Oktyabrskaya Railway Museum

Hidden within Saint Petersburg, the Oktyabrskaya Railway Museum whispers tales of Tsars and technological triumphs. The museum itself is a monument to history, reborn from the 19th-century locomotive shed of the Peterhof Railway. Originally established in 1978, the Oktyabrskaya Railway Museum found its current magnificent home in 2017. This museum, curated by the Russian Railways, should not be mistaken with its counterpart, the Central Rail Transport Museum. The Oktyabrskaya Railway Museum’s story began much earlier, in 1974, with a vision shared by the Oktyabrskaya Railway’s trade union and management. This led to the first exhibition in 1978, nestled in Leningrad on Liteyny Avenue. A small group of dedicated railway workers championed the preservation of historic rolling stock. Their dedication secured a site in Shushary for restoration and storage, opening to the public in 1991. A nearby commuter rail station, “16th kilometer,” was renamed “Parovozny Muzey” (“Museum of Steamers”) in honor of the new attraction. The Oktyabrskaya Railway Museum’s collection outgrew Shushary. In 2001, it relocated to the platforms of the closed Varshavsky railway station. This move brought a sixfold increase in visitors. However, commercial interests loomed. The tracks were slated for removal, prompting another move. The Oktyabrskaya Railway Museum finally settled into its renovated home at the Baltiysky railway station in 2017. Today, it houses a vast collection of approximately 35,000 artifacts. This includes 118 pieces of rolling stock, from the earliest steam engines to the record-breaking TEP-80 diesel locomotive. The museum even boasts interactive elements, like a TEP-70 simulator, bringing the history of the railway to life.