KREMLIN ARMOURY MUSEUM
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
The Kremlin Armoury began operations in the 16th century as a collection of royal workshops where gunsmiths and icon artists produced master works for the tsars and their families. The home of Nikita Davydov and the Vyatkin Brothers, famous Russian gunsmiths of the 17th century, the armoury underwent a transformation during the reign of Peter the Great, and in 1806 Tsar Alexander I signed the decree that formally established the museum that exists to this day. Visitors experience the grandeur of the Russian royals in their personal belongings, displayed along with ancient treasures of the aristocracy.
The current armoury building was constructed in 1851 and is a component of the Moscow Kremlin Museums. One of the most famous attractions is the massive Tsar Cannon; completed in 1586, the 890mm gun weighs approximately 40 tons and is the largest weapon of its kind in the world. A total of 800 artillery pieces make up the armoury collection, ranging from trophies taken in battle to heavy guns that defended the country from the 16th to the 19th century. The guns are displayed along the southern and eastern facades of the arsenal building and along nearby Ivanovskaya Square.
The Kremlin Armoury Museum is open daily except Thursday from 10am to 5pm during the winter months and 10am to 6pm during the summer months.