Ever wanted to visit the Soviet Tank museum

[ArtistsRifles]

If you have - it's not as simple as a trip to Bovvy!!!

 

These are the rules (see http://www.tankmuseum.ru/inf.html and )

 

Permission for military museums

Warning!

Some Russian military or other restricted museums take the special permission for all foreigners, or even for Russian non-military visitors. Why?

First of all, some museums are NOT the real museums, more correct word is "COLLECTION" or "EXHIBITION", the property of the military academy, the secret institution or the special services.

Since 1917 when the Communists took a power, all in country worked for the Red Army and for the "Communism Propaganda". Including the collecting of the tanks, filming and a metro building.

Red Army considered the armored vehicles from all Word not like the museum for a people, but like the target for the artillery shooting and the studying by the military specialists.

Same situation is with the old historical uniforms. The special department of the Red Army, Institution for the studying and development of the military uniform has the collection to studying by the military specialists.

Secondary, all soviet time we had the strong rules developed by KGB against the espionage. Any military officer had the contact with the foreigner could be accused in an espionage. As the KGB secret order, any military officer has no right to communicate with the foreigners without the special permission.

After 1991 some military museums were opened for the Russian and even for the foreigners, but with the special rules.

Any foreigner in the restricted museum could be accompanied with the special person of charge - KGB officer or the military travel guide, instructed by KGB. That rule lets him the right to visit the museum.

All the strong "soviet style" rules about the foreigners are still actual, because instead the Cold War we have the Terrorist War now.

All the permission could be made in Head Quarter (far from the museum) by the special request as the special rules.

Additionally, usually ALL Russian military staff does not speak English...

 

Thank you for your understanding

 

Funny thing is (or was) - all the Soviet Military I ever came across DID speak English - and quite well too...... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[rippo]

I tried a couple of years back, it's even harder trying to get an email through to them. I did speak to the general in charge of the visits on the phone, and he spoke English very well. I just couldn't get an email through to them, to get the necessary clearance, i got one through, and then spent a few weeks trying to reply to it, in the end i gave up. Most of the time the emails just bounced back other times it would take a couple of days and they'd get returned.

It does sound like quite an "experiance" visting the museum. Your picked up from your hotel and escorted around.

 

How about a hmvf visit? :-D

Edited December 26, 2009 by rippo