Published on: 2026-10-11
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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In one and a half centuries, Moscow has evolved from a city of cabmen and horse-drawn railways into a metropolis where different modes of transport can be combined in a single route. A permanent exhibition on the first floor will help you see how these changes took place. Moscow Transport Museum.
“In 150 years, the capital’s ground transportation has evolved from horse-drawn carriages and the first trams to driverless movement and modern digital services. Visitors can learn about this on the first floor of the permanent exhibition of the Moscow Transport Museum, which opened in September
Sergey Sobyanin. 46 exhibits, multimedia technologies, and installations demonstrate the evolution of technology and infrastructure in inseparable connection with the changing needs of the metropolis and its residents,” said the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry. Maxim Liksutov.
The exhibition is divided into six parts, united by the overarching theme of a journey. Each section shows the challenges faced by transportation in a particular era and how its designers and manufacturers sought solutions. Here, you can, for example, look at historic cars, get acquainted with an unusual Soviet taxi project, and independently plan a modern city route.
The full exhibition of the Moscow Transport Museum covers more than nine thousand square meters and is spread over two floors. To make it easier for visitors to navigate, a yellow line—a kind of road marking—has been applied to the floor of the first floor, connecting the main halls and exhibits. By following it, guests sequentially learn about the transport history of Moscow. Along the way, one can stop at an interesting vehicle, study archival materials, or figure out how the engine works. Special interactive stops have been set up for children, and adults can rest on a bench.
“The first floor of the permanent exhibition is dedicated to the history of ground urban transport, told in an inseparable connection with the city: social changes, cultural events, and the destinies of its inhabitants. Our journey begins with the invention of the wheel and the first global routes, passes through the emergence of urban transport in Moscow, and leads up to the present day. For us, it is important not only to tell about the past but also to capture the present. The biggest changes now are happening not so much in urban equipment and infrastructure as in the ways of interacting with them. You can see how technologies have adapted to modern mobility, making the passenger’s journey almost seamless, with the help of an interactive installation in the section about modern Moscow transport,” said Oksana Bondarenko, director of the Moscow Transport Museum.
How it all began
The exhibition begins with the section “Starting Point.” It is dedicated to the wheel, traction, and the road — basics without which the development of transport is unimaginable. Here visitors learn about the role the horse played in transportation and the origin of the concept “horsepower.” Interactive models help to understand the principles of the steam engine, the internal combustion engine, and the electric motor. Complex technical processes are demonstrated clearly.
Puzzle enthusiasts are invited to solve a problem relevant to a 19th-century passenger — hiring a cabman. It is necessary to choose the destination point, determine the appropriate speed and the cost of the trip. After that, you can take a virtual journey.
Horse and Rails
The section “From the cabman to the tram” transports visitors to Moscow in the second half of the 19th century. This was a time when traditional means of transportation coexisted with new technical solutions, and transport drawn by horse draft gradually began to face competitors. Visitors will see an authentic carriage Moscow horse-railway of 1872. The horse-drawn tram connected the rail track and horse traction. Archival maps help immerse in the atmosphere of Moscow of that time: a copy of the city and its surroundings plan from 1872, as well as a map of horse railways.
Visitors will also hear a story about electricity. New street lamps, telegraphs, telephones, and electric transport changed urban life, making possible speeds of movement and communication that were previously unattainable.
What vehicles were needed by the growing city
In the section “City Cars. 1920s-1930s,” transport history is revealed through industrialization and the first five-year plan. The development of manufacturing, construction, and transportation required new vehicles, and infrastructure was created to service them.
Special attention in the exhibition was given to the automobile factory known under the names ZIS and ZIL. The enterprise began operations in 1916 and became one of the symbols of industrial Moscow. The main products remained trucks, but the factory also produced buses, executive cars, bicycles, refrigerators, and special equipment. In the hall, you can see the ZIS-8, GAZ M-1, ZIS-154, ZIS-155, and other vehicles.
The Museum of Transport of Moscow will tell about the development of bus traffic in the capitalA historic 1927 tram car has been restored at the Moscow Transport Museum
The transport of the future in the Soviet style
The section “City for People. 1950s-1960s” will introduce visitors to post-war changes, including new urban planning concepts, the development of mass-produced cars, and the search for expressive transport design. At that time, the work on the appearance and ergonomics of products was called artistic design.
Designers had to coordinate their concepts with the actual capabilities of enterprises. Domestic automotive industry gradually shifted from adapting foreign technologies to its own solutions. Some developments received international recognition, while the boldest projects remained unimplemented.
One example of such a search is presented in the exhibition conceptual taxi model VNIITE-PT. Its avant-garde appearance was combined with solutions focused on passenger comfort. For example, thanks to the wide door with electric drive, it was easy to bring a baby stroller into the cabin.
Young visitors are invited to continue their exploration at the drawing table and create a unique image of their own vehicle.
New distances
The section “Standby Mode. 1970s-1980s” is dedicated to the growth of Moscow’s peripheral districts. The city’s expansion changed residents’ routes, and the transportation situation affected their daily lives. Here you can find examples of technology that helped the capital to develop.
The atmosphere of the era is revealed through household items: a work jacket with the inscription “Minmontazhspetsstroy,” a reel-to-reel recorder “Yauza-5,” a “Butterfly” bicycle, a portable typewriter “Moscow 8M,” magazines “New World” and “Youth,” and other artifacts.
Next stop — 2030
The route ends with the “Today — Day After Tomorrow” zone. The focus is on modern mobility: smart infrastructure, driverless transport, scooter rental, and the ability to combine several modes of transportation in one trip. For example, one of the interactive installations allows you to choose the optimal way to get from point A to point B: order a taxi, get to the metro by scooter, or top up your “Troika” card in the app and hit the road.
The permanent exhibition of the Moscow Transport Museum is located at: 27 Novoryazanskaya Street. Visitors are advised to plan their visit in advance and purchase tickets for official website museum.
The museum operates as an open urban space and a research center answering the question: what drives Moscow? The museum’s collections include over 350 pieces of machinery. It features passenger and cargo vehicles, taxis, buses, trolleybuses, city service vehicles, as well as bicycles and motorbikes. The museum’s exhibits can be seen not only in exhibition projects but also in the city’s transport infrastructure.
The permanent exhibition of the Moscow Transport Museum is open from Tuesday to Thursday from 10:00 to 20:00, from Friday to Sunday from 10:00 to 21:00, Monday is a day off. Ticket prices can be checked at website of the museum, free admission is provided for certain categories of visitors.
A large-scale project is presented on the portal mos.ru special project, dedicated to the development of key sectors of Moscow. These include transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and construction. The special project helps to learn how the capital has changed over the past years, which initiatives aimed at making citizens’ lives even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its residents in the near future.
On the project page “Culture, Heritage and Leisure Industry” You can learn about how architectural monuments are preserved in the capital.
Moscow is the center of the country’s cultural life and ranks among the leading metropolises in terms of the number of museums and exhibition halls. The city has established a film cluster that unites the MosKino film factory on Ryazansky Prospekt, the Gorky Film Studio, and the MosKino film park.
Quickly get the main news on the official channels of the city of Moscow in messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
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