Central Armed Forces Museum

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Central Armed Forces Museum (Russian: Центральный Музей Вооруженных сил) also known as the Museum of Soviet Army, is a Museum is northern Moscow near the Red Army Theater.

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[edit] History

The first exposition which showed the military condition of the Soviet Republic and the Red Army was organised in Moscow in the building of today's State Universal Store, and was opened by Vladimir Lenin on the 25 May 1919, following a parade on the Red Square.

Later 23 December 1919 an order was issued on the formation of a museum-exposition "Life of the Red Army and Fleet" in the same location, whose purpose was to Inform the public about the achievements by post-revolution Soviet Russia in military education, culture and political discipline in the Red Army and Navy

Thus in 1920 another exposition was organised and dedicated to the 11th congress of Comintern in Moscow about the life and deeds of the Soviet Republic and its young armed forces which defend the conquests of proletariat. More than 150 thousand people visited the exposition. In 1921 the exposition was transformed into the Museum of Red Army and Fleet, and in 1922 was moved to Vozdvizhenka 6, into a building (demolished in 1930s) that opposite of today's Russian State Library.

Of the largest events in the museum's first years was the fifth anniversary exposition for the creation of the Worker-Peasant Red Army (RKKA) between 23red February and 1st November 1923 which was visited by 500 groups and 70 thousand individual visitors. In 1924, following the openings of similar museums across the country it was renamed as the Central museum of the Red Army and Fleet, and in 1928 moved to the left wing of the Central House of the Red Army on the Yekaterinvskaya (now Suvorova). In 1951 the museum was once again renamed to the Central Museum of the Soviet Army, and in 1965 moved to its present location in a new special building designed by architects N.Gaygarova and V.Barkhin. It was renamed once again as the Central museum of the Armed Forces Museum of the USSR, although in 1993 this was shortened to its present name.

[edit] Exposition

Over its history the museum managed to accumulate the most prominent and important military relics during the whole Soviet period creating a chronicle of its military history. In total more than 700 thousand individual exponents are now stored in its fonds. The most valuable are displayed in the 25 halls of the building.

The period of the Russian Civil War includes a photocopy of the original decree on creation of the RKKA with Lenin's corrections. Military banner of the 195th infantry regiment into which Lenin was officially conscripted. Weapons, documents, awards and personal belongings of famous Red Army men such as Frunze, Kotovsky, Chapayev and Blyukher as well as others re-create the post-revolution atmosphere.

However the most prized display is that dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, which includes the Victory Banner as well as all of the front banners and the captured Nazi ones that were used during the Victory Parade in 1945.

The last halls display the post-war and modern developments of the Soviet Army and Navy, the Cold War section contains wreckage material from the U-2 spy plane that was piloted by Gary Powers, and the involvement of Soviet forces in Cold War conflicts. A special display is dedicated to the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan and the recent combat operations in Chechnya.

Outside the museums is an extended collection of military equipment and technology, including armour, artillery, railway cars, aircraft and missiles.