Tank museum, Russia

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The history of Military-Historical Museum of Armored Vehicles and Equipment.

The history of the tanks collection is the history of the Armored Forces of the Red/ Soviet/ Russian Army.


Ulianov (Lenin). A head of Soviet Government.	Trotsky, the Founder of the Red Guard, Red Army.

Red Army parade

Leo Trotsky at the military parade of Red Army

Red Army armored cars, Civil War

Red Army armored train

The Red Army detachment of the armored cars . October 1919, Yamburg. The fighting at North-West against the Russian Army of general Udenich and the German Allies leads by general von der Goltz. Russian armored cars made before and after the revolution 1917.

The armored train of the Red Army.

Armor train

Red Army armored train

The armored train of the Red Army of the name Lenin. Yamburg, 1919. North-West of Russia.

The Red Army armored train "Chernomoretz" (=BlackSeaMan) near Tsaritzin city (=Stalingrad=Volgograd). 1918

During the Civil War and British/ American/ French/ German Intervention in Russia the Red Army captured several French and British tanks. Two Renault tanks was taken by Lenin's order to the Sormovski factory as a model for Soviet tanks.


The British tanks are captured by the Red Army in 1919 near the Novorossysk, the South of Russia.	The small copy of the first soviet tank "The fighter for freedom the comrade Lenin". The original tank made by workers of the factory "Red Sormovo", 1920.

The British tanks were sent to general Denikin, 1919.	The French tanks of the Russian White Army. The name of the first tank is "General Shkuro" (the leader of Cossacks anti-Bolshevik units since 1918 till 1945 ). See details about general Shkuro.

The Red Army armored train "Karl Libkneht", the railroad station "Vinnitsa", Ukraine, 1919.	The Red Army armored cars in Ekaterinoslav, 1919.

In 31 August 1920 the first Soviet built tank, a 7 ton vehicle with 8-16mm thick armor was produced. During the 1920's the Red Army purchased many foreign examples of tanks to use as models for future domestic production.


The Red Army of the Far East Republic ("People- Revolutionary Army") at Amour river, the Far East, 1920. The fighting against the Russian Army and Japan Allies.	Japanese and Russian Army officers. 1922, Far East.

During the World War Two the Red Army captured a lot of German tanks for testing by a soviet cannons.


German tank at Ukraine, WW2.	The soviet tank, WW2.

The German tank was captured by the Red Army, WW2.	The studying the German tank by the Soviet specialist. The usual scene .

During the Soviet- Japan War 1945 in Manchukuo (North China), the Red Army captured also several Japanese tanks.


The Soviet T34 attack, Manchukuo, 1945.	The Japan tanks are captured by the Soviet Army, Dairen (?)

The arrest by NKVD the Emperor Pu-Y. Author collection	Japanese Imperial Army officers. Most of them were killed by NKVD

During World War II the USSR received American & British tanks under Lend-Lease. The bulk of foreign tanks in the collection was captured during World War II. Others were obtained by exchange with the British Armor Museum or were given by Soviet allies and clients from items they captured in Viet-Nam, Korea, Cuba, Middle East Wars, etc.

There are 129 Russian items including many prototype models of vehicles that were not produced in quantity.

Long time the owner of this tank collection was the special secret soviet military Institution (Laboratory) specializing for the testing any kind of tanks.

The museum was opened September 10-th 1978.

Now the Museum of Armored Vehicles and Equipment has one of the largest collections of armored vehicles in the world. Vehicles from 11 foreign countries are represented. The 290 items range from 3-5 ton light tanks and armored cars to a super-heavy, 180 ton monster. There are 40 self-propelled guns from 57 to 600 caliber, 30 armored cars, 10 reconnaissance and command vehicles, and a variety of technical and engineer support vehicles.

In 2000 year the old vehicles were re-painted in original manner by the Russian specialists of the historical society. Now tanks look like in their historical period.

To be continued...