After the Revolution of 1917 the new government needed to fortify its positions. For it the new power was to be presented as natural and understandable for common people as possible. It was necessary to show the long-standing history of class struggle in Russia (from people riots and the uprising headed by Pugachev to the Great October Socialistic Revolution) and abroad (from Great French Revolution to Communist International). The resolution was made to establish a special museum that could "comprehensively and thoroughly enlighten the course and development of revolutionary movements on a global scale". The creation of the museum was considered to be a weighty matter of state. Many outstanding politicians, scientists and even famous writers took part in it. Among them - G.Zinoviev, M.Gorky, A.Lunacharsky, S.Oldenburg, revolutionists V.Figner and M.Novorussky. On January 11, 1920 the first State Museum of Revolution was opened to the public.
Originally the collection of the museum was displayed on the first floor of the Winter Palace. That has quite a symbolic meaning - the former residence of Russian tsars housed the Museum of Revolution. In 1955 the museum was given two splendid mansions situated on Petrogradskaya Side.
One of the mansion once belonged to splendid prima ballerina of the Mariinskii Theater, Matilda Kshesinskaya. The building that considered to be a pearl of Northern Modern style was constructed in 1904-1906 by the architect A.Gogen.
The name of the great dancer was always cloaked with the romantic gossips. According to one of them there was a secret underground passage between the mansion of Kshesinskaya and the Winter Palace, situated on the other bank of the Neva. The Emperor was said to be deeply in love with the first dancer and often visited his beloved. In March 1917 Kshesinskaya left Russia for good and the Bolsheviks occupied the abandoned house. Right there the Central and Petrograd Committees of Russian Social Democratic Party of Workers (RSDRP), the Bolsheviks' military organization and the soldier club "Pravda" ("The Truth") were situated. The famous balcony of the building served as a tribune for Lenin's speech more than once.
The second mansion was built in the beginning of the 20th century for rich timber merchant V. Brandt. In the middle of the 20th century two buildings were connected in one.
In the course of the 20th century the conception of the museum as well as its name were changed several times. Up to 1991 it was the Museum of Great October Socialistic Revolution, then it lost its ideological significance and became the Museum of the Political History of Russia.
The exhibition embraces the period from the beginning of the 19th century up to the end of the 20th and enlightens the crucial points of Russian history, important social events, authorities, political parties and outstanding leaders. New expositions have been recently created and they already enjoy wide popularity. Some of them are "Democracy or Dictatorship? The political parties and Russian power from monarchy to Perestroika", "The souvenirs about future? Russia of 1917 and Russia of 1990", "The thoughts about Duma. The museum research of Russian parliamentarism in 20 century", "Business Russia: finance, bank business and free enterprise in 19-20 centuries". Especially popular is the exhibition devoted to the life of the great dancer Matilda Kshesinskaya. Recently new documents, connected with the dramatic relationship of Kshesinskaya and Great Duke Nikolay Alexandrovitch Romanov, have been exhibited.
The museum boasts one of the richest collections on Russian Modern history. It treasures unique historical documents and photos, rare books, works of art, filmstrips and other. One of the most precious exhibits is the investigation files on the murder of Grigory Rasputin.