An interesting place — the Naval Archive in Gatchina. It is a branch of the Ministry of Defense archive. A living reserve of the Soviet era, much like the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense, but located in 18th-century barracks. From the outside, it resembles the Lefortovo Palace, which houses the Military History Archive, while the interior resembles Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense, only even more worn and rustic. Disk telephones, enameled information signs, vintage toilets with cast-iron tanks positioned high above, and ceramic handles on iron chains. Photography is prohibited. All in all, it’s worth a visit — the archive holds an incredibly rich collection of naval records from 1941 (with some even older documents) up to the dissolution of the USSR. There are no guides or public indexes of the archive's collections available. See more