The Kremlin Armory

CURRENT INFORMATION
The Kremlin Armory (Russian: Оружейная палата) is an old museum located on Dvortsovaya St. Kremlin, in Moscow.  The museum stores Russian and European applied arts that date back to the 5th century. It currently houses the Russian Diamond Fund(The diamond fund is a unique collection of historical artifacts, and precious stones. It was created by Emperor Peter the Great, who wanted to create a national diamond depository). You will find the Imperial Crown of Russia, the Ivory Throne of Ivan the Terrible, the Orloff Diamond, the Helmet of Yaroslav II, Bouquet of Lilies Clock, and Monomakh’s Cap.

The Kremlin Armory is a treasure house that keeps treasures including ancient state regalia, gold-and-silver ware, coronation costumes, medieval Russian embroidery, horse equipment, carriages, jewelry and many others. Visitors can also view the wedding robes of Catherine the Great and the legendary Faberge eggs.

The armory covers two floors. The ground floor exhibits artifacts that are directly linked to Russian rulers. The court dresses, coronation garments, carriages and ceremonial items can be found here. The next floor exhibits items including the gold and silver wares, jewelry, decorative items, and weapons.

Visitors pay 700 Rubles to enter the Kremlin complex and an extra 500 Rubles to enter the Armory chamber. Visitors under the age of 16 are allowed free admission. The facility is open everyday from 10 am to 6 pm except on Thursdays. There is a guided tour service.

Tickets can be printed from the website.
Visitors with already printed tickets can exchange these for real tickets in a much shorter queue. It is often difficult for people who don’t bank in Russia to purchase these tickets online because often their credit card will be rejected.  In person people don’t seem to have this problem.

Tour sessions are scheduled for 10 am, 12 pm, 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm. Tickets are sold are at the Museum office at Aleksandrovsky Sad (Alexander Garden) 45 minutes before the start of each tour session. The lines can be fairly long in the middle of the day. Arriving early for the tickets is highly recommended.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The armory was created in 1508. It was in charge of manufacturing, buying and storing arms and weapons, pieces of jewelry and important artifacts for the tsars. In the 1600s, a studio was opened to teach painting and handicrafts. In 1700, treasures from the Tsars’ golden and silver chambers were brought to the Armory.

In 1761, the armory was merged with the Stables Treasury, the Fiscal Yard and the Master Chamber. The armory was named Arms and Master Chamber then. The current building was designed by architect Konstantin Ton, it was built between 1844-1851.

Treasures from Patriarch Sacristy, monasteries, and Kremlin cathedral were added to the collections. The Armory was named the official Kremlin Museum in 1960.

MISCELLANEOUS IMPORTANT FACTS
Animals are not allowed into the facility. Also, big bags, bicycles, hover-boards, skis, sleds, snowboards and scooters are not allowed. There are accommodations for people with disabilities.

Visitors can also pick up a headset from the multi-room gift shop. The headset guides visitors on a self-guided tour. You will need to provide a valid photo ID to gain access to the headset. The audio guides are available in all major languages.

Visitors are not allowed to take photos inside the armory. 

There is a limit to how many tickets they will sell each day during the tourist season.