Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow

Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow is the most complete collection of models of domestic space technology in the country, the largest exposition of rarities and documents related to the exploration of outer space by Russian pioneers. It is located in a park area to the north-east of the capital’s center, at the base of a 107-meter monument dedicated to the pioneers of cosmonautics. The museum is invariably popular among tourists of all generations who come to Moscow. The exhibits displayed in its halls attract up to 750,000 visitors annually.

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Video: Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow

Contents

Highlights

The unique items that became the basis of the collection of the future Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow were collected in the early years of near-Earth space exploration on the initiative of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the general designer of combat rockets and spaceships. At first, the disparate exhibits were housed in the secret design bureau, headed by Academician Korolev, which was closed to the public.

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The museum building, built at the base of the monument “Conquerors of Space”, opened to the public in April 1981, on the day of celebrating the 20th anniversary of the legendary flight of Yuri Gagarin aboard the Vostok-1 spacecraft. After the reconstruction, completed by 2009, the premises were expanded to 8,400 m². The exhibition space occupies 3720 m². Modern interactive elements appeared in the updated expositions, and simulator complexes simulating flight conditions were delivered from the Cosmonaut Training Center.

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Today, the museum halls and storage facilities contain about 96,000 objects, works of art, technical rarities, documents and photographs. Personal belongings of space explorers, numismatic collections, posters, postage stamps, newspapers with publications on the launches of manned spacecraft and other relics reflecting the milestones of exploration of near-Earth space and the far reaches of the solar system are presented. An extensive collection of audio and video recordings and documentary films has been created.

Creative design solutions of the exhibition space have been recognized with awards of the International Union of Architects (2009), the Moscow City Government (2010). In 2020, the capital’s Museum of Cosmonautics was awarded the Grand Prix of the Intermuseum international competition.

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A walk around the Cosmonautics Museum

Behind the semi-circular foyer, where temporary exhibitions are held, is the first of the four themed halls of the Cosmonautics Museum, dedicated to the origin of the universe. Here one can get acquainted with modern theories of the origin of the universe. The designers of the exposition tried to present the ideas of astrophysicists in the most understandable, popular form.

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At the entrance to the hall “Morning of the Space Age”, dedicated to the first steps of mankind beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, visitors are greeted by a bronze statue of the pioneer of star roads. The cosmonaut has his hands raised in greeting, he is dressed in a spacesuit with a helmet. The sculpture is set against the backdrop of an illuminated stained glass window depicting our planet floating in space.

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The bright composition creates a festive mood, inviting to the amazing discoveries awaiting inquisitive sightseers. Examine the models of the first rockets, orbiting satellites, hermetically sealed containers with animals. The famous dogs Belka and Strelka, who bravely paved the way to space, are immortalized nearby. Here you will also see authentic rare scientific equipment of the past years and modern devices, trace the evolution of different models of helmets and spacesuits that protect astronauts from the dangers of an aggressive environment.

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In the section dedicated to the creators of the space age, there are several personal items of the talented engineer and inventor Friedrich Zander, who created the prototype of the liquid jet engine in the 1930s. This scientist is the author of the concept of the spaceplane (winged rocket), which was decades ahead of its time. In the same section recreated corners of the estate of K. E. Tsiolkovsky, the office of S. P. Korolev.

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A separate section of the Museum of Cosmonautics is dedicated to the exploration of the Moon, Venus and Mars. Attracting attention are the famous “Lunokhod”, full-scale models of the AMS “Luna-9” and “Luna-16”, a sample of lunar soil delivered to Earth. There are also exact replicas of the Mars-3 and Venus-4 landers, which successfully completed their mission and became part of the landscape of the conquered planets forever.

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One of the halls is equipped with a remote unit directly connected to the Mission Control Center. Tourists linger here for long periods of time. Real-time displays show the movement of the International Space Station in Earth orbit. Video cameras placed on the ISS allow a detailed look at the internal compartments. Live broadcasts are regularly organized with the participation of astronauts working on the orbital station.

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The museum exposition also includes models of jet engines, Buran transportation system, Soyuz spacecraft, artificial satellites for various purposes.

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At the service of visitors to the Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow – a movie theater, designed in the form of a salon of a fantastic starship, conference hall. A specialized library works, the doors of the cafe are open. Employees of the museum and invited specialists hold here interesting educational seminars, debates, informative lessons for schoolchildren. Especially popular are the lectures of the cycle “Space without formulas”, where young scientists talk about the achievements of science, modern space programs, the search for extraterrestrial life, answering questions of those present.

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Monument to the conquerors of space

The monument “To the Conquerors of Space” topped with a rocket pointing to the zenith rises 107 meters above the roof of the Museum of Cosmonautics. The monument is made in the form of a parabolic plume of gases of burnt fuel, lifting the spaceship into orbit. At first, the authors of the bold project planned to make the exterior of the takeoff parabola of glass, but calculations showed that this material would significantly weigh and complicate the design. Another decision was made: to “dress” the parabola in space metal – titanium.

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Openwork welded frame of steel, lined with mirror-polished titanium panels, mounted on the ground. In November 1964, specially designed cranes lifted the finished 250-ton obelisk and installed it on a concrete foundation.

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The monumental composition project also included the Museum of Cosmonautics, conceived by Academician Korolev. The creator of the Soviet orbital fleet lived nearby. According to the memories of contemporaries, Sergei Pavlovich often came to the construction site in the evenings, watching the erection of the colossal curved spire and the museum building on the basement level of the monument. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to see the museum. The exposition was opened only 15 years after his death. At the base of the monument there is a granite sculpture of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky facing the Cosmonauts’ Alley.

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Cosmonauts Alley

A continuation of the museum is Cosmonauts Alley, beginning behind the obelisk. This wide park promenade paved with granite slabs is decorated with busts of space conquerors. Cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin, Valentina Tereshkova and other pioneers and outstanding scientists are immortalized here.

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In 2008, the alley was renewed. There were new monuments, an installation of the solar system, a globe of our planet and a sphere with a map of the starry sky. In the evenings the compositions are illuminated. The granite stars mark the key dates of the conquest of outer space.

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A bronze monument to Academician Sergei Korolev was erected on Cosmonauts Alley. The pedestal is associated with a combat rocket flying out of the launch shaft. The composition reminds that along with spacecraft carriers, the designer created powerful defense missiles that became the country’s nuclear shield. The bust of the famous designer, which previously stood on the alley, was moved to the house-museum located nearby.

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Korolev House-Museum

Not far from the Cosmonautics Museum, at 28, 1st Ostankinskaya Street, is its branch – the memorial estate of Academician Sergei Korolev. The designer received this cozy cottage with a small garden as a gift from the government of the Soviet Union in 1959 to commemorate the historic launch of the first artificial satellite into Earth orbit. Sergei Pavlovich lived here for only six years.

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After the death of the academician in 1966, his wife Nina Ivanovna proposed to create a museum in the house. She transferred to the exposition almost all the furnishings – personal belongings, furnishings, family photo albums, archives. By order of the Moscow City Council, the building was restored, and a separate entrance was arranged for visitors. Wide access here was opened in August 1975.

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The uniqueness of the memorial rooms is that all the items here are authentic. By the stairs in the entrance hall stands an iconic sculpture – a reduced copy of the monument “To the Stars”. On the pedestal you can see the autographs of the cosmonauts who presented this gift to the designer. In the office on the second floor there is still a desk and an armchair of Sergei Pavlovich. In the room there is a hand-drawn map of the surface of the Moon. Korolev dreamed of sending there a manned spacecraft, studied possible locations for landing a lunar module. In the last years of his life, he worked on the blueprints for a super-powered rocket capable of delivering people to the Earth’s satellite.

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Next door is the academician’s scientific library. On the shelves crowded books with notes made by his hand. On the shelves in the living room – about 2000 more books of fiction. In working condition household electronic equipment of Soviet production – TV “Rubin”, radio, movie projector.

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Thematic traveling exhibitions are organized in the premises, frequent guests here – Moscow schoolchildren. Employees of the Museum of Cosmonautics have developed educational programs for the younger generation of conquerors of distant planets. The House-Museum of S. P. Korolev can be visited from 10:00 to 18:00, Monday and Tuesday – weekends.

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Practical information

The Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow is open from 10:00 to 19:00, on Fridays and Saturdays – until 21:00. The day off is Monday.

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Ticket price for adult visitors – 300 rubles, for children (7-18 years old) – 150 rubles. To join a group sightseeing tour, you need to pay an additional 200 rubles. If you wish, use the audio guide. The device is offered at the ticket office (200 rubles). Photography and videography are paid separately.

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Souvenirs

The museum’s souvenir store offers posters and games. In the showcases you will find a large selection of literature on space topics, collections of scientific research. Here you can buy a detailed guidebook “Cosmonautics on the map of Moscow”. With its help inquisitive tourists will continue their acquaintance with the interesting pages of the star biography of the Russian capital.

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Where to eat

Next to the conference hall visitors will find the cafe “Under the Rocket”. Here you can eat pizza or order chicken kebab, drink tea with pastries or a cup of coffee with ice cream. Facility’s highlight is real food of cosmonauts, which is delivered to the International Space Station. The manufacturer of these products is Biryulevsky Experimental Plant.

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Elastic tubes with space food and canned food are sold in souvenir packages. The orbital diet includes hearty borscht, buckwheat porridge with meat, jams and other tasty viands. The gift set includes a space warmer that heats food without fire.

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How to get there

The Museum of Cosmonautics is located in the Ostankinsky district of Moscow, at 111 Mira Avenue. You can get to the museum by buses № 15, 33, 56, 154, 172, by streetcars № 11, 17, 25. The nearest metro station is “VDNKh”. Nearby is the platform “Exhibition Center” of the Moscow Monorail line, laid on an elevated overpass.

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