Near the Petrograd embankment of St. Petersburg, near the Nakhimov Naval College, forever moored one of the most famous ships of the Russian Navy - the famous cruiser "Aurora". Construction of the ship began in 1897 Novoadmiralteyskoy shipyard, on the water it was launched in 1900, and in July 1903 was a warship of the Russian Navy.

During the Russian-Japanese War, after a perfect transition to the Far East as part of the 2 nd Pacific Squadron, the cruiser "Aurora" received its baptism of fire, participating in the Battle of Tsushima in 1905. Upon returning to the Baltic "Aurora" a long time was a training ship on which the cadets of the Naval passed his naval practice. In the period from 1906 to 1912 the cruiser came in many ports of the world, and in November 1911 his crew even took part in a solemn coronation of the King of Siam in Bangkok.

During the First World War as part of the 2nd Brigade of the cruiser "Aurora" actively participated in the fighting in the Baltic Sea, and in the end of 1916 was delivered in Petrograd dock for repairs. In 1917, the crew of "Aurora" participated in the February and October revolutions, and later - in the beginning of the civil war and the struggle against foreign intervention.

In the years 1922-1923 the cruiser "Aurora" one of the first in the Baltic fleet was commissioned and became again a training ship, which until 1940 practiced by the cadets of naval schools of the city on the Neva. In 1924 the ship received an award of the Red Banner of the USSR Central Executive Committee, and in 1927 - the Order of the Red Banner.

Immediately after the start of World War II cruiser "Aurora" stood up to defend Leningrad. The crew heroically fought in the Peipsi Flotilla, and then the approaches to the city, at the Crow Mountain, before adding another glorious page in the history of the ship. During the years of the siege of Leningrad "Aurora" is situated in the port of Oranienbaum under regular enemy bombing and shelling. The hull has received numerous holes, took on board too much water, and so sat down on the ground. In 1944, after the lifting of the blockade, the cruiser lifted from the ground and set for repair.

In 1948, the cruiser "Aurora" was staged at the Petrogradskaya embankment of Leningrad and till 1956 was the training base of the Leningrad Nakhimov Naval School. Since 1956, the "Aurora" is a branch of the Central Naval Museum, Ship Museum opened here. Over 45 years of its existence as a museum ship took on board more than 28 million visitors from more than 160 countries.

The museum exposition of the ship is now about a thousand exhibits. This original documents, flags and banners of the ship, awards and photographs of crew members, paintings, all kinds of gifts to the military, government and public organizations.