The Museum of Cosmonautics is a tribute to Russia’s golden era of space exploration. Be transported back to the 1960s when the whole world was abuzz with excitement about the great space-related inventions and the possibilities of space exploration.
Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Russia was in a thrilling competition with the U.S., with each nation attempting to outdo the other with their space explorations. In this arena, the politics of the Cold War played out in the skies. Russia had a big success when Yuri Gargarin became the first man to orbit Earth in 1961. Note the large rocket monument that stands above the museum. This was built in 1964 to celebrate the achievement. The Museum of Cosmonautics was established later in 1981.
Be amazed by the scale of the Monument to the Conquerors of Space as you approach the museum. The steel and titanium sculpture is not only aesthetically impressive, but it also makes it easy to find the museum below. Measuring 350 feet (100 metres) tall, the monument depicts a space rocket rising up into the sky with a massive jet of smoke issuing from it to the ground below.
Relive the excitement surrounding the space race through the museum’s comprehensive collection of thousands of artifacts from the era. Among the items displayed are various propaganda posters as well as a dog that went to space and is now preserved by taxidermy.
Follow in the footsteps of Russian spacemen and climb into a flight simulator, which is the same as those used in the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Centre. Get closer to the action in the Mission Control Centre, where you can see live footage of the International Space Station currently orbiting Earth. Afterward, take a seat in the museum’s movie theatre, which is modelled on a space craft, and enjoy a space-related film.
To access the Museum of Cosmonautics, take the metro to VDNKh station. The museum has an entrance fee and is open Tuesday to Sunday.
