Central Air Force Museum

Welcome to the Central Air Force Museum in Monino, a site of profound historical and technological significance. Established in 1958, this facility serves as the premier repository for the history of Soviet and Russian aviation. …

Standing before us is the Tupolev TU-4, a masterclass in reverse engineering and a pivotal artifact in the Soviet nuclear program. While it bears an uncanny resemblance to the American B-29 Superfortress, it is specifically the…

We now approach the helicopter section, dominated by the colossal Mil MI-12, also known as the V-12. It is difficult to overstate the physical impact of this machine. …

Here we find one of the museum's most iconic residents: the Tupolev TU-144, famously known in the West as the 'Concordski.' This was the world's first supersonic passenger liner, remarkably beating the Anglo-French Concorde into…

We now move toward the giants of the strategic fleet, specifically the Tupolev TU-95, known to NATO as the 'Bear.' This aircraft is an absolute legend in aviation history. What makes it unique is its propulsion system: it uses…

In this corner of the museum, we explore the pursuit of vertical takeoff and landing, or VTOL. The Yakovlev Design Bureau was at the forefront of this technology in the Soviet Union. …

We now enter 'Fighter Alley,' a chronological journey through the lineage of the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau, better known as MIG. This row of aircraft represents the evolution of air-to-air combat over half a century. …

As our journey through the Central Air Force Museum comes to a close, take a final look back at the silhouettes of these remarkable machines against the Monino sky. We have traveled from the early days of reverse-engineering the…