Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 00:07, 27 October 2024

Central Air Force Museum

Aerial view of the outdoor exhibit
Location in Russia
Established	28 November 1958
Location	Monino, Moscow Oblast, Russia
Coordinates	55°49′58″N 38°10′59″E / 55.832778°N 38.183056°E / 55.832778; 38.183056
Type	Aviation museum
Website	https://www.cmvvs.ru/

The Central Air Force Museum (Russian: Центральный музей Военно-воздушных сил РФ) is an aviation museum in Monino, Moscow Oblast, Russia. A branch of the Central Armed Forces Museum, it is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Soviet aircraft, with a collection including 173 aircraft and 127 aircraft engines on display. The museum also features additional displays, including Cold War-era American espionage equipment, weapons, instruments, uniforms, artwork, and a library containing books, films, and photos is also accessible to visitors.

The Central Air Force Museum is located on the grounds of the Gagarin Air Force Academy on the site of the former Monino Airfield, 40 km (25 mi) east of Moscow.

History

The origins of the museum go back to 1940 when the village of Monino was selected to be the location of what is now the Gagarin Air Force Academy. The museum itself was founded in 1958, two years after the airfield was closed, and had 6 aircraft and 20 aircraft guns at the time. When it opened to the public another two years later in 1960, it had 14 aircraft. By early 1970, the museum's collection had expanded to about 40 aircraft. In 1990, the aircraft on display were rearranged according to design bureau and chronological order. The museum's main hall was mostly destroyed by fire in 2005. By 2013, a new hangar had been built to house the World War II aircraft. In 2016, it was reported that the museum was to close, with the exhibits being transferred to Patriot Park. New halls with the modern equipment for exhibitions were built. However, a new exhibition hall was opened in February 2020.

The museum contains a range of aircraft, both domestic and foreign, including military, civil and special purpose. The museum also houses associated pieces, such as the uniforms, documents, models and equipment related to the aircraft. The museum is currently open to members of the public to visit.

The museum has never published a catalog of exhibits or a guidebook. Anniversary books about the Gagarin Air Force Academy contain small sections with history and descriptions of exhibits. There is a photo gallery of the museum, taken in 1988-1994 by photographer Viktor Leontyev, a correspondent for a military newspaper. The use of a wide-format lens made it possible to preserve for history views of the museum, including the hall that later burned down.

Aircraft on display

Transport and passenger aircraft

• Tupolev Tu-144 (Charger)
• Antonov An-22 (Cock)
• Tupolev Tu-114 (Cleat)
• Beriev Be-12 (Mail)

Fighters and Attack aircraft

• Lavochkin La-15 (Fantail)
• Sukhoi Su-25 (Frogfoot)
• Tupolev Tu-128 (Fiddler)
• Ilyushin Il-2 (Bark)

Bombers

• Sukhoi T-4 (Su-100)
• Tupolev Tu-22M (Backfire)
• Myasishchev M-50 (Bounder)
• Tupolev Tu-22 (Blinder A)
• Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear)
• Myasishchev 3M (Bison)

Helicopters

• Mil Mi-12 (Homer)
• Mil Mi-26 (Halo)
• Mil Mi-6 (Hook)
• Mil Mi-6B (Hook)
• Mil Mi-24A (Hind-A)
• Mil Mi-25 (Hind-D)
• Kamov Ka-25 (Hormone)
• Mil Mi-10 (Harke)
• Yakovlev Yak-24 (Horse)

Other aircraft

• Myasishchev M-141 ("Strizh" Russian: Стриж) UAV
• Myasishchev M-17 (Mystic) Experimental High-Altitude Aircraft
• MiG-105 Spiral EPOS Orbital Spacecraft (OS) Prototype Nr. 11 (sub-sonic)
• Beriev Bartini VVA-14 Vertical take-off amphibious aircraft prototype

See also

• List of aerospace museums
• Ryazan Museum of Long-Range Aviation

References

Citations

1. ^ О музее. Центральный Музей ВВС РФ (in Russian). Retrieved 30 April 2017.
2. Palmer, Scott W. (2 July 2007). "The Russian Air Force Museum at Monino (pt. 2)". Dictatorship of the Air. Scott W. Palmer. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
3. Zheglov, Alexander; Safronov, Ivan (20 August 2005). "Музей авиации сгорел накануне профессионального праздника". Коммерсантъ. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
4. Gavrilov, Yuri (27 November 2013). "55th anniversary of the Central Air Force Museum". RG.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 May 2020.
5. "Минобороны развеяло слухи об уничтожении коллекции Музея авиации в подмосковном Монино". 5. АО Телерадиокомпания «Петербург». 9 February 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
6. "February 19 - a solemn ceremony of opening a new exhibition hall". Central Air Force Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
7. "Central Museum of the air force".
8. "Central Air Force Museum Monino Russia - Paris Tour Guide". WW1 - WW2 battlefields Guide. Retrieved 2024-05-23.

Bibliography

• (in Russian) На авиамузей в Монино наплевали с большой высоты
• (in Russian) Центральный музей ВВС в Монино

External links

• (in Russian) Homepage of the Monino museum
• Photo gallery of the Museum 1988-1994 by Viktor Leontiev
• Guide for foreign visitors and virtual tour
• Information and photos of the museum Archived 2020-05-26 at the Wayback Machine
• (in Russian) Central Armed Forces Museum page for the museum

55°49′58″N 38°10′59″E / 55.83278°N 38.18306°E / 55.83278; 38.18306

• Air force museums
• Russian military aviation
• Russian Air Force
• Soviet Air Force
• Aerospace museums in Russia
• Military and war museums in Russia
• Cold War museums
• Museums in Moscow Oblast
• Open-air museums in Russia