There is an interesting history of the Imperial Garage from President Putin's Transport:
"...The Special Purpose Garage has a long history. It dates back to the first state garage in Russia that was created at the Court of Nicholas II in 1906. The Imperial Garage was located in Petrograd. Initially, the garage had ten cars, and just a few years later it already had twenty. Then a chauffeur’s school was established at the garage. A large building was constructed for the garage in Petrograd, which exists to this day (it now houses the carriage museum).
At the beginning of 1917, His Majesty’s Garage became the motor-transport depot of the Temporary Government, and after the October revolution it became the motor-transport depot of the Soviet government. In November 1917 the depot had 46 cars.
In 1918, the garage moved to Moscow along with the Soviet government. The cars which served Vladimir Lenin and his inner circle were kept at the Kremlin. They made up the backbone of the Special Garage that Vladimir Lenin founded by a Decree he signed on 31 December 1920. The garage was headed by Stepan Gil, Lenin’s personal chauffeur.
Later, the Special Garage was renamed the Special Purpose Garage.
The old Tsarist-era cars that were produced at the beginning of the 20th century soon stopped working. Therefore, a group of 15 Rolls Royce cars were purchased in England. They served Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky and Lunacharsky..."
Does anyone know where this carriage museum is located? Are there photos of the building?
Joanna
