Exploring the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology

The Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology is one of the most famous and special museums in St. Petersburg. Exploring this museum is not just an excursion, but a fascinating journey into the history of Russian cosmonautics.

The museum is located in the Peter and Paul Fortress, on Zayachy Island, also near the place ITMO University organizes its annual graduation party.

April 12 was already a significant day in the history of space because on that day in 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, making a 108-minute orbital flight in his Vostok 1 spacecraft. Therefore, on April 12, 2023, the museum welcomed its visitors for free.

The first thing that catches your eye at the entrance to the museum is a model of the Comet satellite, which visited space in the 1990s. Next to this model there are three statues of Valentin Glushko, the founder of the Russian rocket engine design, Sergei Korolev, the main organizer of the production of rocket and space technology and rocket weapons in the USSR and the founder of practical cosmonautics, and Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut.

One of the most striking exhibits of the museum is the model of the Vostok 1 spacecraft, in which Yuri Gagarin made his first flight to space.

At the museum, great attention is paid to the history of the creation of space rockets and their design. On the walls of the museum, you can find posters with information about the key historical events in Russian space exploration, including the history of development of astronautical devices and the people who have made a major contribution to this field.

In addition, the museum presents models of space stations, robots, spacesuits, and products included in the regular diet of astronauts.

My friends and I were very impressed with many models of spacecraft equipment, all of them very complex and requiring a very high level of knowledge to be manufactured.

I was also impressed with the mock-up of the Moon's globe (in a scale 1:20 million). With this model, I saw the names of the Moon’s maria for the first time, for instance, I saw the areas Море Дождей (Sea of Rains or Mare Imbrium), Море Ясности (Mare Serenitatis or Sea of Serenity), and Море Кризисов (Mare Crisium or Sea of Crises).

There is an area in the museum that exhibits Soviet friendship and cooperation with other countries in the history of the development of the space exploration industry.

In the last area, my friends and I took funny pictures with astronaut suits. This section of the museum attracts a lot of kids and young people.

A visit to the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology is a unique chance to plunge into the history of cosmonautics, learn about the related historical events, and the people who made them happen. The museum also organizes some topical events, such as a workshop on making fun water rockets for children, so you can look out for more activities in the future.

This is a place where you can get answers to many questions about space, and is a place not to be missed when you are a student living in St. Petersburg.