Few people know that for centuries, Russia was the largest producer and exporter of hemp in the world. The great naval powers of Europe — including the mighty British Royal Navy — depended heavily on Russian hemp to rig their fleets. The ropes, cables and sails that carried ships across the oceans were often made from hemp grown and processed in the fields of Russia and Eastern Europe.

This trade was so valuable that hemp became a matter of national strategy and international politics. Vast warehouses stored enormous coils of rope destined for ports across the continent. In this hall we shine a light on one of history's most overlooked stories — the era when hemp was a pillar of global power, and Eastern Europe stood at its very centre.