Introduction
It’s been a long time since we visited Russian museums! I have some time, so let’s fix this situation.
If earlier I showed you large, even enormous, museum sites, now I will show you a rather small museum.
Moreover, it’s not a military museum, but an automotive one. I’m not hoping to impress you with Soviet/Russian automobile manufacturing, but rather with the museum itself.
This museum is one of my favorites: I’ve been there at least five times and will definitely return many times. Although the exhibits haven’t changed much over the years.
P.S. I’ll warn you right away that the most interesting part will be closer to the end. These are the rules of the adventure genre: in books, in films, and in this story.
A preface for foreign readers.
I don’t know about you, but in our country, rather unusual vehicles are used to transport top officials, organized into a special unit. This unit originated in the Russian Empire under the last tsar, was retained in the USSR, and continues to exist in the Russian Federation. Its name almost always included a description of its main characteristic: Гараж Особого Назначения (Special Purpose Garage), or, abbreviated as Г.О.Н (G.O.N).
Aurus
Finally, I gathered my courage and decided to start working on my old debt. I’d tried several times before, but each time I was held back by doubts about my ability to convey the magnificence of this place. Mainly because of the poor quality of my photos. Actually, the conditions there for taking photographs are not exactly easy.
And so I kept putting it off. I kept finding ways to visit the museum again, enjoy it, and take more photos, better ones this time. And so three times!
At the entrance, as in most museums, we are met by a ticket office
and a souvenir shop.
The tickets there aren’t cheap either – about 10 dollars.
Since both the garage and, most likely, the museum itself are affiliated with a government agency, you can learn a little about that agency at the interactive display.
And also to understand the two sides of his coin: the solemn and the everyday.
There you can also see a magnificent collection of ceremonial helmets from different countries and times.
All this can be seen if you can take your eyes off the platform with the government motorcade and the interactive back wall.
That’s how it used to be. As I said, I’ve been there several times in different years, so this report contains photos from different years and may not reflect the current state in some ways.
Now it’s a complete kingdom of Aurus!
You could have guessed it from the title of the report.
They probably presented the entire lineup of this car, starting with the prototype,
as well as an extended version for trips with “friends”
and modification for military parades.
At a special interactive stand you can get acquainted with the characteristics of all modifications.
The full-size model shows the dynamic transformation of the shortened version into the elongated one and back again.
and look at the elements of its interior.
At the augmented reality stand, you can learn about the stages of car creation.
They clearly have a surplus of these Auruses! They even used one as a stand for a diorama.
What can I say! There are even Aurus’ little ones, so that the corresponding children get used to it from a young age.
To be continued…
