The Armoury Chamber is not an armoury in any ordinary sense. It is the treasury of the Russian state — crowns, thrones, coronation robes, gold carriages and the largest collection of Imperial Fabergé eggs anywhere in the world.
Here is what is actually in the cases, hall by hall, and the one ticketing mistake almost every visitor makes.
First, the mistake: the Armoury is not the Diamond Fund
They sit in the same building. They are two different museums with two different tickets.
The Armoury Chamber holds the historical treasury: thrones, crowns, dress, weapons, carriages, Fabergé.
The Diamond Fund is a separate exhibition of gemstones and regalia, including the Great Imperial Crown and the Orlov Diamond. It has its own entrance, its own ticket and its own timed sessions.
⚠️ Buying one and expecting the other is the single most common complaint about a Kremlin visit. If you want to see the Great Imperial Crown, you need the Diamond Fund. If you want Fabergé eggs, you need the Armoury.
The Fabergé eggs
The Armoury holds ten Imperial Easter eggs — the largest such collection in existence. These were made for the last two tsars as Easter gifts for their wives and mothers, and each one opens to reveal a surprise.
The Great Siberian Railway egg is the one people photograph most: inside is a folding miniature train in gold and platinum, with a clockwork mechanism that still drives it. It was made to mark the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The Memory of Azov egg contains a miniature of the cruiser that carried the future Nicholas II on his eastern voyage. The Moscow Kremlin egg is shaped like a cathedral and plays a hymn.
Take your time here. The surprises are what make these objects extraordinary, and the display cases are arranged so you can see both the egg and what came out of it.
Thrones and crowns
The Cap of Monomakh is the oldest crown in the collection — gold filigree trimmed with sable, used for every coronation from the fourteenth century until Peter the Great changed the ceremony. It is smaller than photographs suggest, and that is part of its power.
The ivory throne associated with Ivan the Terrible is carved with plaques of bone, worn smooth in places.
The strangest object in the room is the double throne, made for the boy tsars Peter I and his half-brother Ivan V, who ruled jointly. Behind it is a concealed opening through which their sister Sophia is said to have prompted them during audiences.
Coronation dress
The textile halls are quieter and, for many visitors, the most affecting. Coronation robes survive here from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, including gowns worn by Catherine the Great and by Empress Elizabeth.
What you notice is the size. These are the actual bodies of the people who wore them, and the waists are startlingly small.
The carriages
The carriage collection is on the ground floor and is one of the finest in Europe. Winter sleighs, coronation coaches, a carriage given to Boris Godunov by Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Look at the wheels and the turning mechanisms — the engineering is as interesting as the gilding.
Practical notes
The Armoury runs on timed entry sessions rather than open admission. You choose a session when you buy, and you enter within that window. In high season the sessions sell out days ahead.
Large bags are not allowed inside and go to the left-luggage room near the entrance, so allow extra time for that.
Photography rules change from hall to hall, and staff enforce them. Check the signs rather than assuming.
Prices, session times and the list of what is on display shift with restoration work and loans — worth checking the Kremlin Museums site shortly before you go.
How long to allow
Ninety minutes is comfortable for one pass through. Two hours if you want to read the labels properly in the Fabergé and throne halls.
The Armoury is inside the Kremlin walls, so factor in the security queue at the entrance and the walk across the territory.
What to combine it with
The Kremlin cathedrals are a short walk away and covered by a separate territory ticket. Red Square is immediately outside. If you are building a full day, the Armoury in the morning and the cathedrals afterwards works better than the reverse — the Armoury sessions are the fixed point in the schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Fabergé eggs really here?
Yes — ten Imperial eggs, the largest collection anywhere.
Is the Great Imperial Crown in the Armoury?
No. It is in the Diamond Fund, a separate exhibition in the same building with a separate ticket.
Can I just walk in?
No. Entry is by timed session, and in season they sell out in advance.
How long does a visit take?
Ninety minutes to two hours, plus the Kremlin security queue.
Is the Armoury included in a Kremlin territory ticket?
No. The territory, the cathedrals and the Armoury are ticketed separately.
Can I take photographs?
Rules differ by hall and are enforced. Follow the signage.
