The Armory was built in 1851 in a complex with the Grand Kremlin Palace to house the exhibits of the Imperial Museum. In a 2-storey building in the style of Russian classicism on Borovitsky Hill, in addition to the Armory, there is a permanent exposition of the Diamond Fund of Russia. In 9 halls of the museum, 4,000 items of decorative and applied art from Russia, Europe and the East are presented IV - early. XX century. On the first floor there are: a collection of personal items of royal use: sceptres, crowns, a collection of thrones, an exhibition of royal carriages, coronation dresses of empresses and boots of Peter I. On the second floor, you can see jewelry by Russian craftsmen of the 17th-20th centuries, silverware by European jewelers XIII-XX centuries A separate showcase is devoted to the works of the famous jeweler Carl Faberge. Also here are the items of European, Asian and Russian gunsmiths, starting from the 12th century, which formed the basis for the collection of the entire museum.
On the ground floor, in addition to the permanent exhibition, exhibitions are regularly held, presenting exhibits from other museums in Russia and the world. Since recently, individual visitors to the Armory can use the electronic guide, with the ability to display floor plans and museum halls, images of the most significant exhibits with information about them.