Non-state department of culture (NsDC) North Aircraft Museum

8, Airport “Arkhangelsk”, Talagi, 163053 Arkhangelsk.

The North Aircraft Museum was founded on 6th February in the year 1981.

It was primarily located in the hotel’s hall of the airport. The 1st director of museum became Gavriil V. Lichkov. For the 1st time there were only 4 expositions. There were:

1.​ Establishment of Soviet Aviation in North.

2.​ Air gates of North.

3.​ In flames of Great Patriotic War.

4.​ Aviation’s activity in national economy.

The large part of war-time exposition is dedicated to acts of bravery of the 5th separate Civil Air Force regiment.

Besides of excursions North Aircraft Museum leads down the lectures and seminars with staff and technical crew of Aeroflot. The obligatory measure of museum is to lead hard work with applicants of Civil Aircraft’s flying and technical schools and Aeroflot higher schools to advance the pride of future profession.

On 18th February 1984 North Aircraft Museum was given an honorary title of Public museum.

In 1992 two new expositions were opened. The first one is dedicated to establishment of cosmonautics in North and especially to development of Plesetsk Cosmodrome, the main Russian cosmodrome.

The second one is dedicated to northern airmen of 90-ies years in 20th century.

Unfortunately, Mr. Gavriil Lichkov the permanent director of museum, died in 1995. Mrs. Lyudmila E. Gorokhova became the new director of museum in this hard-time.

Against all the odds she not only maintained museum’s exposition but also greatly expanded it. She received visits from famous people; Mr. Arthur Chilingarov was one of them. One of marquees was dedicated to him. The floor space of museum was enlarged by opening of new expositions. There are:

1.​ 50 years of Victory in Great Patriotic War – “Reminiscence heroic acts of bravery is still alive”.

2.​ Air fest in Talagi settlement.

3.​ A gift to the airmen of North on occasion of Air Fleet’s Day.

4.​ 75 years to N.M. Rudniy (general-lieutenant of medical service, the pioneer of space medicine).

5.​ “Life dedicated to the museum”. In memory of Gavriil V. Lichkov.

6.​ Aviation of North in 2000-es.

Changes happened again in new millennium. Mr. Nikolay N. Kononov became a new director of museum on 3d October 2012. The museum removed in a new building – former “Tu-134 flight trainer”.

The exposition of museum is getting larger through the help of partners and volunteers despite the lack of state support.

The following marquees are opened in museum nowadays:

1.​ Establishment of aviation in North.

2.​ Aviation in time of Great Patriotic War.

3.​ Aviation in national economy.

4.​ Aviation of North in 90-ies.

5.​ Aviation of North in 2000-ies.

6.​ Exploration of Arctic in North.

Beside of above-named marquees there are also another which are dedicated to 2nd united squadron of Arkhangelsk and aerobatic team “RUS”. You can take a look with trainers which are functioning. There are: cockpit-trainer of the helicopter MI-2, marquee-trainers of AN-24 (with engine start, fuel and feathering systems). Also you can have a look of aircraft engines such as: BMW 6 (under license М17), M14, NK8/НК8, AI 25/АИ25, VK1A/ВК1А.

Moreover, the open-air exposition is also being formed. Nowadays you can have a look of TU-154, TU-134, AN-2, AN-26, Yak-18T, Yak-40, IL-14, MiG-31, SU-9. There is also singular exemplar of aircraft Bleriot-XI, which made his 1st public flight in 1911. The airplane’s model is recreated by Nikolay N. Kononov, director of North Aircraft Museum.

The staff is also going to reissue and update the book “In sky of North”, which is dedicated to the pilots of 5thseparate Civil Air Force regiment and their acts of bravery.