The Oleg Antonov State Aviation Museum in Kiev

Fans of Soviet-era aircraft will love this huge aviation museum situated close to central Kiev in Ukraine.

The Oleg Antonov State Aviation Museum is located right alongside Zhuliany Airport, which is today the secondary airport to the city.

In fact, if you’re only passing through, you can see the museum’s collection from the airport or aircraft windows as you pass by.

But if you can, make the time to visit the museum and its vast collection of aircraft which cover not just Antonov, but many other Russian and Soviet manufacturers from the earliest days of flying right up to recent decades.

How to Visit the Museum

An unusual Antonov An-2 painted in an advertising billboard.

You will find the Oleg Antonov State Aviation Museum at Vulytsya Medova, 1, Kyiv, Ukraine, 03048.

It is open daily except Monday from 10am to 7pm, with an entrance fee payable at the small kiosk.

Visit the museum’s website here: http://aviamuseum.com.ua/en

What You’ll See

The entire collection of aircraft at this museum is located outside, so you’ll need to dress appropriately and be ready for the weather in the colder months.

Thankfully my visit was in July and the sun was shining against blue skies, which really helped with photography.

The museum has over 80 aircraft on display, ranging from smaller light aircraft, trainers and helicopters, right up to the largest airliners.

While there is a vast amount of military hardware, including MiG and Sukhoi jets, the draw for me was the civil collection.

This includes Ilyushin Il-14, Il-18, Il-62, Il-76 and Il-86, Antonov An-2, lots of An-24, -26 and -30s, an amazing Tupolev Tu-104, plus various Tu-134s, and a Tu-154.

There are also civilian helicopters and other transport types.

The paths linking the museum’s aircraft allow you to get up really close, but sometimes too close to allow unobstructed pictures of the larger aircraft.

These pictures give some idea of the aircraft on display and the views you will get.

The Ilyushin Il-86 is one of the more significant aircraft in the collection, being one of the prototypes of the four-engine widebody type.

[Where to See an Ilyushin Il-86]

A Good Spotting Location

As well as its aircraft colletion, the Oleg Antonov Museum borders the perimeter fence of Zhuliany Airport alongside the runway and taxiway, which makes it a good spotting location. You can even climb up an earth mound to get pictures.

The Oleg Antonov State Aviation Museum is one of the highlights of spotting in Ukraine, and a fantastic opportunity to get up close to these classic machines in the open air.