Saint Petersburg Mint, Federal mint in Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Saint Petersburg Mint is a factory inside the fortress walls that has made state orders, commemorative medals, and coins for Russia for over 300 years. The site includes classically designed buildings from the early 1800s plus workshops added later, where production still takes place today.
Peter the Great founded the operation in 1724 to mint coins and medals for the growing Russian state. The main building was rebuilt in the early 1800s and the facility briefly stopped during World War II before restarting production afterward.
The building shows classical style from around 1800 and remains a working place where traditional methods for making medals and awards are still practiced by hand. Visitors can observe craftspeople engaged in production that has changed little over generations.
You can visit the site year-round as part of the fortress museum complex, though you should book tickets ahead of time. Best to arrive during regular hours to see the working workshops and exhibits displaying the production process.
During the war, all the equipment had to be moved to another city where it continued working on makeshift machines. After fighting ended, everything returned to its original location and production resumed as before.
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