Museum

The RFNC - VNIIEF Nuclear Weapons museum was set up in 1992. This is the first museum in the country to tell about the highlights in building of the nuclear shield of the country. Its exhibits are samples of the products that have become legends in the national atomic history. Displayed are the models of unique facilities and machines built at the Institute, many of them having no analogs in the world.

The exhibit presents achievements made by large teams and the creativity of individual remarkable figures in the VNIIEF community. The "Hero of Socialist Labor" and "Labor Glory of VNIIEF" galleries of pictures are displayed at the Museum, telling about the VNIIEF people honored with highest national awards.

In the museum hall, there is a scale model of the nuclear center locality that gives a detailed view of the city together with the technical areas, mapping the roads and natural surroundings with rivers and lakes.

The lectures and tours are supported by documentaries from the Rosatom archives or local video studio. These videos are very popular. The museum is planning to expand its educational activity, for which purpose it opens a video lecture room, and a new interesting display is there showing samples of products, models and the information of investment projects and conversion developments at the Institute. The developments based on state-of-the-art defense technologies can be applied to various industries to meet the needs of national economy.

Practically all aspects of the VNIIEF activity are photo or video documented. The cameras have made records of test site and production operations, unique experiments, anniversaries and celebrations or other memorable events.

The Memorial apartment of Yu.B. Khariton is a division of the VNIIEF Museum that was opened on the Academician's 95-th anniversary. It carefully keeps the furniture and the entire atmosphere where the first scientific director of the Institute lived and worked. The memorial displays unique family pictures of the Academician, his awards and memorable gifts.

The Museum is very important in upbringing and education of young people, in better understanding of the VNIIEF history and the outstanding contribution of its scientists to the nuclear shield of our motherland.

For the Museum, guided tours are its main activity. More than a hundred thousand people have attended the museum. Among the interested audience at the Museum exhibits are schoolchildren, students, local and visiting citizens, church people and visitors from other laboratories, foreign included, businessmen and actors, the military and political figures.