4/5 Jaroslav M. 3 years ago on Google
The
Central
Air
Force
Museum
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
kilometers
(25
mi)
east
of
Moscow.
The
origins
of
the
museum
go
back
to
1940
when
the
village
of
Monino
was
selected
to
be
the
location
of
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.
Prior
to
1999,
the
museum
was
closed
to
the
public,
because
of
the
display
of
classified
prototypes
from
the
era
of
the
former
Soviet
Union.[citation
needed].
Today,
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.