Monino to close in Russia - For good.

[Radleigh]

Link here on Facebook, it's a public page so no need to sign in - https://www.facebook.com/historyairforce/?__mref=message_bubble#

Many exhibits are to be moved to a park in Kubinka, but the largest items simply cannot be transported and will be scrapped. Awful news for one of the biggest, and almost certainly the most unique, collection in the world. To say I'm gutted in an understatement, never been and it looks highly likely that I won't, but speaking to my brother I might have to stop my plans in Sept doing a base tour abroad and venture to Moscow instead before July..... Fingers and toes crossed.

[Giorgio N]

Considering the huge number of often unique aircrafts exhibited at Monino, this will be a terrible loss for all aviation enthusiasts. I hope that some kind of solution will be found to preserve these aircrafts

[Hypnobear]

What exactly is the point of the museum having to allegedly close anyway? I don't see why one of the most interesting and important aviation museums and the unique aircraft within it should be under threat like that

[bentwaters81tfw]

That's a shame. Would love to see that.

[Rob G]

I'd imagine that it's a financial thing, given the parlous state of the Russian/post-Soviet states' economies.

At least you Euros have a chance of seeing it - it's a long way from Down Under.

[stevehnz]

This is gutting. Monino was high on the list for my world tour of aircraft museums when I won the big one.

Whats the betting someone with friends in high places has worked out they can make a stack of roubles from some sort of "development" & the Museum is inconveniently in the road. Cynical, who me?

Steve.

Edited February 2, 2016 by stevehnz

[Despy]

It's sad to see this.

I was lucky to pay visit there 3 months ago. I was like a little child in a toy store. It's the best aviation museum I've seen so far.

I can tell that, they may probably have survived it if they changed the mentality. It was not tourist friendly. If you don't have a russian driver there was no chance to get there. First there was not a single sign to show there was a museum there. None, zero. We got lost 3 times, asked local people how to get there etc. It was like they didn't want you to get there. Not a single sign and when you find the entrance, you expect to see something bigger (main building).
And after making the tour in cold (which is the usual weather there) there was no cafe or even a coffee automate to warm you. They could sell 10€ per cup and I assure you'd buy it. Nothing to warm you, no drink, no food. There was only a machine that you could buy some snack bars. Of course what makes a good museum is the exhibition but they were surely missing to make good money which may help to survive the museum.

There was only a small souvenir shop that I've bought some magnets, cups, flags.

And I though if that inventory was in the states, what would it be? Probably 10 times more the entrance fee, with cafes, food court, zillion of souvenir shops, book stores, toy store that you'd end up leaving the museum by paying 20 times more.

And good excuse for extreme weathering, the tail of Sotka:

[Flankerman]

Just heard from Moscow - via a Hungarian friend.

Monino is NOT closing - but the Gagarin Military Academy next door is closing.

This leaves the museum without security and funding - so very vunerable.

I hope they can muster some 'friends' to assure its future.

Ken

[Giorgio N]

Ken, sounds like things are better than previously expected. Not brilliant though, I too hope that someone will come to the rescue. I understand that things are not going too well in the Russian economy but considering how the government seems to be interested in the military maybe they'll spare some money for this institution ?

[Paul Bradley]

Maybe if they renamed themselves as the 'Museum of Bare-Chested Manly Pursuits,' they'd secure funding....

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

It's sad to see this.

I was lucky to pay visit there 3 months ago. I was like a little child in a toy store. It's the best aviation museum I've seen so far.

I can tell that, they may probably have survived it if they changed the mentality. It was not tourist friendly. If you don't have a russian driver there was no chance to get there. First there was not a single sign to show there was a museum there. None, zero. We got lost 3 times, asked local people how to get there etc. It was like they didn't want you to get there. Not a single sign and when you find the entrance, you expect to see something bigger (main building).

And after making the tour in cold (which is the usual weather there) there was no cafe or even a coffee automate to warm you. They could sell 10€ per cup and I assure you'd buy it. Nothing to warm you, no drink, no food. There was only a machine that you could buy some snack bars. Of course what makes a good museum is the exhibition but they were surely missing to make good money which may help to survive the museum.

There was only a small souvenir shop that I've bought some magnets, cups, flags.

And I though if that inventory was in the states, what would it be? Probably 10 times more the entrance fee, with cafes, food court, zillion of souvenir shops, book stores, toy store that you'd end up leaving the museum by paying 20 times more.

And good excuse for extreme weathering, the tail of Sotka:

We looked seriously at visiting (my wife and I). I just seemed too hard to arrange. They really don't make it easy to work out how to get to the place, or when you can go etc. Shame really, because as the others say they have stuff you just can't really see anywhere else.

[Pin]

Monino is NOT closing - but the Gagarin Military Academy next door is closing.

Ken, I afraid you are wrong. I don't know how knowledgeable is your Hungarian friend but my Russian friends some of whom are Monino restorators and volunteers are not that optimistic. Once off balance of Defence Ministry Monino territory will no longer be guarded, that means that those exhibits that are too large to move will be left to rot exposed to elements, scrap metal collectors and vandals.

Not sure English translation is available

http://www.bbc.com/russian/russia/2016/02/160202_monino_museum_move

Translated online (readable)

https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Frussian%2Frussia%2F2016%2F02%2F160202_monino_museum_move&edit-text=&act=url

[Flankerman]

Thanks for the info Pin..... I think we are singing from the same hymn sheet here.

Maybe a better way of putting it is that Monino isn't being officially 'Closed' - but is being allowed to die.

If the movement of exhibits is allowed to happen - and only the large stuff remains, unsecured - then the vandals and scrap metal merchants will have a field day.

Having watched the slow demise of Khodynka during previous visits, there will soon be no reason to visit Moscow in non-MAKS years

I'm going into a dark room to cry....... :weep: :weep:

Ken

Edited February 3, 2016 by Flankerman

[Supertom]

That's really sad. Monino is on my bucket list, and it looks like it'll remain there forever.

[Learstang]

Terrible news. Nice to see that the Russians are keen on preserving their aviation heritage! You'd think that one of the multi-billionaire plutocrats could spare a bit of quid to keep the place running, but they can't even be bothered to shore up the huge statue of the Motherland in Volgograd (Stalingrad), which is in danger of tipping over. Very sad indeed - one place I've always wanted to visit. What next; is the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson going to be torn down for a Walmart? On the plus side, if I get me a really big truck, like one of those giant mining earth-movers, I can finally get me that Mil V-12 Homer helicopter and put it in my backyard.

Regards,

Jason

[Pin]

Sign the petition

https://www.change.org/p/%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D1%83-%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%8B-%D1%80%D1%84-%D1%88%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%B3%D1%83-%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%8E-%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%B6%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87%D1%83-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%85%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5-%D0%BC%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B2%D1%81-%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE?recruiter=46760902&utm_source=share_for_starters&utm_medium=copyLink#petition-letter

[Learstang]

Signed. If there is a fund started to keep it open (and I could be sure my money would get there), I would gladly contribute.

Regards,

Jason

Edited February 3, 2016 by Learstang

[bentwaters81tfw]

Perhaps we should organise a Britmodeller charter?

[Radleigh]

Signed & shared on Facebook, hopefully it'll make a difference.

[spitfire]

It's very surprising to me that the Russians do not seem interested in preserving historic airframes, the only preservation/restoration work going on for WW2 (or GPW) subjects seems to be Western funded.

Cheers

Dennis

[spruecutter96]

Very, very sad news indeed. I have wanted to visit Monino for years and it looks like that won't happen now. Would it take huge sums of money to employ a handful of security staff to protect the exhibits?

Again, sad news for all aviation enthusiasts. .

Chris.

[Flankerman]

This is what happened at Khodynka once the developers and vandals got to it....

Luckily, some of the exhibits got saved to the Zadorozhny museum (scroll down the page) - but lots have been scrapped.

Ken :weep:

Edited February 4, 2016 by Flankerman

[Seahawk]

It's very surprising to me that the Russians do not seem interested in preserving historic airframes, the only preservation/restoration work going on for WW2 (or GPW) subjects seems to be Western funded.

Not sure the country that couldn't be bothered to save HMS Plymouth, ex HMS Whimbrel or, more ambitiously, ex HMS Hermes can really point the finger.

[Learstang]

Perhaps so, but someone needs to point the finger. These are aeronautical treasures. The thought of losing the wonderful T-4 Sotka and that marvellous contraption, the V-12 Homer is alternately enraging and depressing.

Regards,

Jason

[Mike]

£170 for a return flight via Amsterdam, throw in a couple of taxi fares and maybe an overnight stay in a hotel near the airport, and you're good to go... go now before you lose the opportunity!