The Cosmonautics Memorial Museum This museum, the only one of its kind, situated inside an enormous monument to the explorers of the cosmos, is well worth the visit, not least for the nostalgia it should inspire in anyone who grew up in the heady days of the space race. The displays trace the history of space exploration, including the first interplanetary satellite flights, the first dogs in space and man's journeys to the cosmos. There's plenty of fun gadgetry, plus an excellently conceived display explaining how astronauts survive a space flight, all of which should be interesting for children. Apart from anything else, the shear aesthetic beauty of the displays should impress. The other-wordly sheen of the hi-tech materials used to construct space craft is extraordinary when seen close-up and, combined with a host of cosmos-themed artwork, the exhibition is a compelling reminder of the time when space exploration was still viewed unequivocally as mankind's last great adventure.
