In October 2013 in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine was opened Museum Missiles Park. It consists of three missiles: 8K11, 8K99, Cyclone-3. Museum Missiles Park was built for only one year at the initiative of Dniproretrovsk State Administration and State Enterprise "Production Association Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant named after A.M.Makarov" (YUZHMASH) as a tribute to all those engineers who created the space and defense power of Soviet Union (USSR) and Ukraine.

The total cost of the construction of Museum Missiles Park is more than 12 million UAH (around 1,5 million US dollars).

Exhibits of Museum Missiles Park

Three-stage missile Cyclone-3 created by Ukrainian design bureau "Uzhnoe" and manufactured at Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant provides the possibility to bring the spacecraft weighing up to 4000 kg into low, middle circular and elliptical orbits.

Missile 8K99 is the first missile with mobile launch developed by design bureau "Uzhnoe". The missile was launched from container that was mounted on a mobile platform with caterpillar tracks on basis of tank T-26. The missile acquired the informal name "Iron Maiden" for the unusual arrangement.

Missile 8K11 is one of the first Soviet ballistic missiles the production of which was started in the early 1950s. The prototype of the missile was German Vergeltungswaffe-2 (FAU-2 or V-2) missile.

The the pavilion which is located near missiles 8K11, 8K99, Cyclone-3 on the big panoramic screen is possible to look at video of missiles launches accompanied by light, sound and other special effects.

State Enterprise "Production Association Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant named after A.M.Makarov" (YUZHMASH)

Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant (YUZMASH) was created in 1951 when by decision of Soviet Government in Dnipropetrovsk. The major car factory has been converted into a factory for the production of ballistic missiles.

Upon completion of the development and successful testing of missiles R-1 (SS-1) , R-2 (SS-2) and R-5M (SS-3) became the issue of their series production. Many specialists and young professionals came to Dnipropetrovsk from Moscow to work in the secret №586 plant.

Enthusiasts of design department of №586 plant soon developed and presented their drafts of new missile with much better fighting qualities. The project of new missile was confirmed and same time in 1954 was founded independent design bureau "Uzhnoe" headed by talented organizer and scientist Michail Yangel.

The development of the new missile was completed and missile R-12 (SS-4) was the most massive and the main medium-range missile into the newly created Strategic Missile Forces.

Soon design bureau of Michail Yangel created missile R-14 (SS-5) with a maximum for mid-range firing range and the first Soviet intercontinental missile R-16 (SS-7) that used the high-boiling fuel. The location of missiles R-16 (SS-7) in silo-launchers significantly reduced the vulnerability of the starting positions.

So Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant (YUZMASH) became leading Soviet Union (USSR) enterprises to build missile systems. Next it was developed missiles R-36 (SS-9) in the ballistic version with the world's most powerful warhead and the first Soviet separated warhead, missiles MR-UR-100 Sotka (SS-17) and R-36M (SS-18) with warheads providing personalized guidance of each separated warhead to individual target and modern missile defense systems of resistance to the damaging effects of high altitude and ground-based nuclear explosions.

Since 1970s Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant (YUZMASH) and design bureau "Uzhnoe" began to achieve substantial progress in creating a solid-fuel engines and missiles. The result was the development of engines for the first stage of the first mobile theater ballistic missile system 9K720 Iskander (SS-26) and sea-based missiles R-39 (SS-N-20 Sturgeon). Next was created the most powerful solid-fuel engine with a thrust of 300 ton and high-performance three-stage solid-fuel RT-23 (SS-24 Scalpel) missile - the world's first rail-based RT-23 Molodets.

Also since the late 1950s Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant (YUZMASH) has begun to develop space launch rockets using as first stages military missiles. So based on R-12 (SS-4) missile was established rocket SL-7 "Space" which was launched for vast program of research of near-Earth space. This missile was operated until 1977 and put into orbit 150 satellites for various purposes. The missile R-14 Chusovaya (SS-5 Skean) served as the basis for the rocket SL-8 "Intercosmos" which has done more than 400 launches.

The missile R-36 (SS-9) was the ancestor of two modifications of rocket-carriers Cyclone (Sl-10), Cyclone-2 (SL-11) and Cyclone-3 (SL-14).

In recent years Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant (YUZMASH) and design bureau "Uzhnoe" have created the most perfect in the world launching complex Zenith which has high power capability and having the prospect of further development and improvement. The first stage of rocket Zenith is equipped with the most powerful engine in the world with a thrust of 740 tons and was used as blocks of the first stage rocket complex Energiya-Buran.

You could visit Ukraine Dnipro Sights | Museum Missiles Park with Tour South Ring or Group Tour "Grand Industrial Tour"