The A.S. Popov Central Museum of Communications is a museum of science and technology founded in 1872. It is located in the historic centre of Saint Petersburg, Russia, near Saint Isaac's Square.[1]
The museum was opened on 11 September 1872 as the Telegraph Museum. The head of the Telegraph Department of Russia Carl Luders proclaimed the foundation of this museum:[1]
…For the purpose of familiarisation of all the telegraph workers and other interested persons with all innovations and improvements in the field of telegraphy, it is proposed to organise a permanent museum in Saint Petersburg, based on objects presented at the Moscow Polytechnic Exhibition…
In 1884, the post office branch was added and the museum was transformed into the Postal and Telegraph Museum.[2]
In 1945, the museum was named after the Russian scientist and inventor Alexander Stepanovich Popov.[1]
By the late 1970s, the museum housed more than 4 million stamps, stamped envelopes, and postcards.[2]
Nowadays, the museum is a leading institution in its field in the Russian Federation. As such, it provides consulting supervision for other telecommunications museums.[1]
The museum archives and collections include over 8 million items including:[1]
The museum is situated at the address: 7 Pochtamtskaya Street, Saint Petersburg, 190000, Russia.[1]