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.. 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.
Visiting
Since the museum is situated on the territory of a military unit, all visitors must pass the entrance gate to the military complex. As of summer 2006, special permission to visit is no longer required. there are apparently only five full-time employees at the museum, which opens on an occasional basis. Visitors are advised to confirm in advance when the museum is open. The Museum guide offers this advice for visiting the museum:
by minibus or bus no. 362 from Schelkovskay metro station/bus station to Monino.
by Yandex from/ to Central Moscow: Business Class ~2600 rubles, Comfort + about 1600 rubles. Door to door, takes about an hour each way depending on traffic.. Entry fee 250 rubles.
Facilities
There are lavatory facilities, a small shop and vending machine for food and drinks. There are two large hangars with well-displayed items and much material about the items, but all in Russian, although some have a brief translation into English. Another hangar, as of March 2012 is under construction to house more exhibits that are to be moved from the field into the new hangar. A museum booklet is available, published in 2008, from the museum officials. 36 A4 pages long, the booklet includes an introduction, along with photographs and descriptions of each individual aeroplane.
Aircraft on display
Transport and passenger aircraft Fighters Bombers Helicopters Other aircraft
