Military History Museum, Yekaterinburg

The Military History Museum was founded in 1959 in the heart of Yekaterinburg. Originally, it was a civic museum run by the Officer's House. Today the museum's exhibits depict the tragedy and heroism of the Great Patriotic War period (1941 – 1945). Their main theme is the contribution of the Ural region to victory in the war. The most notable piece at the museum is a copy of the sculpture dedicated to the soldiers of the Ural 10th Guard, the Lviv voluntary tank corps. A new exhibit that showcases part of a military commander's room is particularly interesting. Another notable exhibit, which attracts tourists, locals and foreign delegations visiting the city, is a relic of the Cold War era, an American spy plane. This Lockheed U-2, piloted by the American Francis Gary Powers, was shot down by the Soviet Union military on May 1, 1960.