The Memorial Museum of Astronautics (also known as the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics or Memorial Museum of Space Exploration) is a museum in Moscow, Russia, dedicated to space exploration. It is located within the base of the soaring Monument to the Conquerors of Space in the northeast of the city.[1] The museum contains a wide variety of space-related exhibits and models which explore the history of flight; astronomy; space exploration; space technology; and space in the arts. According to the Russian tourist board, the museum's collection holds approximately 85,000 different items, and receives approximately 300,000 visitors yearly.[2]
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Though the space monument's tower was erected in 1964, the memorial museum did not exist for another seventeen years. Opening ceremonies took place on April 10, 1981, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the day Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth in space.[2].
Originally the museum focused almost exclusively on the Soviet space program with major themes like Gagarin and Sergey Korolyov, and Sputnik and Soyuz.
On Cosmonautics Day, 2009, the museum was reopened after three years of reconstruction. It has virtually tripled its original size and has added new sections dedicated to space programs worldwide, including the USA, Europe, China and the ISS. The museum now features original interactive exhibits, as well as a refurbished promenade, the sculpture-lined Cosmonauts Alley which connects the museum to the Moscow metro. The museum is a favorite of students worldwide and a primary tourist attraction of the city.[3]