Museo Casa de León Trotsky

The Museo Casa de León Trotsky is located in the quiet Coyoacán neighborhood of Mexico City and commemorates the Soviet revolutionary who was assassinated here in 1940. The building where Trotsky and his second wife, Natalia Sedova, lived from April 1939 until his death was declared a historic monument in 1982 and converted into a museum in 1990. Besides the residence, the complex includes a spacious garden lined with high walls and watchtowers. These fortifications were built after a failed assassination attempt in May 1940, when attackers fired machine guns at the house and riddled the exterior walls with bullet holes that are still visible today.

Visitors can tour the house as it was at the time of the murder. Especially striking is the study, where Ramón Mercader struck Trotsky down with an ice axe. The revolutionary's papers, books, and glasses still lie exactly where they were at the time of the attack. The kitchen with its pots and pans and the bedrooms with their Mexican textiles have also been preserved just as they were. In the garden, which is filled with tropical plants and rare cacti that Trotsky collected himself, you'll find a memorial containing the ashes of Trotsky and his wife, designed by Juan O'Gorman.

Beyond the historic core, the museum now also houses a library, a hall for contemporary art exhibitions, and a lecture hall. Former guard buildings along the walls now serve as exhibition rooms, displaying biographical material, family photos, and personal belongings. The institute affiliated with the museum also advocates for the right to political asylum. Each year the site draws large numbers of international visitors and school groups who come to experience its charged atmosphere and historical significance.