Cruiser "Aurora": museum opening hours, briefly about the exposition

Probably, those who are interested in moderntypes of weapons, the cruiser Aurora will seem old-fashioned and morally obsolete. In this age of aircraft carriers, a small ship looks like a children's toy. But those who were born and grew up under the Soviet Union, the "Aurora" has the best childhood memories. How many songs were devoted to this ship. And not because it stands out for its parameters. The famous cruiser herself made History. If another ship gave a volley as a signal to the beginning of the revolution, now it would be a museum. But fate ordered to make the famous "Aurora". The cruiser, the opening hours and conditions of visits we will describe here, has long been transformed into a branch of the Maritime Museum in St. Petersburg. Is it worth going there? It's up to you.

History of the Aurora

At the turn of the 19-20 centuries, Russia emerged latersettled conflict with the British Empire. A few years later, the situation with the German threat in the Baltic Sea worsened. In connection with this tense international situation, Russia has increased the need for new warships. And before we look at the hours of work of the cruiser Aurora, let's find out about his birth. In principle, nothing special about the appearance of a ship was not. Such armor-deck cruisers of the "Diana" type were manufactured at the Baltic plant several times. Their prototype was the British ship "Talbot" - the newest at that time military machine. "Aurora" was named after a sailing frigate, which became famous in the Crimean War of 1854 in the defense of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. This cruiser was launched in 1900, successfully passed the tests and was adopted by the Imperial Russian Fleet in 1903. He made a control exit at sea on July 10.

Parameters of the cruiser "Aurora"

In St. Petersburg, the ship was not long. After all, the Japanese war had already erupted. "Aurora" among other military vessels went to Port Arthur. She was fortunate enough to return to her native harbor, and in 1904 she participated in the exercises near Kronstadt. At that time, the "Aurora" was visited by Emperor Nicholas II. But in May of the following year the cruiser took part in a battle near Tsushima. This time, fate was not so supportive of the Aurora. As a result of hitting a shell, more than eighty crew members were killed, and the cruiser itself received considerable damage. He was sent to Russia, where they began to repair at the Franco-Russian shipyards of St. Petersburg. It was a powerful warship equipped with three torpedo installations and 42 cannons of various calibres. The displacement of the vessel was over seven tons. The cruiser was completely sheathed by armor. Its thickness was 152 mm in the captain's cabin and 64 mm on the deck. A fast ship could travel at speeds of over nineteen knots per hour. The length of the ship is almost 127 m, and the width is almost seventeen meters. The depth of the precipitation is 6.4 m.

The role of Aurora in the October Revolution

With the outbreak of World War I, the cruiser, beforewho made several long voyages, was summoned to the capital. During these years he patrolled the waters of the Gulf of Bothnia. In September 1916, it was decided to carry out major repairs on the ship. At the beginning of the February Revolution, the Aurora wanted to turn it into a floating prison, but sailors sympathizing with the convicts opposed it. Then the riot of the crew began on the cruiser. They overthrew officers and established a ship committee. Most members of this body were Bolsheviks. Despite the fact that the repair was almost completed, they did not allow the ship to leave the city. In the evening of November 7, when repairs were completed on the cruiser Aurora, the clock struck half past nine, and then the ship gave an unexpected volley. It served as a signal to storm the Winter Palace.

Turning into a museum

But even after the revolution, the track recordthe legendary cruiser did not end. He plowed the waters of the Baltic and White Seas as part of the Soviet fleet. And when the Great Patriotic War began, the ship was included in the defense of Kronstadt and Leningrad. From its deck the crew fired on fascist aircraft. But the enemy also caused great damage to the cruiser. After the war, in 1948, the ship, worn out in battle, rose to its last landing stage. After nine years, the museum "Cruiser Aurora" was opened in it. " But only in 2010 the ship was removed from the balance of the Russian Navy. In 2015, the museum was closed for repairs. Its exposition was again opened to visitors in July 2016. There you can stroll along the upper deck, and in the hold is the museum itself. The exposition includes objects of everyday life and armament of the crew, uniform and similar artifacts. For groups, the engine room and the deckhouse of the ship are open.

Museum "Cruiser Aurora" »: how to get there, opening hours, prices

The nearest metro station is from Petrovskaya Embankment,2, where on eternal prikole there is a legendary vessel - "Gorkovskaya". Turn right and walk about twenty minutes to the Neva. It will be hard not to notice the majestic cruiser Aurora. Opening hours of the museum are from 11 am to 6 pm, except Mondays and Tuesdays. The ticket office closes at 17:15. For Russian citizens, an adult ticket costs 400 rubles, preferential (schoolchildren, students, pensioners) - at half price. Children under six are free. For foreigners, the tariffs are higher - 600 and 400 rubles, respectively.