Situated inside a brick building is a small wooden cabin which is the oldest surviving building in St Petersburg. It was built in just three days in May 1703 to serve as a residence for Peter the Great. After the construction of the Winter and Summer Palaces it ceased to be used as a residence, however in 1777 Empress Catherine the Great ordered the construction of a protective cover for the cabin. This was later replaced in 1844 with a brick building to protect the cabin from the elements. In the mid-19th century a park was opened around the cabin and in 1875 a small bust of Peter the Great was unveiled outside. Since 1930 the cabin has been open to the public as a museum and displays authentic items from Peter's time. It is now run as a branch of the Russian Museum.