Central Museum of the Air Force in Monino
In 1958, in the Monino military town near Moscow, an exhibition museum was created on the basis of the existing airfield, workshop rooms and two hangars aviation technicians at the Red Banner Air Force Academy. The first aircraft in the museum were Po-2, La-11, Yak-18, La-15, Yak-12, Voisin, Sopvich, Il-10, Il-12, Tu-2, found in aviation units, at landfills and airfields Air Force
By the beginning of the 70-ies in the museum 35 units of full-scale aircraft.
From 1971 year - the Museum of the Air Force of the USSR. For his 20 anniversary, he had more than eighty full-scale samples of aircraft, and more than a million visitors visited it. The museum was replenished with the Farman-4 and Ilya Muromets planes recreated at the film studios. As a result of the search work, restoration of the found aircraft in the design bureau and museum workshops, the museum’s collection is continuously replenished with airplanes and helicopters, unique models of engines, equipment and weapons of airplanes, personal belongings of famous aviators
Since 2003, air shows have been held on the basis of the museum and the academy. These days, the situation of field airfields of the times of the Great Patriotic War is being reconstructed, flights of “flying legends” and modern airplanes and helicopters, balloons and airships, and piloting groups are organized. Every year, more than 250 thousands of people visit the museum.
Some of the current problems are discussed by the reserve colonel, Museum Chief Alexander Vladimirovich Goncharov:
“Now our main task is to reconstruct the museum as soon as possible. The command of the Air Force allocates as much money as is necessary for construction work. By the 100 anniversary of the Air Force, which will be celebrated on August 12 2012, our museum is completely transformed. Now on display are 180 aircraft, most of them are original, only a few layouts; There is no such unique collection in the world.
My task as the head of the museum is to preserve this collection. We have prepared an appeal to Colonel-General A.N.Zilin, Commander of the Air Force, and are planning to carry out design and survey work to make a canopy over an open parking lot. We have more than 10 hectares (it's like the three Luzhniki stadiums), the amount of work is enormous. The staff of the museum employs 87 people, mostly people with experience, many have worked with us from 15 to 40 years. Most recently, a senior researcher in the fund department, who turned 95 years old, was the most wonderful person who did a lot. And we have many such enthusiasts. In the technical museum there is a lot of hard physical work that volunteers of the Foundation for Assisting the Museum help, guys from 20 to 35 years who come from Moscow, Moscow region and even from St. Petersburg. They carry out high-quality restoration work, and on open-door days, when we have 30 – 40 thousands of visitors, volunteers help to conduct excursions. Without them it would be very difficult.
We have good contacts with all aviation design bureaus, representatives come, inspect the site and, if necessary, restore the brigade of workers, take all the costs themselves. We are grateful for this help, but all the time it’s inconvenient to walk with an outstretched hand, so the “Patronage of the aircraft” program is being worked out now. A private person or a legal entity (organization) can take patronage over an airplane or helicopter, an agreement is drawn up, according to which the bosses will contain an exhibit, and we will tell about this organization. So, the mayor of the city Shchelkovo Ershova took care of the helicopter MI-12, the largest helicopter in the world, raising 40 tons.
The closest open day at the museum will be 9 in May, visitors will be able to see the whole exhibition and visit 15 airplanes and helicopters inside. Moscow residents will come not only to see, but also to relax, here is fresh air and it is very easy to breathe. ”
Veterans on their hands raise all this complex museum management. Young people are not too willing to work in a museum, choosing high-paying jobs. Great help is provided by volunteers who volunteer, who organize voluntary work for the improvement of the territory, and help in restoration work. In the photo: a veteran aviator, a senior scientist at the Air Force Central Committee, Alexey Alexandrovich Soldatkin.
The winter problem of the aviation museum - the exhibits are buried in snow drifts, and cleaning the giant exhibits is laborious.
Information