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Last Updated on May 6, 2020 by haveclotheswilltravel

Victory Park (aka Park Pobedy) in Moscow is home to 13 unique memorials, more than 300 pieces of weaponry, the largest flower clock in the world, 13 restaurants, a synagogue, a mosque, and an Orthodox chapel. It’s quite an interesting mix worth seeing if your schedule allows. This post will give a brief background on the park, explain whether it’s worth visiting as a tourist and what to expect if you do decide to visit it.

What is Victory Park?

Victory Park was founded in 1958 and is situated on Poklonnaya Gora, which is one of the highest spots in Moscow. This is historically where visitors coming from the west would pay hommage to Moscow and bow down. It is also where Napolean waited in vain for the keys to the Kremlin to be brought to him.

Now, this area is used to honor those who brought the Soviet Union to victory over the Nazis in the Second World War. More than 27 million Soviet lives were lost during this war (more than any other country). There memorials, fountains and a museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War (WWII).

While it is sobering to see the memorials and the Victory Museum, the park is an interesting, and nice way to spend a warm summer day. It is still a park where people run, play, skate, enjoy casual outdoor restaurants and picnics, and there are even go-karts to rent and a small theme park for children. Victory Park is also decorated festively in the winter months and will sometimes have impressive ice sculptures as well as an ice skating rink.

As a Tourist to Moscow – Is It Worth Visiting Victory Park?

Those interested in World War II history will especially enjoy visiting here. My husband is really interested in weaponry from this period and enjoyed seeing the various tanks, aircraft and ships that were used by the Russians in WWII. These pieces are all located within the Open-Air Exhibition of Military Equipment in Victory Park.

While I am not especially interested in any sort of weaponry, it was still quite interesting to see the various aircraft and ships used in WWII… in addition to the tanks.

Now, if you only have a couple of days to spend in Moscow, I would not say Victory Park is a must-do unless you are a serious WWII history buff. Seeing the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Bolshoi, Izmailovsky Market, etc. are a better way to spend a short time in Moscow. Now, if you have ample time to spend in the city, then yes, Victory Park is a fine way to spend a few hours of your day.

You can easily walk the park yourself at your own leisure, and many of the park signs are also in English. However, the museum and some signage in the Open Air Exhibits are only in Russian. If you want to get a deeper understanding of the Victory Museum and the memorials throughout the park, it is best to hire an English speaking guide to translate for you.

Visiting Victory Park – What to See + Ticket Info

Visiting the park itself is free – however, visiting the museum and the open-air exhibition does require paying for a ticket that can be purchased at a ticket kiosk the day of.

The park itself is also open all day long. But the hours for the museum are 10 am – 8:30 pm (9:30 on weekends) and closed on Mondays.

Triumphal Arch

When exiting the Park Pobedy metro station, you will first see the Triumphal Arch. This is located just outside the park and is actually located in the middle of a highway. It was constructed to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napolean.

Exhibition of Military Equipment and Weapons in the Open Air Exhibition

As I mentioned, my husband is especially interested in the weaponry used by the Russian during this war. So, we made a beeline for the Open Air Exhibition. For 250 rubles you can purchase tickets to this sprawling exhibit at the ticket kiosk. You also have the option to purchase a ticket to the Victory Museum here (tickets to the museum are 120 rubles).

The sections you will see here are:

Trophy Equipment and Armament

Engineering Construction

Railway Troops

The Military Highway

Artillery Reserve Of The Main Command

Air Force and Air Defense

Open Air Display of Army Hardware of Local Wars and Armed Conflicts of 1950s-1980s

The Base of the Partisan Detachment

Navy

Trophy Japanese Weapons and Military Equipment During The Soviet-Japanese War of 1945

Exhibition Motors of War – FYI this is in the basement in a separate building outside of the open-air exhibit. There are signs that point you to it, though.

Please find more photos of the open-air exhibition at the very end of the post (I took a TON of photos).

Victory Monument

The Victory Monument is a 142-meter tall obelisk (every 10cm represents one day of the war). At the base of it is St. George slaying a dragon covered in Nazi symbols.

Victory Museum – The Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Just behind the Victory Monument is the Museum of the Great Patriotic Wat. This museum has hundreds of exhibits, including dioramas of every major WWII battle the Russians fought in, as well as weapons, photographs, documents and other wartime memorabilia.

War is a tragedy for many people. That’s why you can also find in the Park an Orthodox Church, a memorial Mosque and the Memorial Synagogue to remember people of different religious beliefs who also perished in the war against the Nazis.

Memorial Mosque, Memorial Synagogue (sorry, not pictured) & St George’s Church on Podklonnaya Gora



For additional monuments within the park, please click on the photos below to read their descriptions.

Flower Clock – the largest in the world, apparently. To the soldiers missed in action and buried without graves To the soldiers missed in action and buried without graves “In the Fight against Fascism, We Were Together” Monument “In the Fight against Fascism, We Were Together” Monument

If anyone has any questions about visiting, please feel free to reach out in the comments section at the end of the post.

Click here for the Victory Park website.

Click here for an English-speaking tour.

Click here to see all of my blog posts on Russia.

Click here to read about how you can ride in a real tank while in Russia!

More photos of the Exhibition of Military Equipment and Weapons in the Open Air Exhibition:

Travel Insurance

It’s a good idea, no matter where your adventure takes you, to have travel insurance. You never know what might happen! Whether you get sick before your trip and can’t go, or you become sick or injured while on your adventure – being covered with travel insurance is a must. Some credit card companies do provide this service (check with yours), or you can get a free quote from travel insurance companies such as RoamRight or World Nomads to find the best plan for you and your adventure. Get your free quote for a US resident by clicking here. If you are outside the US, get your free quote, click here.

Visa Requirements

To check if your country requires a Visa for traveling to Russia, click here.



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