Revolution Museum (State Museum of Contemporary Russian History)

21 Tverskaya St

About

This museum officially changed its name in the 1990s but is still commonly referred to as the Revolution Museum. The thrust of the exhibits is the same, though the moral weight has been lifted and now much of it appears more kitschy than political. Beyond the excess of red (banners, carpets, lighting), the museum is a piece of Russian history saved from the hands of those who would have erased the Soviet era from memory the way the Soviets tried to erase czarist-era memories. Newer exhibits include labor camp grave posts and glasnost-era efforts at a more honest look at history. The museum is housed in an elegant building on Tverskaya Street that once hosted Masonic meetings. Allow an hour or so.

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