Central House of Aviation and Cosmonautics

The epoch of Russian history related to flight and space exploration is a fascinating one. The names of famous pilots and – later – astronauts, are iconic. Astronauts were admired; they became role models whose feats have stayed in the people’s memories and continue to be honoured even today.

The hard work of the conquerors of the sky is visually represented in the display of a small Moscow museum, namely, the Central House of Aviation and Space ExplorationRussian: Tsentralnyi dom aviatsii i kosmonavtiki or Центральный дом авиации и космонавтики. Its visitors have the opportunity to see authentic simulators used to train astronauts, everyday objects used while orbiting the Earth, a life support system, space suits, model engines, etc. There are also selected weapons which aircraft were equipped with during the Second World War, a catapult device, and photos of pilots with details of the aerobatic maneuvers that they performed. It is interesting to note that the museum is located close to the N.E. Zhukovsky Russian Air Force AcademyRussian: uchilische voenno-vozdushnyh sil Rossii imeni N.E. Zhukovskogo or училище военно-воздушных сил России имени Н.Е. Жуковского, where future pilots are trained. This is the alma mater of all the astronauts you can learn about about by visiting the museum.

Strange as it may seem, it’s been quite a while since this museum was founded. It was established in 1924, almost simultaneously with the advent of aviation. Over the time since then, a variety of interesting exhibits have been housed here. They are divided into two groups: one devoted to the history of aviation, and the other to illustrating the history of astronautics.

The museum will fascinate not only adult lovers of aviation and cosmonautics, but also young children because it gives you a chance to see a real spacesuit, astronauts’ food contained in tubes, the first satellite and even a Mars rover. In the museum courtyard, there is a re-entry capsule from the “VostokRussian: Восток” spaceship – an authentic capsule which has been to space. A great number of models showcase the history of aviation from the earliest airplanes to state-of-the art aircraft. Interestingly, many museum exhibits are working models – you can see a helicopter rotor in action or listen to the noise of an airplane engine. Perhaps the most popular exhibit is the “BuranRussian: Буран” space cabin simulator, where you can click on all the buttons and pull all the levers to see how it works.

The museum also has a shop where modelling enthusiasts will be able to buy parts they need for their models. In addition, the museum often hosts various events and meetings with pilots. The museum staff are enthusiasts who love their work. They seek to instill in children a love of aviation, respect for others’ heroic deeds, and an interest in science. Russian-speaking visitors are advised to book an excursion in advance as the guides are experts who can share truly unique information with visitors.

The Central House of Aviation is a museum which undoubtedly deserves more attention than it gets. It is difficult to say what exactly deters visitors. It is true that the exhibition space is small, the technical focus of the display and the location is not particularly convenient as it does take about ten minutes to walk there from a metro station. Those who make it to this museum however, especially parents with young children, leave only positive reviews.

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