Kremlin

President of Russia

| A WORD TO VISITORS |
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| PHOTO ALBUM |
| DISCOVERING THE KREMLIN |
| SUBSCRIPTION |
| RUSSIAN |

National Priorities:
| Russia in the CIS
| Russia in the World
| Education and Science

THE ARMORY |

| Moscow Kremlin

Administrative buildings | The Kremlin Towers | The Kremlin Cathedrals | Squares and Gardens

The Senate

Building 14 (The Presidium)

The Arsenal

The Poteshny Palace

The State Kremlin Palace

The Grand Kremlin Palace

The Terem Palace

The Armory

The Faceted Palace

The State History Museum

The Armory

The first written mention of the Armory in the Moscow Kremlin was made five centuries ago. But as far back as 1339, Ivan Kalita in his last will and testament spoke of the great treasures that served as the foundation for this treasure store of the grand dukes of Moscow. In the late 15th century, Moscow became the center of decorative and applied art, as Russian craftsmen created numerous valuable works of art. Successful foreign policy and successive military victories also enriched the Kremlin treasury.

Many foreign diplomats brought sumptuous gifts to Moscow, and during the reign of Ivan III the treasury swelled to such an extent that in 1485 a new two-story stone building with deep cellars was constructed to house the treasures.

This building was ransacked by Polish invaders during The Time of Troubles, but was quickly replenished during rapid economic growth under the first Romanov tsars. During the reign of Peter the Great, military trophies were added in abundance. A considerable portion of the treasures came from the leading Kremlin workshop, the Armory, after which the present museum is named. The Armory is located in a building constructed by architect Konstantin A. Ton in 1844.

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