Among the many pavilions of VDNKh dedicated to the indisputable achievements of Russian science, industry and technology, it is the exhibits of the Museum of Cosmonautics that are a real confirmation of the technological breakthroughs of our country on a global scale. Here are the legendary technical means that made it possible to carry out the historical launch of an artificial Earth satellite and the first flights into orbit, as well as made our Motherland a space power of the first magnitude.
The history of our country is inextricably linked with space exploration. And this rich heritage, which has made our country one of the leading space powers in the world today, needs to be kept very respectfully by descendants. After all, it will be very important for future generations to track the whole thorny path of our Motherland in the exploration of outer space. In 1967, a significant event took place - the Museum of Cosmonautics was founded in Moscow. And he began to receive the first visitors in 1981. Those wishing to get acquainted with the legendary Soviet breakthrough in the space industry at the entrance to the museum are greeted by a huge titanium rocket, symbolizing the connection of man with the boundless universe.
The Cosmonautics Museum at VDNKh has collected the most significant achievements of the domestic industry as exhibits. Here visitors can feel themselves involved in the great history of the Motherland. Samples of the once modern space technology, satellites and devices used to study the solar system, appear before the guests of the museum in all their primordial uniqueness and grandeur. In addition, the museum's collection contains many archival materials, faleristics, personal belongings, graphics and other interesting exhibits.
Historical and constructive details
The idea of the location of the museum building is aimed at creating a harmonious architectural ensemble, which includes a monument to the Conquerors of Space, which is a unique monument. Today it is already impossible to imagine the capital of our country without this significant cultural object. It was Sergei Korolev who inspired the creation of this historical monument of Russian cosmonautics. The museum at VDNKh owes much of its appearance to this designer scientist, who glorified our Fatherland for many times. And its opening was timed to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the first manned flight into space and is directly related to the name of Yuri Gagarin.
The global dimensions of the structure amaze the imagination of visitors to the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh. Its vast territory, which is more than eight and a half square meters, is distributed in such a way that about half of the usable space is allocated for the main exhibitions. It is important to understand that, despite the rather long service life of the museum, it is technically equipped with all modern technologies. So, within three years, its technical reconstruction was carried out, starting in 2006. As a result, the exhibition space has been significantly increased, which directly affected the capacity of the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh and its compliance with all modern requirements for such cultural objects. Today the museum consists of eight main halls for displaying exhibits, and it also has a comfortable cinema room where visitors can watch thematic documentaries.
The main idea of the museum
After a major reconstruction, the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh has significantly renewed its expositions, including significantly increasing the number of exhibits. Currently, visitors to the museum can fully familiarize themselves with the whole variety of rocket and space technology. It is interesting that here you can also visit numerous virtual simulators, which in an interactive format show the peculiarities of docking and convergence of stations. A participant in such a virtual process, as a pilot, can truly experience key moments in the professional life of astronauts.
The museum has a large scientific library and archive. So here you can dive deeper into space exploration based on existing discoveries. More than three hundred thousand people come here every year. Among the most interesting exhibits of the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh is the model of the Mir orbital station, which is made in full-size scale. Anyone can get here without any restrictions. And nearby is the Flight Center, from where the space station is monitored online. Many visitors love to buy a portion of "space food" in special tubes, which allows them to get the appropriate realism of what is happening.
The Cosmonautics Museum at VDNKh regularly participates in various international and national forums and shows. For example, in June 2015, the next International Museum Festival "Intermuseum-2015" was held here in the format of training sessions, which was attended by amateurs and specialists of the space industry, including well-known scientists with a worldwide reputation. In addition, the museum is constantly working to popularize the space industry, which includes attracting secondary schools and other educational structures to thematic cooperation. In this aspect, a powerful emphasis is placed on attracting interest in space precisely from the side of young people, who can subsequently devote their future professional career to it.
Among the significant events of the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh in recent years, one should also note a special exhibition held in 2015 and dedicated to the sixtieth anniversary of the legendary Baikonur cosmodrome. It has already become a real tradition to hold competitions every year to determine the best guide, which eloquently testifies to the high level of professionalism of the museum staff and their love for the work performed.
The main halls and expositions of the museum
Schematically, the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh consists of main halls, each of which is dedicated to a specific topic:
- "History of Space";
- "Creators of the Space Age";
- "Cosmic Morning";
- "Exploration of the Moon and Space";
- "House in Orbit";
- International Park.
Among the exhibits, the most popular among visitors are the Lunokhod self-propelled vehicle, Luna-1 and Luna-9 unmanned space stations, a liquid-fueled rocket engine, a starship compartment, a space bathroom and other themed items and accessories.
The following most valuable and historically unique collections are considered the special pride of the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh:
- Archive of data and materials;
- Fund of the most rare books and photographs;
- A collection of special space equipment;
- Fund of models of space and rocket technology;
- Collection of flight clothes;
- Yuri Gagarin's personal belongings fund;
- Memorial funds dedicated to the scientific activities and personal life of Sergei Korolev;
- Exhibition projects opened already in the current century with the direct participation of representatives of the international space community.
Despite the fact that there is a similar museum dedicated to space themes in the USA (Washington), most experts prefer the Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow. Moreover, everyone's objective assessments are similar: the Moscow museum is more modern and representative.
Organizational moments
In order to visit the Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh, you need to familiarize yourself with its location and operating hours.
Museum address: Prospect Mira, 111. It is within walking distance from the VDNKh metro station. Opening hours: daily from 10-00 to 19-00 (except Monday - closed, and Thursday - from 10-00 to 21-00). A single cost - 200 rubles (discounts are provided for certain categories of visitors).
An important nuance is that the ticket office finishes its work half an hour earlier than the museum itself.
It is quite obvious that a convenient location and walking distance from the main transport routes of the metropolis, as well as a convenient operating mode of the museum, allow everyone to join the most significant achievements of the country in its quest to conquer outer space.
