State Museum of the History of Astronautics (Kaluga): description, mode of operation, cost of visiting. Astronautics Museum (Kaluga): reviews

Kaluzhans believe that their land gave impetus to the development of nuclear energy and cosmonautics. The museum, which Kaluga can be proud of, is located in this city. The building, under the dome of which unique artifacts are collected that tell the story of astronautics, began to be built in 1936. The first completed part of the future complex was the house-museum of KE. Tsiolkovsky.

Then the war began. For a while, the complex was forgotten by Kaluga. The construction of the Cosmonautics Museum continued after 1945. Very soon, on the steep bank of the river Jachenka in the park, a modern building was effectively built up, in which artifacts of different times were carefully collected.

Construction of a museum

In 1957, an artificial earth satellite was launched into orbit . He opened a new page in the history of mankind. In two years the largest Soviet scientists published a letter. It said that it is necessary to build a complex in which reactive technology would be assembled. In 1960, it was decided to create such an astronautics center. The museum, which Kaluga began to erect immediately, was created after considering more than 230 works of architects. The authors of the draft, which was adopted, received the State Prize of the RSFSR. In 1961, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin was invited to lay the foundation stone. He picked up a trowel, took a coin from his pocket, showed it to the people around him tightly. With a smile on his face, he put a penny under the ancient tradition under the first brick. And then quickly began to lay one brick after another. It turned out that he masterfully owns a trowel. Finally, the astronaut straightened, handed the instrument to the builders and raised his hands, greeting the audience. The Kaluga residents enthusiastically answered him with a storm of applause. So, the first cosmonaut in the world laid the foundation on which the museum of the history of cosmonautics was later built. Kaluga in 1967 in a solemn atmosphere opened its doors to the first visitors. Cosmonaut AG arrived at the opening ceremony. Nikolaev, who spoke at the rally.

Currently, the second building of the museum is under construction. Its area will be 4 times larger than that of the original building. The new building, consisting of three floors, will turn out bright, as it is built of glass and concrete. Elevators and escalators will work in it. From its roof and ramp will open an amazing view of the Yachen reservoir. It is envisaged that people with disabilities will also be able to climb to the roof and to the observation deck. Everyone will have the opportunity to visit a modern cinema, participate in the "Space Journey", in which they will feel the sensations of orbital flight. The Cosmic Cafe will also operate. In addition, many more surprises and special effects are prepared by museum workers for visitors.

On the steep slope of Jacenka

In the park, where the great scholar Tsiolkovsky is buried, there is an obelisk. Next, on the site is the first historical space point - the museum (Kaluga). It has simple and concise forms. The building's shell is an elongated rectangle. Long longitudinal walls - deaf, ends - transparent, glazed. In it, on the south side, a planetarium made of aluminum is embedded.

It has the form of a vertically arranged ellipsoid and rises above the roof of the museum. This component gives the building a certain aura of energy and symbolizes the breakthrough of man into outer space. Nearby there is a unique exposition of the museum, high-striving in the sky - the carrier rocket "Vostok", which stands on a special pedestal. This is not a copy, but a backup rocket.

How are the halls of the museum arranged?

The complex consists of several parts. In it there is an opening hall, rooms of biography (scientific) KE. Tsiolkovsky and the implementation of his ideas. There is also a planetarium. Sharply dividing by subject, the halls form a single space. The composition of the exhibits is carefully thought out. The color solution contributes to the creation of a good background for them and the full disclosure of the main idea of the exposition. In the design were used: monumental painting, mosaic, graphics, sculpture, photography. Everything is aimed at showing the development of space exploration. The museum, which Kaluga cares about tirelessly, is constantly replenished with new exhibits.

In the first hall

The visitor begins to inspect the complex from the opening hall. In it is the duplicate of the first artificial earth satellite. The object itself was in orbit for twenty-six days. And his backup was transferred to the museum. He is suspended high under the vault of the hall and hovers in space. The weight of this satellite is 83.6 kg, the diameter is 80 cm, the time of revolution around the earth is 96.17 minutes. There is also a kind of "epigraph" to the entire exhibition - a unique exhibit. This mosaic panel "Soviet people - conquerors of the cosmos." Creation is monumental. It occupies a wall area of 180 square meters. M. And tells about the people of labor, the discoverers of the cosmos. He is accompanied by the words of K.E. Tsiolkovsky.

The next room is a biography of K.E. Tsiolkovsky in his works

In the large showcase on the wall shows the development of rocket technology. It depicts a person's dream of flying from ancient times, the Renaissance and later centuries. The names of Leonardo da Vinci, Copernicus, Newton, Lomonosov are not forgotten. In some cases, the works of K.E. Tsiolkovsky on aeronautics. In addition, the model of the airship, which the scientist created, is shown. Still there are his works on aerodynamics, aviation.

Here is the model of the aircraft AF. Mozhaisky, belonging to the year 1881. Back in 1878 K. Tsiolkovsky expressed the idea of possible flights into space, more precisely, about interplanetary messages. Then it was full of fantasy. Then he comes to the conclusion that the only means of transportation is a rocket. Describing the man's way into outer space, Konstantin Eduardovich gives a description of the cosmonaut's spacesuit. He accompanies his work not only with calculations, but also with drawings. There are also books published about him abroad.

The most interesting hall is a man and space

It features jet engines. In the very center of the hall is a model of the ship "Vostok" and a photopan "Cosmonaut A. Leonov's escape to outer space". Immediately - the orbital station "Mir". It is open for visits. In addition, there are copies of artificial earth satellites in full size:

• "Cosmos-166" for the study of the Sun.
• "Cosmos-108" for the analysis of the atmosphere.
• "Proton", which studies ultrahigh-energy particles.
• "Lightning-1", broadcasting television programs.

Copies of full-size lunettes:

• AMC "Luna-9", "Luna-16", which remotely explored Selena.
• Collection of lunar soil.

For the studies of Mars and Venus, the stations Mars-3 and Venera-9 were used. They are also placed in the Museum of Cosmonautics History. Kaluga does not yet have enough space to accommodate all large objects.

The central place

Most of all, visitors are attracted by the original of the descent vehicle of the Soyuz-34 spacecraft, the catapulted chair of the East with the cosmonaut's dummy. And also spacesuits - rescue and for extra-flying activities. And also space power, the self-propelled device "Lunokhod-2", which was controlled from the ground. The current model of the Baikonur cosmodrome gives an idea of the preparations for launching a launch vehicle with a spacecraft.

As the greatest relic, the Astronautics Museum (Kaluga) stores the onboard magazine of the first cosmonaut. He is small. Was intended for recording a person in orbit about whether the Earth is well seen from space, how the sky is seen, whether enough of the horizon and some other issues are visible.

Starry sky

The double doors of the planetarium tightly close behind the visitors. Now there will be magic. The light goes out slowly. In the darkness the outlines of the hall disappear. Invisible becomes the apparatus, which towered in the very center of the round hall. He was somewhat like a grasshopper, only a huge one, with angular knees. Further, the lecturer says, all visitors are silent. He leads a story about a famous astronomer who lived in ancient days in Italy. His name is Giovanni Schiaparelli. It was he who discovered the channels on Mars. For hours Schiaparelli sat in utter darkness, so that his eyes could feel the most insignificant light. Only after such cunning can you look into the eyepiece of the telescope.

So, before the audience there is a velvet depth of the night sky. It fascinates and beckons. Drawing of constellations of beads. There is not a single cloud. The depth of the celestial sphere strikes with purity and infinity. Sounds solemn music, and a scattering of countless stars covers a huge dome over their heads. The hall seems to grow in size and fill with the coolness of the night. In fact, the planetarium dome is not so great, but how it looks like reality and how impressive it looks. The audience can not contain the enthusiasm. With a creative approach to visitors, the Astronautics Museum (Kaluga) operates . Planetarium is visited by almost everyone who comes to this complex. When the session comes to an end, it means that the night is replaced by the dawn. The stars melt and pale. The dawn rises, it flares brighter with every second. The fiery disk of the luminary appears in the east. It illuminates the modern city of Kaluga.

Then, experienced planetarium lecturers introduce visitors to the history of the representation of outer space, people from ancient times, the structure of our solar system, the climate on other planets. They talk about what processes occur on the Sun and in the depths of other distant stars. Only here you can be struck by the power and grandeur of the universe. The planetarium with modern technology produces a great aesthetic and cognitive impression. For a special sense of the feeling of space, the museum workers put in it a piece of a meteorite that can be touched.

What else is in the museum?

The complex includes the house-museum of LA. Chizhevsky and two houses KE. Tsiolkovsky. One is in Borovsk, the other is in Kaluga. The one in Kaluga is located in the immediate vicinity of the museum. And you can see the interiors in which Konstantin Eduardovich lived more than 100 years ago. He stayed in Kaluga for twenty-nine years, buying this house in 1904 near the river. The building was one-story. But four years later in the spring there was a big flood - the water flooded the house. The family moved to the neighbors, and Konstantin Eduardovich stayed in the attic with his books, manuscripts and instruments. All that is needed, he was brought in a boat. After the water came down, the mezzanine and the veranda were topped in the summer, and, in addition, the shed. The mezzanine became an office. It is in him that the original things of the scientist are preserved. And the veranda turned into a workshop. Through her Konstantin Eduardovich went out on the roof, where he made experiments, watched birds fly, looked at the starry sky at night.

Kaluga, the Museum of Astronautics: operating mode

The museum works daily, except Monday, from ten o'clock in the morning until six in the evening. On Saturdays - up to seven. On Wednesdays, the opening is delayed by an hour. But the mode of work is extended in the evening - up to 21 hours. Sanitary day is provided. It is held on the last Friday of the month. Glad welcome tourists hospitable Kaluga. The Museum of Cosmonautics, the planetarium, the working schedule is coordinated with the schedule of the whole complex. For the convenience of visitors, all sections of the complex are open simultaneously.

Ticket prices

The State Museum of Astronautics (Kaluga) offers a democratic service. All those who are under 16 years of age visit the complex for free. For students and pensioners, the ticket price is one hundred rubles. For those who work - one hundred and fifty. Photos can be made by paying another two hundred rubles.

Guest Reviews

Those who visited the Cosmonautics Museum (Kaluga) leave the most enthusiastic comments, listing everything they saw and showing it in photographs. Recommend to visit all friends and strangers. Also admire the work of the planetarium, because all the displays are held at a high technical level. Mark and very informative topics, which are guided tours in the planetarium. For our part, we also recommend visiting the Astronautics Museum at the first opportunity. At least because the second such in our country there.