frescoes in the Novo-Spassky cloister in Moscow. The walls of the museum are red brick, just like the Kremlin walls. The building is topped with turrets, also reminiscent of the Kremlin.
The museum opened in 1883. Russia’s history and culture since ancient times is represented by 4.5 million display items and 12 million pages of documents.
Bird’s Eye View of the Kremlin
Moscow Kremlin State Historical and Cultural Museum Sanctuary