Samara Space

Samara occupied an important place in the development of the USSR space program. It was here that the Vostok rocket, which carried out the historic first manned flight into space, was assembled. These significant events could not go unnoticed in the history of the city.

In 2001, an authentic R-7 missile was installed on Lenin Avenue, on Kozlov Square. This example was originally manufactured in 1984 for training of the USSR space forces. After 15 years of use, the rocket returned to the factory, where all equipment was removed from it, turning it into a realistic mockup. In accordance with the architectural project, a pedestal was created for the rocket, and on October 1, 2001, the grand opening of the monument took place, timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first manned flight into space. The height of the monument is 68 meters, and its weight exceeds 20 tons.

This monument quickly became one of the city's most popular attractions. In 2007, on April 12, the Samara Space Museum was opened next to the rocket, dedicated to the history of rocketry. The museum was recognized as the best tourism project in the city and became a must-see place in excursion programs.

Soyuz rocket

The main exhibit of the museum is a model of a real R-7 (Soyuz) launch vehicle, which is mounted on a special holding structure attached to the facade of the building. The height of this monument together with the building is 68 meters (the rocket is raised above the ground to a height of about 4 meters), and its weight is 20 tons. The special retaining structure is part of the building frame and has a powerful foundation; in total, the weight of the entire structure reaches 53 tons.

This rocket was manufactured in 1984 at the local Progress engineering enterprise. For many years it was used for various missions and training of launch site personnel. In 1999, the rocket's life was exhausted, and it was decided to use it as a monument. Before installation, all equipment was removed from the rocket, and the rocket itself was repainted. The monument was erected in 2001, and the grand opening took place on October 1 of the same year.

This attraction is also unique in that it is the only vertically mounted, assembled rocket in Europe.

Museum exposition

The museum is represented by several halls, separated by partitions and passages, each of which is dedicated to a specific space theme. The first hall is home to a permanent exhibition, where scale models of rockets are displayed, as well as a real NK-33 rocket engine. There are also automatic spacecraft installed here, including Resurs F1, Resurs F2 and Yantar 2K, designed for topographic photography of the earth's surface.

In this room you can also see a model of the press used to produce sheets for rocket fuel tanks, as well as a real flight suit. A variety of souvenirs are available to museum visitors, including authentic space food in tubes, scale model rockets, commemorative medals and more to preserve the memory of their visit to this unique place.

Cost and work schedule

The Samara Space Museum is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday is a day off. The cost of a ticket depends on how many halls you plan to visit, the minimum cost per adult is 150 rubles, for students, schoolchildren and pensioners - 100 rubles. Photo and video shooting is paid, costs 100 rubles. In addition, there are various benefits for certain categories of citizens, for example, children under 16 years of age, large families, as well as conscripts and disabled people can visit the museum for free.