The Central Museum of Musical Culture

The Central Museum of Music's permanent exhibition is an impressive journey through musical instruments of the past and from all corners of the world in all their weird and wonderful diversity. Take a trip through Russian musical history from giant balalaikas to the famous and eerie theremin, passing on the way hefty early record players and novelty music boxes. The global collection includes crazy-looking instruments from Cuba to Korea - who knew you could make guitars from armadillos? We recommend going for a guided tour as they're equipped with recordings from many of the strange inhabitants of the exhibition, which makes the experience a lot richer. As well as the permanent exhibition there's always another temporary one on a subject of Russian or international music, and a whole host of events throughout the year which you can find out about on their website.