Museums and Society: The permanent exhibition "The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Empire" has been opened in the General Staff of the State Hermitage

In the premises of the Ministerial body of the General Staff of the State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg) was opened a permanent exhibition "The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Empire", devoted to the history of situated there the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Empire and the Provisional Government from 1830 to 1918.

The exposition occupies three halls - Office of the Minister of Finance and the receiving. Premises of Ministerial buildings were restored and opened in 2014. Then the interior painting was restored, which found as close as possible to its original appearance; it was also recreated colored hardwood floor of the first third of the XIX century.

Facilities reception contained a collection of rare coins and medals related to the history of the Ministry and previously exhibited only in temporary exhibitions. Among them - the trial version of coinage, the first coins of nickel and platinum ingots of various diplomatic missions, counterfeit coins and notes, which are handed over to the Ministry of Finance, as well as "lobanchiki" - semi-legally minted at the St. Petersburg Mint by Dutch ducats, used for secret missions. 

The centerpiece of the exhibition on numismatics takes rare Russian coins of the XIX century - a trial ruble in 1825 with a portrait of Emperor Constantine I. Background minting of this coin is directly related to the dramatic events of the dynastic crisis that followed the death of Alexander I. After the oath to the new Emperor Constantine I in the mint was minted silver rubles few test with his portrait. Meanwhile, the crown prince Constantine immediately after receiving news of the death of the emperor confirmed its rejection of the rights of the Russian crown. After the reign of Nicholas I, all materials associated with the operation of this coin have been removed from the mint, sealed and kept in the Office of the Minister of Finance. In 1879 the existence of the trial Constantine ruble learned Alexander II and requested the Winter Palace sealed "secret" bag with coins. There were five Constantine rubles, one of which was left to Alexander II in his personal small numismatic collection, the second copy was handed to in Münzkabinett of the Hermitage, and the three remaining coins were presented to relatives.  

The situation of reduced finance of minister's office was determined by tastes of Georg von Cancrin (1774-1845), the first master's office, who personally wrote wishes on its design.