Military History Museum, Yekaterinburg

The Military History Museum, also known as the Military-Historical Hall of the Officers’ House, tells the story of the Ural region’s military past from the 18th century to the late Soviet period. The exhibition is based on real objects, documents, and personal stories, showing how factories, army units, and local residents were closely connected, with a focus on the region’s role in major wars rather than on military theory.

The halls follow a timeline. Early sections display imperial-era uniforms, weapons, and documents. Much of the museum focuses on the Second World War through personal items, medals, letters, and photographs. Separate sections cover the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps, formed from local residents, and Nikolai Kuznetsov, highlighting his wartime intelligence work.

One of the most famous exhibits is a fragment of a Lockheed U-2 shot down in 1960 during a Cold War flight by Francis Gary Powers. The display explains what happened and why the incident mattered politically. Visitors can use computer terminals to look up wartime records of relatives and add missing information. Behind the building, an open courtyard displays tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles, extending the exhibition outdoors.