Peter the Great Central Naval Museum is one of the first museums in Russia and one of the largest naval museums in the world. Its history can be traced back to the Saint Petersburg Model Chamber — the archive of ship models and plans first mentioned by Peter the Great in a letter dated January 13 (24), 1709. In 1805, the Naval Museum was established based on the collections of the Model Chamber. By the end of the 19th century, the Naval Museum had developed into a major Russian cultural and scientific center and become known around the world.
The Model Chamber was located in the main Admiralty Building where ships of the Baltic Fleet were built. In August 1939, the Central Naval Museum received one of the most magnificent buildings of Leningrad — the former Stock Exchange. After the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, the most valuable exhibits were evacuated to Ulyanovsk until July 1946 when the museum reopened its doors to visitors. In April 2013, the collection of the Central Naval Museum was moved to the renovated complex of Kryukov (Naval) Barracks.
The museum was named after its founder Peter the Great in 1908, ahead of the celebration of its 200th anniversary. After changing the name several times, in 1924, the museum became known as the Central Naval Museum, and its exhibition was modified to match the new ideology. The original name “Peter the Great Central Naval Museum” was reinstated in 2019 by a government directive.
Over three centuries of its existence, the museum has accumulated a large number of valuable items that reflect the most important events in the history of the Russian Navy. It houses over 700,000 exhibits. The museum has one of the world’s largest collections of ship models — there are around 2,000 of them. This collection is the perfect illustration of the history of Russian and international warship building.
After the Great Patriotic War, a network of branches of the Central Naval Museum started developing. In 1956, a branch was opened on the “Aurora” cruiser — the first museum ship in the Soviet Union. In 1972, the “Road of Life” branch was established in the Osinovets settlement on the shore of Lake Ladoga. In 1980, the Kronstadt Fortress Museum started working at the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral. The “Narodovolets” submarine became a branch of the Central Naval Museum and Russia’s first submarine completely transformed into a museum in 1994. In 2012, the Baltic Fleet Museum (Baltiysk) and the “Mikhail Kutuzov” ship of military glory (Novorossiysk) were included in the list of branches. In 2020, the Black Sea Fleet Museum (Sevastopol) also became part of the Central Naval Museum.
For its efforts in the popularization of the history of the Russian Navy, the Central Naval Museum was awarded the Order of the Red Star.
The Model Chamber was located in the main Admiralty Building where ships of the Baltic Fleet were built. In August 1939, the Central Naval Museum received one of the most magnificent buildings of Leningrad — the former Stock Exchange. After the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, the most valuable exhibits were evacuated to Ulyanovsk until July 1946 when the museum reopened its doors to visitors. In April 2013, the collection of the Central Naval Museum was moved to the renovated complex of Kryukov (Naval) Barracks.
The museum was named after its founder Peter the Great in 1908, ahead of the celebration of its 200th anniversary. After changing the name several times, in 1924, the museum became known as the Central Naval Museum, and its exhibition was modified to match the new ideology. The original name “Peter the Great Central Naval Museum” was reinstated in 2019 by a government directive.
Over three centuries of its existence, the museum has accumulated a large number of valuable items that reflect the most important events in the history of the Russian Navy. It houses over 700,000 exhibits. The museum has one of the world’s largest collections of ship models — there are around 2,000 of them. This collection is the perfect illustration of the history of Russian and international warship building.
After the Great Patriotic War, a network of branches of the Central Naval Museum started developing. In 1956, a branch was opened on the “Aurora” cruiser — the first museum ship in the Soviet Union. In 1972, the “Road of Life” branch was established in the Osinovets settlement on the shore of Lake Ladoga. In 1980, the Kronstadt Fortress Museum started working at the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral. The “Narodovolets” submarine became a branch of the Central Naval Museum and Russia’s first submarine completely transformed into a museum in 1994. In 2012, the Baltic Fleet Museum (Baltiysk) and the “Mikhail Kutuzov” ship of military glory (Novorossiysk) were included in the list of branches. In 2020, the Black Sea Fleet Museum (Sevastopol) also became part of the Central Naval Museum.
For its efforts in the popularization of the history of the Russian Navy, the Central Naval Museum was awarded the Order of the Red Star.
