Museum of Political History of Russia, National museum in central Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Museum of Political History of Russia is a history museum in Saint Petersburg housed in two connected mansions near the city center. It holds documents, photographs, personal objects, and everyday items tracing political change in Russia from the 19th century to the present day.
The museum was founded in 1919, shortly after the Russian Revolution, in buildings that had belonged to private owners before the political upheaval. The timber merchant Vasily Brant and the ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya were among the last residents before the properties were taken over by the state.
The building once belonged to ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya, who had close ties to the imperial court. Her former rooms still reflect the tastes and habits of a wealthy woman living in the last years of the tsarist era.
The museum sits within walking distance of central Saint Petersburg and is easy to reach by public transport. Allow at least two hours for a visit, as the collection spreads across many rooms on several floors.
Lenin gave a speech from one of the building's balconies in 1917, shortly after returning from exile. That balcony is still visible today and marks a moment that set the course of the country's following decades.
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