Arms and Armour at the Hermitage

The Hermitage arsenal is one of the largest and richest arms collections in Russia: thousands of objects, from medieval knightly armour to the parade and hunting weapons of the modern era, and from Western Europe to the East. It is a large collection in its own right, of which only a part is displayed in the famous Knights’ Hall.

Not to be confused with the Knights’ Hall

It is important to tell two things apart. The Knights’ Hall (Room 243) is a specific room, with its striking mounted group and European armour of the 15th–17th centuries. The arms collection (the arsenal) is the museum’s entire holding of weapons — far wider in geography and time: the Knights’ Hall is only its “show window”.

What the collection holds

• Western European arms and armour of the 15th–17th centuries: plate and tournament armour, helmets, swords, halberds, early crossbows and firearms.
• Parade arms — richly decorated, engraved and gilded pieces, true jewellery in metal.
• Hunting weapons — elegant guns and equipment for the court hunt.
• Eastern arms — Turkish, Persian, Caucasian, Indian and Japanese: sabres with watered-steel blades, daggers, armour, bows. This is one of the strongest parts of the collection.

Eastern arms

The Eastern section of the arsenal is one of its jewels, and a quite different world from European plate. Here are Turkish and Persian sabres with damascened blades, daggers, richly worked shields and helmets, Caucasian and Indian arms, Japanese swords and armour. The East prized not so much heavy protection as the flexibility, lightness and beauty of the blade: gold and silver inlay, the pattern of watered steel, carving in bone and horn. Comparing the European and Eastern rooms, you see two different philosophies of war and craft.

Parade and hunting weapons

Not all weapons were meant for battle. Parade armour and sabres were worn at tournaments, festivities and ceremonies — status objects, in effect jewellery in steel, engraved and gilded. Hunting weapons — elegant guns and gear for the court hunt — show arms as part of aristocratic leisure and fashion. These sections are a reminder that the arsenal is also a history of taste, not only of warfare.

Armour as technology and art

A good suit of armour was the peak of the craft of its time — a union of engineering and artistry. Smiths worked so that the plate would protect without restricting: articulated lames, carefully made joints, a precise fit to the body. At the same time the surface of the metal was decorated with engraving, blackening, gilding and etching — so the armour became a ceremonial “costume” too. In the Eastern tradition the same principle is applied to the blade: the secret of watered steel, the pattern in the metal, the balance of a sabre were prized as a high art. So the arsenal interests not only lovers of military history — it is also a story of technology, fashion and status across the ages.

History of the collection

The core of the arsenal was the Tsarskoye Selo Arsenal — the personal arms collection of the Russian emperors, passionate gatherers of rare pieces. In 1885 Alexander III had it transferred to the Hermitage, where it was joined with the acquired collection of the noted collector Alexander Basilewsky. So one of the country’s finest arms collections took shape, spanning parade, battle and hunting weapons of many ages and cultures.

Where to see it

The heart of the display is the Knights’ Hall (Room 243) in the New Hermitage, with its mounted knights and European armour; adjoining rooms show Eastern arms. Part of the arsenal is in storage and shown in temporary exhibitions. Find your bearings with the floor plan; to fit the arms into your route, see the one-day itinerary.

What to see

• the mounted group of knights in the Knights’ Hall (243) — the key image of the whole arsenal;
• parade armour of 16th-century German and Italian masters — engraved and gilded;
• tournament armour with reinforced protection — the gear of a “sport” with real risk;
• Eastern sabres and daggers with watered-steel blades and precious mounts.

This collection is a particular favourite with children and anyone interested in “material” history: here the past is almost touchable — the objects are real and were used by real people.

FAQ

Where can I see arms and armour in the Hermitage? The main display is in the Knights’ Hall (Room 243) of the New Hermitage and the adjoining Eastern arms rooms.

How does the arms collection differ from the Knights’ Hall? The Knights’ Hall is a specific room of European armour; the arsenal is the museum’s whole arms collection, including Eastern, hunting and parade weapons.

Where did the collection come from? Mostly from the Tsarskoye Selo Arsenal (transferred to the Hermitage in 1885) and the collection of Alexander Basilewsky.

Is there Eastern weaponry? Yes — one of the strongest parts of the collection: Turkish, Persian, Caucasian, Indian and Japanese.

This is an unofficial, informational website. The display and availability of rooms change — confirm details on the official museum website.