Museum of Anthropology & Ethnography

The city’s first museum was founded in 1714 by Peter himself. It’s infamous for its ghoulish collection of monstrosities, notably preserved freaks, two-headed mutant foetuses and odd body parts, all collected by Peter with the aim of educating the common people against superstitions. Sadly, most people rush to see these sad specimens, largely ignoring the other interesting (though not well displayed) exhibits on native peoples from around the world. Here you’ll also find an exhibition devoted to the scientist and renaissance man Mikhail Lomonosov (whose statue stands beside the nearby Twelve Colleges building of the city university) with a recreation of his study-laboratory.