They’ve got secret cameras, books hollowed out to conceal weapons and microfilms and the weapons of choice of your friendly neighbourhood KGB agent. The collection of historical documents is fascinating if you can read Russian, there are small explanatory texts in English at the entrance to each of the three rooms. And just try to feel the atmosphere! Сreaky floors, the smell of paper dust, slightly faded wallpaper and walls with pieces of authentic plaster... This small museum is arguably the perfect place to have a rest on the long way from the Hermitage to St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Museum of the History of the Russian Political Police
Amenities
City card
Metro
AdmiralteiskayaOpen
Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Price/Additional Info
Admission 100Rbl.Associated Venues
/st-petersburg-en/museum-of-political-history-of-russia_9503v
The State Museum of the Political History of Russia is the successor to the Revolution Museum. It is housed in two historic buildings of the modern era: the mansions of the ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya, and baron Brandt. The exposition ‘Man and Power
Comments
Lance Grundy
A fascinating museum which records the history of Russia’s political police before, during and after the Russian Revolution. The museum begins with an exhibition dedicated to the work of the Tsarist secret police force, the Okhrana, which was formed to combat political terrorism and left-wing revolutionary activity. Subsequent exhibitions cover the period following the Russian Revolution and include displays about the work of the Cheka, the OGPU, NKVD and KGB. The final part of the museum looks at the work of Russia's post-Soviet security service the modern-day FSB. Located on the first floor of some sort of working police station, the Museum of the Political Police is not the easiest place to find and I only came across it by chance due to the A-board sign on the pavement outside. It was definitely a rewarding experience though and if you like this sort of thing then you should take the time and trouble to seek it out.
Elena (Research manager St. Petersburg IYP)
Dear Bernarnd, finally I managed to talk to a specialist from this Museum. She told me that they have no idea that such training was possible and that in the Soviet Union there was even enough bases for training. She also told me that these women might have been immigrants. Anyway they will be glad to help you if you provide them with more informatioon and exact names of people you want to know about.You can contact them via gorokhovaya2@rambler.ru
Bernard O'Connor
Might there be any information on the women NKVD agents who were trained by British Special Operations Executive in UK in WW2 to be parachuted into occupied Europe?I have researched RAF Tempsford, the top secret airfield, from where the agents were flown out from.