How to get into the diamond fund. What jewels of Russian monarchs are kept in the diamond fund of the Moscow Kremlin Golden treasuries of the Kremlin

Moscow is rich in sights and historical monuments. Among all the variety of interesting objects, it is worth highlighting the Diamond Fund, within the walls of which a collection of works of jewelry is kept. The museum is incredibly popular among the guests of the capital, so it is not so easy to get into it.

Where is the museum and how can I get tickets?

Currently, the Diamond Fund is located on the territory of the Kremlin. There are always a lot of people who want to visit the museum, and on weekends or on holidays the number of people only increases. Tickets to the Diamond Fund can be purchased at the box office or at the box office near the Kutafya Tower.

You can also book tickets on the official website of the museum. This service is especially relevant in the summer and holidays, when the flow of visitors and guests of the city increases. One person can reserve up to four tickets. Then they can be redeemed at the box office of the Alexander Garden. This must be done an hour before the start of the excursion, otherwise the reservation will be canceled.

Schedule

The sale of tickets to the Diamond Fund for the first half of the day at the box office starts at nine in the morning, and for the second half - at 13.00. If you want to get to the museum, then by the specified time you need to be there. Otherwise, you may be left without tickets.

Working hours of the Diamond Fund: from 10.00 to 18.00, lunch from 13.00 to 14.00. The museum is open to visitors every day except Thursday. Entrance to the Kremlin through the Borovitsky Gate.

The history of the collection

The Diamond Fund contains unique jewelry pieces, rare specimens of precious stones, nuggets of precious metals. This is one of the few collections in the world that contains royal symbols of power. The history of the creation of the museum goes back to the era of Peter I. By his decree, a separate room was allocated for the storage of valuable state things, which later became known as the Diamond Room. It kept state regalia, ceremonial jewelry and insignia. The emperor's family members wore them for special occasions. Over the years of the Romanovs' reign, the treasury was constantly replenished with new jewels. During this time, a lot of jewelry was made, richly decorated with precious stones.

The Russian court was notable for its splendor and splendor. This was especially characteristic during the reign of Catherine II and Elizabeth Petrovna. The Russian court was one of the most brilliant in Europe. The best jewelers worked in the palace. Among them it is worth noting I. Pozier, G. Ekpart, son and father Dual. Now at the exhibition you can admire their works of the highest jewelry craftsmanship.

Creation of a chamber collegium

The formation of the chamber collegium, which was supposed to deal with the accounting and storage of valuables, began in the first half of the eighteenth century after the decree of Peter the Great on the creation of the State repository of crown values. Officially, the department was created in 1719. The Regulations of the Chamber Collegium fully listed the relics available at that time. The order of their storage was also established.

The ideas of Peter the Great about the symbols of state power were later extended to other values. By the way, the charter and staff of the cameral college changed with each board. This is how the foundations of the Diamond Fund of Russia were laid.

The crown jewels were kept in a special room of the Imperial Majesty. The room was even called Diamond or Diamond. During the reign of Catherine II, the grand bedroom of the empress was altered to equip the storehouse. The room was spoken of as the richest cabinet of jewels. The interiors of the premises were created by the architect Feltin.

The further fate of the collection

After the outbreak of the First World War, crown values, imperial regalia, the genealogy book of the Imperial House and other valuable documents were transported to the Moscow Kremlin. Here they were placed in the Crown Hall of the Armory.

Museum exposition

Currently, the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin includes a unique collection of diamonds, diamonds and jewelry. Throughout its existence, the collection has been replenished with order badges, rare gems and other valuable items. The experimental jewelry laboratory made a huge contribution to the development of the Diamond Fund museum. It was her workers who carried out restoration work to restore destroyed values. They also worked on the Small and Large Imperial Crown. More than a hundred jewelry and items were included in the exposition of the Moscow Kremlin's Diamond Fund.

Currently, all exhibits are housed in two halls. The first contains diamonds, diamonds, jewelry and nuggets. So in one of the showcases there are semi-precious and precious stones from all over the territory of the former Soviet Union. Also here you can see a map of Russia made of diamonds. Further in the showcases there are real giant diamonds and examples of their cutting are presented. There are also objects of contemporary art in the hall. In the center are nuggets of platinum and gold, which have their own names - "Mephistopheles", "Camel", "Big Triangle".

Historical values are presented in the second hall.

Among them there are items of jewelry masters of the 18-19 centuries, which before the revolution were considered the crown values of Russia.

The most valuable exhibits

The most famous and valuable exhibits of the Diamond Fund in Moscow are crown values: orb, crown and scepter.

The crown of Catherine II was made in 1762 for the coronation ceremony. She is a real symbol of the entire museum. The crown is adorned with 5,000 diamonds and 75 large pearls. And its top is crowned with a red spinel (72 carats). The height of the item with the cross is 27.5 cm, while the length of the lower circumference is 64 cm. After Catherine II, the crown was used for coronation by all Russian emperors.

In the same showcase, next to the Great Imperial Crown, there is the Small Crown, as well as the scepter with the famous Orlov diamond weighing 189.62 carats. The small crown was made in 1856 by order of Maria Alexandrovna for her coronation.

Here on the showcase is the Power, which is a polished smooth ball entwined with a garland of diamonds. On its surface there is an Indian diamond (42.95 ct.). Above the Power is crowned with an amazing 200-carat sapphire from Ceylon. The weight of the State is 861 g, and its height with the cross reaches 24 cm.

The scepter, like other attributes, was a symbol of power. It is decorated with the legendary Orlov diamond. According to the official version, the stone was presented to Catherine on her birthday by the count. According to another version, the empress herself bought the diamond, but so that she would not be accused of wastefulness, she staged a performance with a gift. One way or another, everything happened - it is unknown. But the stone was mounted in the scepter, which earned itself fame.

Three valuable relics - a blue sapphire in the Stainless, the Orlova diamond in a scepter and a red spinel in the crown symbolize the colors of the Russian flag.

Other jewels

Among the exhibits of the Diamond Fund, you can see another famous diamond - "Shah". It was once presented to Nicholas I by the Iranian Shah as a reconciliation for the murder of the Russian ambassador. It is worth noting that it was not just the ambassador who was killed, but the famous Russian writer Griboyedov, whose monument can be seen on Chistye Prudy in Moscow.

Also in this department of the Diamond Fund in Moscow there are royal jewelry. One of them is a bracelet with a diamond "Alexander", which belonged to Alexander I. Here you can see the brooch of Catherine II, made of gold and silver, decorated with numerous diamonds, in the form of a bouquet of roses.

No less beautiful is a berry-shaped pendant made of large tourmaline. In the halls of the museum, there are many more jewelry made of silver, gold, precious stones and diamonds. Excursions to the Diamond Fund always impress guests. Where else can you see such a rich collection of jewelry.

Products of modern craftsmen

In the last section of the museum, items of contemporary jewelers act as exhibits. Fine jewelry made of gold with topaz, amethysts, diamonds and emeralds simply amaze with their beauty.

The modern exhibits do not have such a loud history as the items of the previous section, but they are also very beautiful, because modern jewelers use technologies that were simply inaccessible to masters from the past. In general, all the exhibits are impressive and striking in beauty, in order to understand this, it is worth going on an excursion to the Diamond Fund. You can read a lot and admire the beauty of the products in the photo on the Internet, but not a single picture conveys their true beauty. All this must be seen with your own eyes.

Gems

Summing up, it is worth noting that at present there are seven historical, incredibly valuable stones in the museum's exposition:

The Orlova diamond adorns the royal scepter. The stone was found in India. Its peculiarity is in the indescribably beautiful greenish-blue tint. The diamond has 180 faces.
The Shah diamond is a yellow crystal that has not been cut. It bears the names of its three owners.
A flat portrait diamond set in a gold bracelet with emeralds.
Red spinel in the Big crown. The stone was inserted into the product just before the coronation of Catherine II. Spinel is distinguished not only by its large size, but also by its purity and transparency. By the way, the cost of the imperial crown has not yet been determined due to the uniqueness of the product.
A step-cut Colombian emerald crowning a stunning brooch. The stone was found back in the fifteenth century, but only came to Russia at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Ceylon sapphire is considered the largest in the world. It adorns an antique brooch from the nineteenth century.
Olive green chrysolite was once found on an island in the Red Sea. The stone has been cut in a special way, which creates the feeling of its radiance.

In the twentieth century, after the discovery of Yakut diamonds, the collection was significantly replenished with new exhibits: "Big Dipper", "Star of Yakutia" and others.

The Diamond Fund Museum in the Moscow Kremlin is an active exhibition division of the Gokhran of Russia, has been operating since 1967.

The history of the Diamond Fund of Russia began with the decree of Peter I on the formation and preservation of a collection of valuable items on a national scale. The precious items of this collection - state regalia, orders, jewelry - were kept until 1914 in a special room of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.

In connection with the events of the First World War, the jewels of the royal collection were transported for safe storage to the basements of the Moscow Kremlin, where they were housed for almost 8 years. An examination of 1922 confirmed their exceptional value, the collection was completely included in the State Depository (at that time - the USSR Gokhran).

Exhibits of the Diamond Fund

The famous treasures of the Diamond Fund are unique nuggets and products made of precious stones and metals of the 18th-20th centuries, the most significant in artistic and historical terms part of the fund of the Gokhran RF, a genuine state property.

The central exhibits of the Diamond Fund Museum include the famous seven historical stones weighing from 25 to 398.72 carats: these are the Orlov and Shah diamonds and a portrait diamond, giant samples of emerald, Ceylon sapphire, spinel and a gem - olive green chrysolite.

The most famous items in the collection: large and small imperial crowns, a scepter (its upper part is decorated with the Orlov diamond) and orb, a diamond sign on a chain with a star of the highest order of the Russian Empire.

Any amateur photography and video filming in the museum is prohibited.

Diamond Fund ticket prices in 2019

Tickets to the Diamond Fund Museum can be bought before visiting the exhibition - at the box office number 4 in the pavilions of the Alexander Garden.

Excursion requests from organizations for group visits to the museum exposition are accepted in writing at the box office No. 5.

The cost of tickets to the Diamond Fund:

Full ticket - RUB 500,
Preferential - 100 rubles.

Working hours of the Diamond Fund in 2019

The Diamond Fund in the Kremlin is open from 10:00 to 18:15, one day off - Thursday.

Ticket offices in the Alexander Garden are open from 9:00 to 16:30. Break - from 12:00 to 13:00.

During school holidays and on weekends, the demand for visiting the museum exhibition increases significantly, so it is recommended to buy tickets as early as possible: in the morning or in the afternoon.

On holidays, the opening hours are changed. The time schedule can be found on this page of the Gokhran website.

Excursions to the Diamond Fund

Please note: Museum tickets are sold per session (guided tour). From 9:00 on sale tickets for sessions 10:00 - 12:20, in the afternoon - for sessions from 14:00.

The duration of a standard tour of the Diamond Fund is 45-50 minutes. Tour guides accompany groups of up to 20 people.

Session schedule: 10:00, 10:20, 10:40, 11:00, 11:20, 11:40, 12:00, 12:20, 14:00, 14:20, 15:00, 15:20 , 15:40, 16:00, 16:20, 16:40, 17:00, 17:20.

More information about excursions and access to the exposition can be found on the official website of the Gokhran Diamond Fund.

How to get to the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin

Independent visitors of the exhibition to the territory of the Kremlin Museum

The Diamond Fund enter together with the recruited group through the Borovitsky Gate. To access the Kremlin through the main excursion entrance (Kutafya and Trinity Towers), you need to purchase a ticket for viewing the architectural ensemble of the Kremlin squares.

The closest ground transport stop to the gates of the Borovitskaya Tower is Borovitskaya Square, buses No. М1, М6, Н1, 144 go to it. A little further there is a stop "Metro Library named after Lenin".

It is often faster and more convenient to get to the Diamond Fund by metro than by shuttle buses. In addition, near the western Kremlin wall there is a metro transport and interchange hub, which includes the Aleksandrovsky Sad, Borovitskaya stations (closer to the entrance through the tower gates), the Library of them. Lenin "," Arbatskaya ". On the spot, you will be able to navigate by the signs in the crossings, then along the routes from the ticket offices.

The museum is based in the building of the Armory, but the entrance to it is further - in the direction of the Palace Square.

Entrance to the Diamond Fund Museum

Video "Treasures of the Diamond Fund of Russia"

Amazing exhibits, precious metal nuggets, gemstones, precious metal jewelry and precious stones can be seen if you visit Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin, which is a Russian jewelry collection located in the building of the State Armory Chamber.

The basis Kremlin Diamond Fund make up the imperial regalia, precious stones and products that have been accumulated in the royal treasuries over the centuries. It is interesting that these values were not the property of the kings, but belonged to the state, since they were acquired with the money of the treasury. The Diamond Fund occupies two halls in the building of the Moscow Kremlin's Armory.

The collection began to form back in the 18th century. Peter I issued a decree on the preservation of things "subject to the state." According to the decree, the most significant state items should be the property of not only the royal family, but the entire Russian state. Until 1914, precious items of state regalia, order insignia and secular adornments of many generations of Russian autocrats were kept in a special Diamond Cabinet of the Winter Palace (Imperial Renteria).

After the outbreak of the First World War, the valuables were hastily evacuated to the Moscow Kremlin, where they were kept in the basements for almost eight years. In 1922, a commission for the identification and examination of objects of decorative, applied and jewelry art confirmed the unique historical and artistic value of the objects of the former Diamond Cabinet. The Diamond Fund exhibition opened in 1967.

Exposition of the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin

The Diamond Fund contains a unique collection of jewelry, diamonds and diamonds. Throughout its history, it has been replenished with rare gems, insignia and other precious items.

A large contribution to the collection was made by the experimental jewelry laboratory, which carried out the restoration of decaying values, including the Large and Small Imperial Crowns and other items of the imperial family. Thus, more than a hundred items were included in the presented exhibition.

Museum exhibits are displayed in two halls. The first one presents jewelry: diamonds, diamonds, nuggets and jewelry. The first showcase contains a collection of precious and semi-precious stones from the territory of the former Soviet Union. In the second showcase there is a map of Russia made of diamonds. Next, giant diamonds and diamond cutting techniques are demonstrated. Contemporary art is also presented in the hall. In the center - nuggets of gold and platinum, such as the "Big Triangle", "Camel", "Mephistopheles". The second hall contains historical values.

Main exhibits of the Moscow Kremlin Diamond Fund

The most famous exhibits of the fund are the imperial symbols of power: the Crown, Orb and the scepter, and the crown of Catherine II, made for her coronation, is a symbol of the entire collection of the museum. She is adorned with 5000 diamonds and 75 pearls. On top of it is a dark red spinel.

The Golden Power is a smooth polished ball, hollow inside, entwined with a diamond garland. At the junction of the belts - an Indian diamond. The crown of the Power is a sapphire of Ceylon origin.

The scepter with the famous Orlov diamond was presented by the favorite of Catherine II, Count Orlov, for her name day instead of the usual bouquet of flowers. It is worth noting that these three relics - the Orlov Diamond in the scepter, the blue sapphire in the orb and the scarlet spinel in the crown symbolize the colors of the Russian flag - white, blue, red.

Among other exhibits there is a “Big Bouquet” made of diamonds and emeralds made for the corsage of Elizaveta Petrovna's dress in 1760. The world famous Shah diamond is one of the oldest Indian diamonds. Historical inscriptions have been preserved on it.

The orders presented in the exposition are made of gold, with an abundance of precious stones. The Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (patron saint of Russia) was established by Peter I in 1698. The emperor awarded them for military and civil services. It consists of a cross, a star and a ribbon, and for special occasions - a chain.

The collection of the Diamond Fund contains a kokoshnik diadem that belonged to Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I. This jewelry has the shape of a triangle formed by diamonds of various shapes, cuts and sizes. Interestingly, briolets are elongated tear-shaped stones, fixed movably and at the slightest turn of the head, they shuddered and flickered. The central stone of the tiara is the rarest in color pale pink diamond.

Among the rarities of the Diamond Fund, one can single out a tourmaline in the shape of a berry or a bunch of grapes. According to scientists, Burma was the birthplace of the stone. Its history is also interesting: this stone was kept in the treasury of the King of Bohemia Rudolph II, who inherited it from his sister, the widow of the French king Charles IX. During the war with the Swedes in 1648, the gem was captured in Prague and taken to Scandinavia, where it was handed over to Queen Christina. After the death of the queen, the stone was taken to Stockholm. And in 1777, the Swedish king Gustav III presented a tourmaline as a gift to Catherine II when visiting St. Petersburg.

The collection of the Diamond Fund includes a unique collection of gold and platinum nuggets. The collection of the fund consists of one hundred and one gold nuggets from various deposits in Russia. It is of great scientific interest and material value.

The museum presents modern works, they were made especially for the museum, therefore they are distinguished by their beauty and high quality. Among them - a brooch with a black diamond and a diadem "Russian Beauty", made of platinum and decorated with 1000 diamonds and 25 pearls.

You can learn more about the exhibits of the Diamond Fund when visiting the exhibition.

The Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin is one of the most visited museums in Moscow.

Opening hours of the Diamond Fund in 2018

Working hours of the Diamond Fund from 10:00 to 17:20. Lunch - from 13:00 to 14:00.
Visiting sessions - every 20 minutes.
Thursday is a day off.
Tickets are sold at the excursion box office in the Alexander Garden near the Kutafya Tower.

Ticket reservations for individual visitors are available on the official website of the Diamond Fund. One visitor can book up to 4 tickets, which must be redeemed at the box office in the Alexander Garden no later than 1 hour before the start of the tour. Otherwise, the reservation will be canceled.

To get to the Diamond Fund, you need to go through the Borovitsky Gate. If you have just bought tickets at the box office near the Kutafya Tower and are facing the Kremlin wall, then you need to walk about 300 meters to the right, to the end of the Alexander Garden. You will see a large tower with a large passage - from here workers and official delegations enter the Kremlin. You need to go through the small gate, which is located nearby.

The most "expensive" museum in Russia where jewelry, orders and royal regalia, natural diamonds and nuggets of precious metals are kept.
Fund collection began to be created in the 18th century under Peter I, when a special room and security were allocated for the values of the state treasury.
Unique collection of nuggets, one of the largest and oldest in the world.
The world's largest gold nugget"Big Triangle" weighing 36 kg, historical values, as well as a map of Russia made of diamonds.
Great Imperial Crown of Catherine II, decorated with 5 thousand diamonds, 2 strands of large Indian pearls and a giant red spinel.
For tickets, which are sold at the box office in the Alexander Garden, it is better to apply in the morning, as the number of visitors is limited.
All important information translated into English, there are audio guides, it is possible to get on a guided tour.

The Diamond Fund is one of the most visited museums in Moscow. After all, regardless of age, gender, interests, everyone wants to see a piece of a fairy tale! Surely when you say "Diamond Fund" you imagine mountains of diamonds, glitter and shine, a real Ali Baba's cave! The Diamond Fund does contain natural diamonds and precious metal nuggets. The main part of his collection is jewelry of stunning beauty from different eras, among which the crown of the Russian Empire is considered a masterpiece. Here are also orders and numerous royal regalia. The collection's jewels can be traced to the history of Russia's development over the past 300 years. In terms of both the uniqueness of the collection and its material value, the Diamond Fund is perhaps the most "expensive" museum in Russia.

The diamond fund is guarded by the Federal Security Service, which also guards the President of Russia. The exhibition is admitted in sessions every 20 minutes. The number of people visiting the fund during one session is limited. Therefore, it is better to buy tickets at the Kremlin ticket offices in the morning hours: in the summer season or during holidays, all tickets for the current day can be quickly sold out. Taking photographs at the Diamond Fund is not permitted.

The history of the creation of the Diamond Fund

The history of the fund begins in the 18th century, in 1719 by decree. From time immemorial, the state treasury owned a large number of valuables that were subject to special protection. Peter ordered to make an inventory of all the relics and to allocate a special room for them, where they would be under constant supervision. This room became known as the Diamond, or Diamond.

In the XVIII century. a lot of gorgeous jewelry has been created. During this period, the Russian throne was occupied mainly by women, and this is probably why it was precious jewelry that demonstrated social status and served as an attribute of power. First, the courtyard of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, and then Empress Catherine II was distinguished by special splendor. During the reign of Catherine II, the Diamond Room generally moved to the Empress's ceremonial bedchamber. In that era, such world-famous jewelry masters as I. Pozier, the Duvali dynasty, G. Eckart lived and worked in Russia. They created works of jewelry, valuable not only for the abundance of jewelry, but also for the exceptional subtlety of the master's work.

Another important part of the collection of the Diamond Fund has survived from the time of Catherine II to the present day. As an enlightened empress, she was fond of sciences, including mineralogy. As a result, the fund included the richest collection of minerals collected by Catherine II herself.

The representatives of the Romanov dynasty were aware of the exceptional value of the imperial collection of jewelry, and even in the most difficult times for the state, it remained untouched. At the beginning of the First World War, when the front began to approach St. Petersburg, the collection was taken to Moscow. There she was placed in the Crown Hall. Unfortunately, the coming to power of the Bolsheviks in 1917 was fatal for the imperial collection of jewelry. Just like during the Great The French Revolution destroyed magnificent works of art associated with royal power, in Soviet Russia, imperial jewelry was also associated with tsarism, and only scientists were interested in their cultural and historical significance. And soon, at private auctions, many diamonds and works of art from Russian funds passed into the hands of foreign collectors for money that was incomparable with the real value of these masterpieces. From the famous exhibits of the Diamond Fund in those years, the following were sold or lost: the diadem “Russian beauty”, the Georgian crown, more than ten Faberge Easter jewelry eggs, the diamond badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, one of the small imperial crowns.

In the 1950s. a new period began in the life of the Diamond Fund. The country made a step forward in the development of natural resources, in 1954 the first diamond pipe was discovered, and several more diamond deposits were discovered in Yakutia. The most significant samples of diamonds began to arrive at the State Depository. At the same time, the Diamond Fund began to replenish with exhibits - symbols of the Soviet mining industry and the skill of artisans-jewelers. In 1967, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Soviet state, a temporary exposition of the Diamond Fund was opened in the building of the Moscow Kremlin's Armory. The leaders of the country intended to return the exhibits to the State Depository at the end of the exhibition, but the exhibition became a cultural event on a global scale, and it was preserved as a permanent exhibition. A little later, a jewelry laboratory was opened, which restored the Big and Small Imperial Crowns, recreated the lost tiara "Russian Beauty" and other treasures. Nowadays, all stones weighing more than 50 carats are immediately sent to the treasury. The largest diamond held by the Diamond Fund weighs 342 carats!

Exposition

The exposition of the Diamond Fund is located in the Armory building in two small halls and is divided into seven thematic groups. The first room displays placers of precious stones and nuggets, as well as modern jewelry. Emeralds deserve special mention, which, due to their rarity, are now almost as valuable as diamonds. There is also an exposition of Ural gems. They are semi-precious stones, but with their beauty they attract a lot of visitors' attention.

Nuggets of gold and platinum are displayed in the central showcase of the first hall. The collection of nuggets of the Diamond Fund is considered the largest in the world and one of the oldest - it is already 150 years old. Nuggets are true works of art created by nature itself. So, in the Diamond Fund there are nuggets Camel and Mephistopheles, which look more sculptural than natural. And the Big Triangle gold nugget, which weighs 36 kg, is the largest in the world. The exposition of the first hall also displays a map of Russia made of diamonds.

The second hall contains historical values. Visitors will be primarily interested in learning about the seven gems. These three diamonds and four gems are called the seven wonders of the Diamond Fund. The first is the Orlov Diamond, which adorns the scepter of Russian monarchs. It is believed that its first owner was Shah Jahan, the builder of the famous Taj Mahal in India. Initially, the weight of the diamond was almost 400 carats, but after cutting it more than halved (189.62 carats). Later, the diamond became the eye of a statue of a local deity. It was stolen by a French soldier who changed his faith and became an ambassador for this. Schnick in the temple where the statue stood. Subsequently, in Amsterdam, the diamond was bought by a merchant who came with it to the Russian court. Here historians disagree. There is a romantic version: Count Orlov bought the diamond to make a luxurious gift to the empress. But, most likely, Catherine II herself asked her favorite to give her this stone, as there were rumors about its magical properties, which appear only if the stone is received as a gift. One way or another, the stone, named after the Empress's favorite, took its place on the royal scepter. The image of this scepter is present on the coat of arms of St. Petersburg.

The Shah diamond is a crystal with a yellow sheen. It has not been cut, but the inscriptions of the previous owners are visible on it. The history of this diamond is rather sad. In the 19th century, during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, anti-Russian unrest took place in Persian Tehran, as a result of which employees of the Russian embassy were killed, including the famous writer A.S. Griboyedov. The Shah diamond, one of the main treasures of the Persian Shah, was given among other gifts to Nicholas I as a sign of regret and reconciliation.

Historic gemstones also include: flat portrait diamond, giant spinel (almost 400 carats), emerald, sapphire and chrysolite. Red spinel is found in the Great Imperial Crown; a Colombian emerald crowned with a brooch; Ceylon sapphire is the largest sapphire in the world.

And finally, the exposure t, which cannot be ignored: the magnificent Great Imperial Crown, created for the coronation of Catherine II. Previously, there was a tradition of creating "personal" precious crowns especially for the coronation, after which they were again disassembled into stones. However, the crown of Catherine II became a masterpiece that cannot be surpassed, and her descendants were crowned only by her. The crown was created in 1762 by Georg Friedrich Eckart and

The Diamond Fund occupies two halls in the building of the Moscow Kremlin's Armory;
The working hours of the Diamond Fund are from 10:00 to 18:15. Lunch - from 13:00 to 14:00. Visiting sessions - every 20 minutes. Last session at 17:20
Thursday is a day off
The ticket office is open from 9:00 to 16:30, a break from 12:00 to 13:00. Please note that in summer and on weekends, there are a lot of people who want to visit the exhibition. Ticket sales for the first half of the day start at 9:00, ticket sales for the afternoon start at 13:00. Therefore, if you want to be guaranteed to get into the Diamond Fund, you must go to the ticket office at 9:00 or 13:00.
Tickets are sold in the Alexander Garden at the box office at the Kutafya Tower.
Ticket reservations for individual visitors are available on the official website of the Diamond Fund. This service is especially relevant in the summer, on weekends and holidays, when there are a lot of people who want to get to the museum. One visitor can book up to 4 tickets, which must be redeemed at the box office in the Alexander Garden no later than 1 hour before the start of the tour. Otherwise, the reservation will be canceled.
To get to the Diamond Fund, you need to go through the Borovitsky Gate. If you have just bought tickets at the box office near the Kutafya Tower and are facing the Kremlin wall, then you need to walk about 300 meters to the right, to the end of the Alexander Garden. You will see a large tower with a large passage - from here workers and official delegations enter the Kremlin. You need to go through the small gate, which is located nearby.

Diamond Fund ticket prices - summer 2019

For adults, the ticket price is 500 rubles
For Russian and foreign schoolchildren, students, as well as Russian pensioners upon presentation of the relevant documents - 100 rubles
Amateur photography and filming is prohibited
Tour in Russian is included in the ticket price
Audio guides available in English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese

Excursions to the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin

Before entering the halls of the Diamond Fund, visitors are checked with a metal detector. It is not allowed to enter the hall with telephones, photo and video equipment. All items must be hanged. Visitors stop at a display case and the guide talks about the exhibits. Then everyone comes closer to the display case and examines the jewelry. The duration of the excursion is 40 minutes.