Kubinka Tank Museum

ISU-152 at Kubinka

Panzer VIII Maus at the Kubinka Tank Museum

Kugelpanzer at Kubinka

The Russian Kubinka Tank Museum is a museum of armoured fighting vehicles in Kubinka, just outside Moscow. It has many famous tanks from World War I, World War II and the Cold War. The museum also houses many unique vehicles, such as the Panzer VIII Maus (a German super heavy tank), Troyanov super-heavy tank and a Karl-Gerät alongside single production prototypes from the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The museum is derived from the research collection of the Kubinka armour test base, still functioning as such. Most Cold War-era Western tanks are war trophies from Middle East, Africa, Vietnam and Latin America, sent to the armour test facility to test for weaknesses.

Foreign visitor restrictions and exhibits

The Kubinka Tank Museum is located on a historically "secret" Russian Army armour testing reservation, staffed entirely by Russian army personnel. Despite the end of the Cold War, and even though all the vehicles are antiques with none still being used by the Russian military, access for Westerners was strictly restricted and controlled due to fears that they would engage in espionage. US citizens were considered particularly suspicious and some websites note "the museum administration cannot guarantee access to foreign visitors".

As of 2013, entrance for foreigners is possible without any prior registration or permit. The only restriction is that a photocopy of the passport and visa must be handed over at the ticket office (at least for EU citizens). Tickets cost 600 rubles for foreigners plus 600 for photographs or video. Watch out for organised tours to visit Kubinka, they require a fee around 200-300€, and they may also provide false information on the visit possibilities.

Kubinka is easily accessible by local train from Moscow (elektrichka, around 300 rubel for a two way ticket), and from the train station take a cab (200 rubles one way) since otherwise you need to cross the Minsk-Moscow highway by foot (very dangerous).

The museum hosts unique tanks and other armoured vehicles, around 60% Soviet and a very wide selection of German WW2 tanks. However, apart from them, you can see some very unique tanks like the only remaining Panzer VIII Maus and a captured English WW1 tank, and several different Hungarian, Polish, Japanese, etc. and western models as well.

See also

Tank museums

• Deutsches Panzermuseum - Germany
• Musée des Blindés - France
• Bovington Tank Museum - United Kingdom
• Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor - United States
• Yad La-Shiryon - Israel
• Parola Tank Museum - Finland
• Military museum Lešany - Czech republic

External links

• Tank museum, Kubinka, Russia at the Test Range of NII BT; old website with outdated informations
• Official museum website with working phone numbers