central museum of the air forces at monino

For those who are into military aviation in general , and Cold War jets , this place is like heaven.We were given a visit by the director himself - a former MiG-31 pilot -

My visit the Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino was the highlight of my stay in Moscow. Getting there on public transport was half the fun, as there are no signs or directions, and very few people speak English. After leaving the train station and walking through the bush there it is. A new admin building and the museum. There is also another hangar with about 10 aircraft in it. The rest of the aircraft are outside, with another older hangar nearby. What an experience to see all these Russian aircraft from the war to the present day. I recommend it to anyone, even those only mildly interested in aviation.

I went on September 2014, i want to go alone but prefer to arrange a guide, he was an ex pilot that knew lot of stories about the planes so it was very nice, i was so happy as a kid to see planes like the Su-33, T-4, Tu-22, i really recommend to take time and see all the different planes !!!

It is possible to reach Monino, from Moscow, on a suburban railway, and then walk or either take the bus. If you're adventurous, or speak some Russian, this is probably the best option, as guided tours are extremely expensive ( ours was around 200 pounds for just 4 hours there) and I simply felt, apart from providing a humourously biased view, the guides didn't really add anything that you couldn't have read from the signs, most of which are in English also. The entrance ticket is 150 Rubles. The only facilities present are a small vending machine and a run down toilet. The museum itself is divided into three sections. The first is inside, and is a large hangar containing a bit of the history of Soviet aviation from replicas of the first world war planes, to aircraft from the Great Patriotic War.The second, and by far the most impressive, is the outside section which is enormous. This contains a vast array of bombers such as the famous TU-95 " bear" as well as a huge amount of Sukhoi, Yakolev and MiG fighters, spanning the entity of the Soviet aviation era. Towards the back, sadly are some of the civil ( Aeroflot) planes from the era. These aircraft are very large, yet in quite poor condition, so our guide was keen to miss these out from the tour, which is a shame. The TU-144 or "Concordsky" however, was raved about for half an hour, as we were constantly reminded about how it was better than Concord, perhaps illustrating why it would be more tranquil to walk around by yourself.The final section located in the middle of the outside section is a smaller hangar. Here there are aircraft which are either experimental or recording breaking. Personally I didn't find this very interesting and subsequently felt like we wasted a lot of time, just because the guide wanted to talk about it.Overall, a stunning collection of Russian aircraft, but to enjoy it to the full, and save a lot of money, attempt to visit it independently.

On a weekend during a business trip went to this hidden gem. My two Russian companions who like myself are in the aviation industry were completely unaware of the museums existence. I used Trip Advisor directions to help navigate the car to museum. Very little signage and a local store provided directions once in Monimo.The collection of aircraft and engines is truly amazing, particularly to an aviation industry person. My Russian colleagues were overwhelmed by the size and diversity of the collection. Its existence was completely unknown to themMy only complaints are; lack of placards other than in Russian and the distance some of the exhibits are located from public areas. Altogether a most interesting and educational museum collection

This is the most amazing collection of Russian aircraft. Obviously you have to be a bit of an enthusiast to enjoy, but it's well worth the trip out there. When we visited, the museum building and hangers were closed, as was the shop. Not sure why. The place appears to be run & staffed by a handful of retired volunteers. They seem to do a fantastic job, but the hours may be a little eccentric. We were a bit wary of the prices charged by the tour companies so we decided to make our own way.And, thanks to other Tripadvisor reviews, we managed to get there under our own steam by bus. It was actually very straightforward. We took the 322 from the bus station by Partizanskaya metro (come out of the one metro exit and turn left, turn left again on the main road, and it's about 100m down). Both the normal bus (80 roubles) and the minibus/marshrutka (100 roubles) follow the same route (all marked no 322). Just ask the driver for Akademia VVS (or 'BBC' in cyrillic), or ask for the Aero Museum, or simply show the driver a map on your phone. If you ask for Monino, it will be assumed you mean the town of Monino and they don't go there.When you get off the bus, you need to cross the busy highway. There is a kind of crossing. The museum is sign-posted 'Monino' on the wall in blue (next to the bus shelter for your return to Moscow). Just go up the quiet road by the sign for about 600m. From there it is well sign-posted to your left.For info - buses seem to run about every 40 minutes, but the marshrutka are more frequent. The return bus has to be hailed down, so keep a sharp eye out down the highway.

I will begin by writing that if you are an aviation enthusiast, this is an absolute must see! There has been a lot of talk on TripAdvisor and elsewhere about how hard it is to get to the museum on your own. Now, after attempting it last Thursday, I am glad to say that it's not hard at all.First thing you need to do is read the EXCELLENT guide written by Dr. Scott W. Palmer:http://www.dictatorshipoftheair.com/2007/06/29/the-russian-air-force-museum-at-monino-pt-1/This is a 6 part guide covering in detail how to get to the museum and also giving a tour of what you will see when you reach it. The guide is a from 2007, but not many things have changed. The main difference is that the air force academy described in it, is now defunct, but you still need to go around it to reach the museum. It's a good 20-25 mins walk from the station so wear comfortable shoes. The elektrichka train that we used was on time and comfortable. There are vendors selling all kinds of stuff on board. I don't think the museum has catering facilities, but there are 2 big supermarkets on the way there and many smaller shops outside the station.You don't need a permit any more, so you can just walk in and buy a ticket. For some reason I only paid 150 Roubles for the ticket and I was told that a photo ticket is not required. The staff in the museum doesn't speak English, but the only thing I needed to say was dva bilieti (two tickets).The collection of airplanes and helicopters is amazing! You'll have an once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Tu-144 (Russian equivalent of Concorde) and one of the two Mi-12 heli-airplanes ever built. You will also have the opportunity to take great pictures in front of the formidable Tu-95 Bear. Most of the airplanes have descriptions in front of them, which are in both Russian and English (I admit, I didn't see that coming). Quite a few of the airplanes on display are in desperate need of maintenance, but don't let this spoil the experience. I made sure I left a donation in hope that it will actually go towards maintaining the amazing pieces of aviation history on display in Monino.All in all, I felt that this museum provided an experience equivalent to that of the US Air Force museum in Dayton, OH. Although the exhibits are not as well maintained, they are way more exotic, at least for somebody who is not Russian. Do not miss it!

I visited this place in the summer after hearing that this is a must-see place for aviation enthusiasts. If you are adventurous enough, it is possible to make your way here via a electric train from Moscow. However, I was travelling with my wife so I opted for a guided tour with Angel Taxi.Our guide was Alexander and he was fluent in English. There is a wide collection of Russian aircraft from the First World War to the Vietnam War and Cold War. Highlights for me are Mil V 12, largest helicopter in the world, Tu-95 Bear, 3M Bison and Tu-144. However, most of the exhibits do not have English signboards, so if you go alone there, you'll probably not get the best out of the exhibits. Wonderful weather to view all these majestic planes, thoroughly enjoyed myself!

The exhibition is vast and comprehensive, so, that an average visitor shall better have a guide. Local guides here are nothing but military pilots - they not only know the subjects as a whole and all the exhibits, they are proud of the place and eager to share their deep knowledge and understanding. Adults will enjoy not less than children - take my word for it.

I visited the Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino after seeing the MAKS 2013 Airshow at Zhukovskiy. It was a bit of an effort in the very heavy Moscow traffic to get to Monino from Moscow. If you like planes it is definitely worth the effort to visit Monino. Our English speaking guide who's name I can not recall had excellent knowledge of all aircraft and has served in the Russian Air Force.The museum has very early built aircraft right up to modern supersonic jets and space. Our guide educated us in Cold War history and the race to match the Americans. I really enjoyed my visit to Monino.

Booked this tour whilst in moscow, it was an expensive trek out of the city but well worth the time and effort. This tour is a must for anyone interested in aircraft. There is heaps on display.

I went to Monino on Oct. 12, 2013. Alexander, of Angel Taxi, arranged for transportation from Moscow to Monino and back. The drivers arrived just as promised and Alexander met me in the Monino parking lot. The tour was excellent and he was quite informative. A photo pass had been arranged and I had as much time as I needed to examine the aircraft and tour the hangars. A wonderful day visiting a place that I have wanted to visit for many years. I would recommend the services that I received to anyone contemplating a trip to Monino. It is fantastic for anyone that is an aviation buff.

I hired a local guide who is a former pilot instructor of the soviet air force. the guy is knowleable about all the planes displayed at the museum. The place is distant from Moscow, about 50 miles (80K) so you need a car (preferably a guide who drives) to reach the place. It is not easy for a foreigner to find the place, but it worthwhile the money your spend to get there.It is a 2oth century history lecture in form of air display.

We booked this tour in Australia from Passport Travel. The guide/translator was a young medical student who admitted she didn't like planes! This was a point of fun for us and she a very ably translated the museum guide. The museum guide was in the same age group and even though I didn't speak Russian and he didn't speak English we developed a great rapport because of our love of aircraft. All the cold war jets are displayed but clearly some more funding is needed for up keep. There is a good collection of WW11 aircraft (some are replicas) and 1920's and 30's has some representation. I was most impressed by the TU-95 and also the line up of MiG's and Sukhoi's. The museum guide was most excited when I told him I'd flown on Concorde when we were discussing the Tu-144 "Concordski". It was great visit in perfect weather and we were there for just under 3 hours. Don't forget to buy the Museum book/guide - The comments are amusing. On the way back we got dropped off at the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics which was equally special.

Remarkable and unique museum. Very rich collection I haven't seen anywhere. A must see if you are visiting Moscow. I had a guided tour with a person that has a post-doctoral study. Very knowledgeable person. Worth paying the guide.