What's So Fascinating About the Museum of Military Uniforms in Moscow?

We spent a weekend in Moscow and one of the places we visited was the Museum of Military Uniforms, located in the Historical Center of the capital. It's situated in an old mansion on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, which is a pretty cool setting.

The museum itself was opened relatively recently, in February 2019, and was founded by Vladimir Medinsky. I'd heard him mention this place a few times before, so we were curious to check it out.

Since it's a private museum, we were expecting some discounts, but it turned out that only SVO participants get a discount, and family members of participants have to pay the full ticket price of 600 rubles. I didn't ask about other discounts, but I'm sure they exist.

After entering, we started the exhibition on the first floor, where we were given a small piece of paper with a QR code. We tried to use the audio guide, but it kept redirecting us to a website that wasn't working. We approached the museum curator, who said she's not familiar with electronics and that it had been working recently. We ended up exploring the exhibits without the guide. Other visitors also had issues with the link.Right after the turnstile, we met a lady and a man standing next to her.

I was blown away by the amount of interactive exhibits at the museum. They've got special screens set up where you can press a button, and a soldier will start telling you about which regiment they belonged to, what they wore, and all that jazz. After the story, you get a little quiz to test how well you paid attention. It's all pretty cool, like this. Each of the 29 halls covers a different era, and we started with the Ahtyrsky Hussar Regiment from around 1812. I recognized the outfit because it's the same one Denis Davydov used to wear. The exhibits start from Peter the Great's time and go all the way up to the present day in chronological order. They even have some installations about battles. As we were walking through the halls, we kept running into groups of schoolkids who seemed to be prepping for a history olympiad. The first hall was all about Peter the Great, and for some reason, it really caught my attention. There's a mock newspaper on the ceiling, and along the walls, they've got soldiers and some awards on display. One of the most impressive things about this exhibit is the attention to detail in the battle dioramas. Each one is meticulously crafted, down to the smallest details, and they're all clearly labeled which was really cool.

At the bottom of the display case, you'll see a cavalry saber, which was a common weapon used by soldiers back in the day. It's from Sweden and dates back to the late 17th to early 18th century.

The next display case features a portrait of Peter the Great, adorned with diamonds. This was a special honor bestowed upon individuals who had rendered exceptional service to the country, not just Russians but also foreigners who had served Russia's interests.

Next up, we have the era of Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter the Great's daughter. Take a look at the uniform worn by the soldiers during that time. On the wall to the left, you'll see a map of battles, with arrows indicating the progress of the troops.

Moving on, you'll see an installation of a battle scene. Check out the archer and the two mannequins with spears. On the right-hand side, you'll see a black box that projects maps of battles onto the wall – there are three of them in total. The battles are accompanied by a voiceover.

This installation is called 'Battle on the Young' and dates back to 1572.

This exhibit takes you back to the era of Catherine the Great. It's not just about the Russo-Turkish War, the capture of Ochakov, Izmail, and the sea battle off Cape Kaliakra. You'll see awards and orders on display, each one a testament to someone's bravery and dedication. Since Catherine wasn't exactly a military person, but the army was loyal to her, they even made a military uniform for the empress. It's proudly displayed on a pedestal. This portrait of Suvorov is a bit of a mystery. No one really knows what he looked like in real life, as this painting was done a hundred years after his death. Next, you'll enter the era of Nicholas the First. The Russo-Turkish War is still a major theme here, and you'll notice a big change in military uniforms. Officers' epaulets now feature five-pointed stars, and helmets have replaced kiveras. You'll see all sorts of insignia, epaulets, helmets, and more.Notice the epaulets with gold embroidery at the top - those were a hallmark of

One thing I noticed about the epaulets is that the ones with Roman numerals usually indicated the unit number and were used in army and naval structures.

The next two epaulets (the round ones) signified the officer's rank. The following two insignia indicated the branch of service, rank, or affiliation with a specific unit.

The third row from the top, the embroidered elements with yellow and white stripes were badges for junior officers, while the ones with embroidered elements were for guardsmen.

The hats were a dead giveaway. From left to right, the red braid indicated artillery or signal corps, blue indicated air force or engineers, and white usually belonged to medical or administrative units.

After the era of Nicholas II, the Russo-Japanese War came into play. The uniforms of the soldiers and sailors underwent a significant change. It was Nicholas II who introduced the new headgear, known as the kiver, to the guard. At this point, the first aviation units were being formed in the army, and on December 24, 1913, the emperor approved the design of the first formal uniform for aviation personnel. The photo below shows examples of military uniforms. You can see the white parade uniform with gold buttons and a belt, followed by a gold helmet with an eagle. The eagle looks quite heavy, if you take a closer look. Above, there's a black cap with a red band, which is considered a parade uniform for officers. The second example is allegedly from a Cossack regiment - it's a uniform and a papakha. The next three images show officer uniforms with epaulets. The exhibition below illustrates the trench warfare typical of World War I. They were already using sandbag bunkers as defensive structures. Sandbags, like they are today, serve as additional protection against various types of shrapnel and bullets.

I spent some time browsing through the history of the Civil War era, and I was struck by how much the military uniforms changed over time. As you can see from this photo, the style was quite different back then.

And here's a shot of the family that used to own the estate - the Vasilevich family, who rented it from 1845 to 1855. They had some pretty famous guests back in the day, including the head of the family, A.V. Vasilevich, who was a high-ranking official and his wife, Alexandra Ivanovna, who was a lady-in-waiting to the Russian imperial court.Today, the estate is home to not just a museum, but also a literary cafe, a small gift shop, and even a venue for weddings. I saw a few couples taking photos on the staircase as we were walking by.

This Soviet border guard with his dog was a common sight back in the day. The design was quintessential to Soviet border patrols in the mid-20th century. The camouflage was super practical for patrolling and serving in the field, and the dog was a valuable asset - not just for sniffing out violators, but also for helping to apprehend them. Check out the mannequins below - the first two are a Soviet army officer, and that's the kind of uniform they wore in the 1950s and '60s. Next up, we've got a Soviet officer enjoying a drink with the troops, where everyone shares a cup. Then we've got a soldier in training, followed by the standard issue uniform for engineering units. And finally, we've got a Cossack uniform, likely from the Kuban region. This one's a bit of a rare sight, but you might remember it from the classic Soviet film 'Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures' - there's a scene in a restaurant where the main character, played by Nikulin, is dressed in this very uniform. This uniform was typically reserved for special occasions, parades, or official events.

I've got some cool pics to share with you - it's the Red Army uniform and gear from back in the day. The first mannequin is a worker-peasant Red Army soldier from around the 1930s to 1940s.

The mannequin with the horse is a dead giveaway for cavalry or staff units. And on the right, in the greatcoat, that's the winter or rear-echelon uniform.

Next, we walk into the next hall, and on the right, we've got the 'soldier of the future'. You can't miss him! This mannequin's got all the modern gear - an upgraded helmet with a face mask, a bulletproof vest, tactical straps, and attachments. And the exhibit's name tells us that this kind of gear isn't being used yet, but it might be in the future. Now, this is the kind of uniform I see every day living near the border. On the left, we've got a soldier in camouflage gear, which is supposed to be all-season. He's got a bulletproof vest with several pouches for carrying medical supplies, ammo, and other essentials. In this kind of uniform, the soldier is almost invisible in the field or in woodland areas. Next to him, on the right, we've got a similar uniform, but the vest is more reinforced, the helmet has protective glasses, tactical knee pads, and more robust boots.

Now, let's talk about the Romanov exhibit, which is currently running at the museum of military uniforms until May this year. The display case features everyday items from the royal family, including a round music box, several picture frames, and some sketches. The dress on display belonged to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. It was made in France in 1900 and comes from the collection of Alexei Zharkov. Another small display case features postcards of Tsarevich Alexei in a sailor's uniform, along with his sailor's shirt in the center. There are two of these shirts on display, and I'd say they've held up pretty well over time, although they've lost some of their color. A small room is dedicated to Emperor Alexander II, featuring examples of the uniforms from that era, hats, bags, and other items. There are also several original lithographs and photos on display. Meanwhile, a whole section is dedicated to Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, which is As I continued through the exhibit, I was struck by the sheer number of artifacts dedicated to the Romanov family. It's no surprise, really.

There's a bust of Alexandra Fyodorovna, Nicholas II's wife, on the wall, followed by a photo of the entire Romanov family. Unfortunately, the interactive board next to it wasn't working - just a blank screen. For the portrait of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, painted in 1877. The portraits are oil on canvas, and they're in great condition. The greatcoat, or Budenovka, is a long, straight cloak used in cold weather and practical for field conditions. Cavalry and engineer troops wore these coats. And that's where our museum visit comes to an end. Overall, I'd say the museum does a great job showcasing various types of uniforms and their purposes. There are also interactive boards with plenty of useful information. It's worth noting that the museum hosts temporary exhibits, so be sure to check their schedule if you're interested in visiting.

I was really looking forward to booking a guided tour, but unfortunately the audio guide kept cutting out.

Despite the technical issues, I'd still recommend visiting this museum if you get the chance.