BAIKONUR

Baikonur History Museum – The museum’s exhibits introduce visitors to the history of the city and cosmodrome, as well as the traditions of the peoples of Kazakhstan. Here, visitors can see models of rockets and real objects, historical photos, exhibits, and documents.

Cosmonauts’ Alley – Each tree here was planted by cosmonauts before their spaceflights. The oldest tree in the alley was planted by the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin.

International Space School – This museum also features a large workshop where schoolchildren create models and prototypes of spacecraft and launch models at the school’s mini-cosmodrome. Many graduates of the school later devote their lives to cosmonautics and space exploration.

Exhibit inside Buran – The Buran space shuttle is located at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where tourists can board, walk through the cargo bay, and peer into the cockpit as part of a tour of the cosmodrome. This is one of the examples that was transported to Baikonur in 2007 after testing was completed and stored in an open area next to the Cosmodrome Museum.

The Gagarin and Korolev cabins are the oldest buildings at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. They bear the names of the world’s first cosmonaut and the chief rocket designer of the USSR. Today, these small cabins look very old, and the interiors of the rooms easily convey the spirit of the 1950s. These monuments to space pioneers allow us to understand the simple, austere conditions in which they lived and the meager technology of that time. Gagarin’s cabin, or cabin No. 1, is famous for being the place where the first cosmonaut on Earth spent several days before his legendary flight. Korolev’s cabin, or cabin No. 2, is located a few meters away from Gagarin’s. While Gagarin lived in his cabin for only a few days, Korolev’s cabin became a home for the scientist for many years.

Launch Pad 31 is a launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome used for payload launches using launch vehicles based on the first Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7. The Meteor, Molniya, Prognoz, Resurs-0, IRS spacecraft, and several Cosmos satellites were launched from Pad 31. Manned launches of Soyuz spacecraft from this launch pad were carried out in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, as well as since 2012.

We also recommend visiting: Soyuz Rocket, Monument to Yangel, Monument to Gagarin