Unusual
and Conceptual Museums

The Museum of Full-Size Railroad Machinery at the Rizhsky Railway Station is part of the Museum of the Moscow Railway. Abandoned railway tracks, once intended for use by commuter trains, have been transformed into an open-air exhibition space for all kinds of 20th-century railway trains.

The Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy in Moscow is the only museum dedicated to the art of beautiful writing both in Russia and in the world. Opened in 2008 on the territory of the Sokolniki Park.

There’s one place in Moscow where you can immerse yourself into the world of animation and see how cartoon stories get animated, how these drawings come alive. The Moscow Museum of Animation gives you the opportunity to discover all about this process.

You can learn about the origins of vodka and follow its history by exploring the collection of this small museum. Drinking traditions are illustrated with samples of bottles and other vodka containers of various kinds, historical documents, and photographs.

The exhibition is to present over 120 works of art by artists representing different traditional Japanese schools of painting.

Mosfilm is the destination worth a visit for all Soviet and Russian film buffs. It displays legendary cars from popular films, authentic costumes and stage sets, studio stages, professional make-up as well as motion-picture and photographic equipment.

The Russian Navy History Museum, a tour of which implicates a visit to one of the world’s biggest submarines, is located in the north-west of Moscow. On the way to it you will find an air assault hovercraft, a ground-effect craft Orlyonok, and a submarine.

A museum called “Moscow Lights” is situated around Pokrovka and Myasnitskaya streets. This museum focuses on the history of public lighting in Moscow from the Middle Ages until today. It occupies old chambers owned by the Boyar Protopopovs in the 17th cent.

The Vadim Zadorozhny Vehicle Museum is a private museum of vintage cars, motor bikes and military vehicles, one of the largest in Europe. The museum displays cars which belonged to Soviet leaders, numerous antique cars of the 1900s–1940s and much more.

The Museum of Unique Dolls is a small but very unusual museum, located near Pokrovka Street. It opened its doors in 1996. The museum boasts a collection of over 7,000 display items, including dolls from various periods of time, from all over the world.

The Nikolay Ostrovsky cultural centre ‘Integration’ is a museum dedicated to people who have overcome a serious disease and left a lasting mark in history. Its exhibits tell the story of social integration and opportunity for people with disabilities.

Bunker 42 is the only museum in the world dedicated to the Cold War between the USSR and the USA. It is also a unique historic facility of military significance, located 65 metres below ground. The bunker is situated near Taganskaya Metro Station.

This small museum is dedicated to the history of money in Russia and other countries. It features a collection of monetary units of 231 states including some rare ones and those which are out of circulation. Here you can see old and exotic banknotes and coins.

A rather unusual place can be found in the very heart of Moscow, in Kuznetsky Most Street (Russian: ulitsa Kuznetskiy most or улица Кузнецкий мост). Although the place is referred to as museum, everyone is allowed (and welcome!) to touch and play everything. The museum exhibits arcade machines—the favourite entertainment of Soviet children.