KGB Espionage Museum
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| This article, KGB Espionage Museum, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |
Comment: Less references from the website itself and more from sources like the NYT, etc. The Museum already thinks it's notable, what do other sources have to say about it? Bkissin (talk) 19:48, 5 February 2020 (UTC)
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Former name | KGB Spy Museum |
|---|---|
| Established | January 17, 2019 |
| Location | 245 West 14th St., New York, New York, United States
  Location Within Manhattan |
| Type | History Museum |
| Collection size | Over 3,900 Objects |
| Website | https://kgbespionagemuseum.org/ |
The KGB Espionage Museum is a museum dedicated to the unbiased presentation of historical and contemporary KGB espionage equipment and tradecraft. The museum opened in the Chelsea/Greenwich Village area of New York City on 17 January 2019 and features the world's largest collection of KGB-specific spy equipment.[1] The museum offers interactive exhibits and guided tours.
History and Formation
The museum in Manhattan was founded in 2019 by Lithuanian father and daughter team Julius Urbaitis and Agne Urbaityte. The collection began under private ownership by Mr. Urbaitis in Lithuania where their first museum opened in an old KGB bunker.[2] The majority of the collection has now been brought to the United States and is available for public view for the first time.
Permanent Collection
The KGB Espionage Museum sits on 4,000 sq. feet (370 sq. meters) and currently exhibits over 3900 objects. The collection is comprised of original pieces and two replicas. Prize objects include a lipstick gun known as the "Kiss of Death", a Fialka Machine (the Russian version of the Enigma Machine), and a suicide tooth filled with poison.[3][4]
Main Topics of the Exhibitions
The museum has divided their collection into the following rough categories:
- Spy Cameras
- Recording Devices
- Concealed Listening Devices
- Cipher Machines
- Spy Radios
- KGB Telephones
Interactive Exhibits
The KGB Espionage Museum offers several areas of interactivity for visitors. Among others are:
- A KGB Interrogation Chair
- Morse Keys
- Switchboards
- KGB Chief's Desk
- Robotic Arm
- KGB Prison Bed
- KGB Uniform Photo Booth
Tours
- "Guided Tour": A guided experience[5]
- "Dark Side of the KGB" Tour: A guided tour of the museum in the dark using soviet flashlights[6]
- "Come Back in the USSR 1991" Tour: Experiential tour where the visitor dresses as a KGB cadet, learns how to put on a gas mask, and experiences a KGB interrogation[7]
References
- ^ "Educative experience - KGB Espionage Museum - Learning experiences". KGB Espionage Museum. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ "New York's KGB museum offers Cold War nostalgia fix". Inquirer Lifestyle. 2019-02-03. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
- ^ Visontay, Michael (2019-07-31). "New York's new Cold War Espionage museum". Traveller. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ "KGB Espionage Museum - KGB Espionage Museum - Museum in NY". KGB Espionage Museum. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
- ^ Deb, Sopan (2019-01-21). "A Museum for K.G.B. Aficionados? Da!". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ "Announcing Exclusive Mysterious Tour 'The Darkside of the KGB'". KGB Espionage Museum. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ "Announcing New Experiential Show 'Come Back in the USSR 1991'". KGB Espionage Museum. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2020-01-29.