Navy Museum Adds Two Exhibits

29.10.2007 The museum-memorial complex of the Russian Navy Museum has reached the second stage of its realization. "A Russian winged amphibious landing aircraft ‘Orlyonok' and a ‘Skat' patrol boat were delivered from Kaspiysk to the Russian Navy Museum," Alexander Iskra, the general director of the Moscow public institution "Podvodnaya Lodka - Muzey," told The Moscow News.

Both machines were delivered to Zakharovsky gulf of Khimkinskoye reservoir. "Currently they are in the process of installation at their permanent places," Iskra said. "Visitors will be able to see them in approximately May 2008."

Orlyonok is a 120-ton, three-engine, winged amphibious landing military vehicle. It can be used on land as well as on water, and can fly two to ten meters above the surface and carry six crewmembers and two armored troop carriers - or 150 people - on board. It can travel at a speed of 400 kilometers per hour, with a total range of 1,500 kilometers.

Orlyonok will be installed on special props to avoid corrosion. A small cinema is planned to open on board to show movies about naval aviation.

Skat is a landing assault surface-effect boat, consisting of driving, landing, and power bay sections. The landing section is designed for carrying 50 marine soldiers with light weapons. Its speed reaches 49 knots and it has a range of 200 miles.

"A big diesel submarine of 641-B project was the first object that came to the museum-memorial complex," Iskra said. Now the complex totals only three exhibits.

"Of course, the museum will be expanded," Iskra continued. "The matter concerns an above-water battleship. Unfortunately there are a number of organizational problems, including the ship's transportation under rather low bridges on the Moscow River and through sluices, that prevent us of the idea's implementation. But we will be working on solutions of all the problems", Iskra told The Moscow News.

According to the Moscow government, the museum-memorial complex project includes three stages of realization.

The first was building of a harbor wall and hydroengineering ground for installation of the diesel submarine, the submarine's reconstruction into an exhibit, construction of a hall for visitors and areas for exhibits.

The second is demilitarization and reequipment of the winged amphibious landing military vehicle Orlyonok and Skat patrol boat.

The third, which is yet to take place, will be the construction of a building for the museum-memorial complex of the Russian Navy Museum.

All the stages are to be completed by the end of 2008.

Moscow authorities plan that the museum-memorial complex will include 12 objects as a total with the museum building itself, an administration and education building, a demonstration area for Russian military equipment, a place for military-patriotic events, and a monument to Admiral Fyodor Ushakov among them.

Source: www.mnweekly.ru, author: Sergei Dmitriyev