The Ukrainian Expedition Military Museum

The temperature was about -10C and it was starting to snow. We arrived somewhere near the museum by taxi. We walked for about 15 minutes and got to a small building, went inside and paid for our tickets. The staff seemed a bit annoyed at our presence, as it turned out we were the only visitors. The lights and displays were switched on and in we went. I was starting to get a bit disappointed. I was expecting the museum to be bigger. Inside there was your usual pictures, uniforms and small displays, along with some radios (pictures below) we were escorted to each room by a female guard who watched us as we looked at the displays. I managed to sweet talk her into letting me take a few pictures but then she saw me wanting to take pictures of radios and she changed her mind, but after more begging and telling her about my collection of radios she looked away while I took the pictures. It took us about 20 minutes to look around.
Outside again, we headed down the road to a big park, were a massive statue representing the Motherland welcomed us. As you can see from the picture on the left, the scenery with the falling snow and this massive stone statue standing on what turns out to be the main part of the military museum is amazing. Feeling more hopeful and forgetting the cold we headed down towards it. On the way to it there are cannons to the sides of the path leading to displays of tanks. I looked around and couldn't see anyone so I got my camera out and started taking pictures of displays, the best of which you can see below some of which have descriptions.

Further on was a big building with more tanks outside. This part of the museum was about the Russian / Afghan war and was closed for renovation. Turning back and this time going around the other way we came to an area filled with tanks, planes, and other military vehicles, all were standing in the snow. I took more pictures as a guard watched on. Passing under a concrete structure, the walls of which were decorated by statues set in black rock. The carved figures in the black stone against the white falling snow and the absence of any one else made the place feel frozen in time and somehow alive, strange feeling.
By this time we were at the base of the Motherland statue, the locals call it Baba Ukraine (Baba means an old woman). We enter through huge heavy metal doors, which we had to pull open ourselves. After buying tickets we were told to go downstairs were we could leave our coats. The woman at the desk said that it was too late and that the museum was closing but actually we still had an hour, we told her this and she agreed to let us leave our coats. The main hall is very grand. All the walls are made of marble with very high ceilings. It has three circular floors connected together with marble staircases. There are many exhibits, on the ground and first floors, almost all of which are manned by a woman guard. I only took pictures of a few German and Russian W.W.II radio sets. But again you had to beg each guard in turn, and as long as the other guards didn't see, I could take pictures. A huge room on the second floor was decorated with the donated, letters pictures, and other belongings from the people involved with the great war struggle against the Germans. A big banquette table in the centre of the room had all the glasses of people present at the banquette which was held to celebrate the opening of the museum. Unfortunately by that time I had run out of film and could not take any more pictures. Top floor of the museum is directly below the feet of the Motherland, and from there the surrounding area could be seen.
We then had to leave as the museum was about to close. If you ever go there make sure you take lots of film as there is lots of interesting stuff to see.
Please E-Mail me bijan@armyradio.com if you have comments or information to go with the pictures.

Patriotic Memorials	Patriotic Memorials	Patriotic Memorials	Patriotic Memorials
Russian Radio	Russian Radio Station 10PT-26 Receiver 10PT-263 Transmitter, PSU and spares box	Russian Ground surveillance Radar may have been copied from the US PPN 3 set Please let me know if you have more info.	A7B Transceiver 240Mhz-280Mhz FM
German W.W.II Radio WR 1 Ground Receiver - Special. It covers 0.15 to 15.8 MHz	German W.W.II Mobile Radio Feld FU-B or FU-C Transceiver Feld FU-B 100-119 MHz Feld FU-C 120-138 MHz
Bertolit MI-24B flying weight 11100Kgs 2 Pilots and 8 passengers max altitude 4500 meters range 750 km		YAK-9	MIG-23

	85mm	D-30 122mm, firing range 15.3 Km
	PSD-10 Mobile Missile Launcher, Rocket is inside the container on top. 3.2m wide, 2.9m high, 16.8m long, 40.2 Tons Container of rocket 19.3m Long, 2.14m diameter, rocket and container 42.2 Tons	PSD-10 Mobile Missile Launcher Back View	PSD-10 Mobile Missile Launcher Front Side View
The Russian Jeep	BTR-152 Armoured transporter, 8.6Tons, 17 people, speed 65 km/h	Vasilyok 82-MM Automatic mine launcher, maximum firing range 4.3km, each mine weighs 3.1 kg, 120 launches between reload	Katyusha BM-13
T-10 Tank 50 Tons 4 crew, 122mm speed 50kmh	Tank T-62 3.8 Tons 4 crew, 115mm speed 40kmh	Tank IC-1 45 Tons, 4 crew 100mm speed 37kmh	Tank T-55 26 Tons, 4 crew, 100mm
BMD-1 7.2 Tons, 7 crew, 73mm speed on roads 61kmh, in water 10 km/h	BMP-1 13 Tons, 10 crew, 73mm speed on road 63 km/h, in water 7 km/h		Mini Tank T-27 reconstruction
K-61 Amphibious transporter, capacity 40 people