On February 17, all parks of the Peterhof Museum-Reserve are closed to the public due to bad weather conditions. Some museums are open

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1745-1755, architect F. Rastrelli

"The Special Treasury" Museum is located in the west wing of the Grand Peterhof Palace. The wing, that received the name of the "Coat-of-Arms Pavilion", emerged as a result of the reconstruction of Peter's Upper Chambers, by the project of the architect F. Rastrelli, during the reign of the Empress, Elizabeth Petrovna. The name is connected with the fact, that the dome of the Pavilion, was crowned with a weathervane in the form of a heraldic double-headed eagle.

"The Coat-of-Arms Pavilion", played a special role in the history of the imperial suburban residence. Its rooms were designed for accommodation of noble guests and members of the imperial family. European monarchs, crown princes and grand dukes were guests here at various times. The Empress Catherine II, lived in the Pavilion suite - the museum demonstrates a complex of her private quarters. 

The grand entrances would start here, i.e., the ceremonial corteges of the imperial family, accompanied by a retinue of courtiers, along the enfilade of the grand halls to the court church, located in the eastern wing of the palace. The entrances were organized in connection with the church, state and family holidays. Here, the brides were dressed in their wedding gowns before their wedding ceremony. The museum preserves the items of the dowry of the middle daughter of Nicholas I, the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, who had her wedding ceremony in the Peterhof court church, with Prince Karl of Württemberg. The babies were brought to the "Coat-of-Arms Pavilion" before the rites of baptism. Four of the five children of the Emperor Nicholas II that were born in Peterhof, were baptized in the court church of the Grand Palace.

"The Special Treasury" Museum displays church utensils, as well as works of decorative, applied and jewelry art. Many things that belonged to the Russian emperors and empresses, were part of the decoration of numerous Peterhof palaces. The objects of garments are kept here, among them are : a suit of Peter I, shoes and uniform dress of Catherine II and the uniform coat of Nicholas I. The gratuity gifts are of special interest, they were ordered in large quantities by the imperial court to the leading jewelers: the goblets, snuff boxes, brooches, cigarette cases, watches and rings with images of double-headed eagle or emperor monograms.

One of the museum's interiors demonstrates the jeweler's desktop, with the tools of Petersburg's master of the beginning of the XIX century, the owner of the company «Russian enamel», I. S. Britsin. In the glass-cases of this interior, there are articles of the renowned Karl Faberge firm, that adorned the palaces of Peterhof, during the reign of the Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II. Many of the exhibits, are of memorial nature and are directly linked to the Russian history, that greatly increases their value. 

Entrance from the Lower Park side