The Valery P. Chkalov Memorial Museum is an operating museum in Chkalovsk in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, housed in the building where Valery Chkalov was born. The house was built by Chkalov's father in 1896 and is a federally protected cultural heritage site.[3] The museum preserves the memory of this native of the Nizhny Novgorod land who made nonstop transpolar flights over the North Pole in the 1930s.

Building and Status

The house in which Valery Chkalov was born was built by his father in 1896.[3] The building has been designated a federally protected cultural heritage site. In addition to the house-museum, the memorial complex includes a hangar pavilion housing a collection of 1930s aircraft associated with Chkalov's career; the museum is located at 5 Chkalov Street.[5][3] Prior to the major restoration works of the 2020s, the building had not undergone any substantial renovation for many decades. In 1956, the house was relocated from the shoreline due to the formation of the Gorky Reservoir.[5][3]

Restoration and Equipment

In 2024, the museum received modern exhibition equipment as part of the national project "Culture": more than 9 million rubles were allocated from the federal budget for this purpose. As part of the 2024 outfitting, 45 units of equipment were procured, including five interactive systems: "Interactive Map — Chkalov's Name on the Map of Russia," "Interactive Animated Portrait of Chkalov," "Flight Log," "The Chkalov Family Genealogy," and "History of Record-Breaking Long-Distance Flights of the Soviet Aviation Era."[6][3] Concurrently, the second phase of the building's restoration was carried out using regional and local budget funds totaling 64.6 million rubles.[3] The works included restoration of the façades, verandas, and balcony with their wooden decorative elements, as well as repair of the roof, stoves, windows, doors, and floors.[3] The restoration was carried out through the combined efforts of specialists from the regional Ministry of Culture, museum staff, and restorers.[3] Upon completion, the exhibition floor space was expanded, the collections were augmented with original artifacts, and a visitor lounge area was fitted out. The museum's reopening after restoration in July 2026 coincided with the 90th anniversary of Chkalov's crew's nonstop flight along the Moscow–Udd Island route; on the same occasion, the second floor of the Chkalov house was opened to the general public for the first time.[7][4]

The Governor's Inspection Visit in 2026

On 2 August 2026, Gleb Nikitin visited the renovated museum during a working trip to Chkalovsk.[1][2] He noted the large number of original artifacts, the expanded exhibition space, and the comfortable visitor lounge, describing the institution as having reached a new level.[1][3] During the same trip, the Governor inspected the progress of renovation work at the Museum of Speeds in Chkalovsk, dedicated to Rostislav Alekseev and the development of high-speed shipbuilding; the completion of the works was planned to coincide with the Russian Wings (festival) scheduled for 8 August 2026.[3][4]

Links

  • Wikidata (Q4290250 — entry in the open knowledge base)

The museum was established by a decree of the USSR government to perpetuate the pilot's memory and opened on 7 July 1940 — less than two years after Chkalov's death during an aircraft test flight on 15 December 1938.[5]

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (ru) — The museum was established by a decree of the USSR government to perpetuate the pilot's memory and opened on 7 July 1940 — less than two years after Chkalov's death during an aircraft test (archive)
  2. Vremya N — As part of the 2024 outfitting, 45 units of equipment were procured, including five interactive systems: "Interactive Map — Chkalov's Name on the Map of Rus (archive)
  3. V gorode N — The museum's reopening after restoration in July 2026 coincided with the 90th anniversary of Chkalov's crew's nonstop flight along the Moscow–Udd Island route; (archive)
  1. Newsroom24 — Governor Gleb Nikitin evaluated the work of the "Khuliganodome" and museums in Chkalovsk
  2. Otkryty Nizhny — Gleb Nikitin visited the "Khuliganodome" and the Chkalov Museum in Chkalovsk
  3. Vremya N — Gleb Nikitin visited the "Khuliganodome" in Chkalovsk (archive)
  4. NN.RU — "Had tea and marshmallows." Gleb Nikitin made an inspection tour of cities in the Nizhny Novgorod Region