1. When was the Museum of Cosmonautics opened?
2. What space-related tourist attractions are located near the Museum of
Cosmonautics?
3. How often does the Museum of Cosmonautics change its exhibits?
4. What can the exhibits tell us about the early stage of space exploration?
5. Where is the Museum of Cosmonautics located?
6. What facilities does the Museum of Cosmonautics offer to its visitors?
7. Where can you look for information about international space flights?

A. VDNKh is one of the central and most impressive Metro stations in Moscow. It
is featured in tourist guides and there are always lots of people going in and out
of the station. Right by the Metro Station exit, a monument to the Conquerors
of Space will certainly attract your attention. It is not only an impressive
monument - inside the base of the Space monument tower you will find the
Museum of Cosmonautics - a unique museum with exhibits which are
definitely worth seeing.

B. The monument to the Conquerors of Space was constructed in 1964 to glorify
the first manned space flight. It is designed as a 107-metre high obelisk, and its
shape resembles the fumes from the rocket. The shiny rocket is on the very top
of the obelisk, heading up to the sky. The Museum of Cosmonautics appeared
in the base of the monument much later. It welcomed the first visitors on April
10, 1981. The event was devoted to the 20thanniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s
space flight.

C. There are several exhibit halls in the museum. In one of them, there are objects
and documents referring to the beginning of the era of space exploration. There
you can see replicas of the first satellites and the first space station, as well as
some personal belongings of the first cosmonaut of the Earth. There are also
some documents referring to the space flights as well as photos and videos
which recorded the preparation for the first space flight.

D. After a three-year reconstruction, which was completed in 2009, a few new
sections were added to the Museum of Cosmonautics. Before the
reconstruction, the museum focused only on the achievements of the National
Space Programme. Now, the new sections provide information about the space
programmes of the USA and China. Of course, a special area is dedicated to
the International Space Station, where space researchers from different
countries work together.

E. Since the reconstruction, the Museum of Cosmonautics has displayed
interactive exhibits, which include the simulator from the training centre. You
can book a training session on board the spaceship and feel what real
cosmonauts do. The museum has got a lecture hall, which is appropriate for
educational events, a cafe, where you can have space food in tubes, and a gift
shop. Of course, the museum meets the needs of people with disabilities.

F. The Museum of Cosmonautics welcomes visitors every day except Monday,
from 10am till 7pm. However, if you are interested in the history of space
exploration, it is highly recommended to explore the area around, too. The
museum and VDNKh station are connected by a green alley with busts of
cosmonauts, which is called the Cosmonauts Alley. The pavilion ‘Cosmos’ in
the Exhibition Centre (VDNKh) displays a lot of artefacts from the National
Space Programme.