Kyiv’s Oleg Antonov Aviation Museum has asked people to donate or buy e-tickets to help the site survive after it was forced to close its doors.

The museum closed to visitors after Russia invaded Ukraine. Despite the continuous bombardment of Ukraine’s capital, the museum has said all its collections, many of which are from the old Soviet Union, remain intact.

While staff are currently receiving a salary from the Ukrainian government, the museum has said that its resources have become extremely limited.

A TU-142 bomber How has the invasion affected Oleg Antonov Aviation Museum?

Since the invasion, the museum isn’t just dealing with a lack of visitors, it’s also having to make do with less staff than usual.

In a Facebook post, The Museum said:

“We are proud to announce that some of our staff are protecting our Motherland in the banks of the Armed Forces or territorial defense forces, others are helping on the information front or volunteering. We are proud of them.”

The museum is also dealing with a lack of funding, given that its support and development is mostly paid for through ticket purchases.

The site is now appealing for visitors to buy tickets, saying that “after the war, when the museum will be able to host visitors again, you will be able to use your tickets by visiting us!”.

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The giant aircraft made several trips to Shannon Airport in recent years. Photo: Getty Images

What collections is the museum home to?

Oleg Antonov was a famous Soviet airplane designer. He founded Antonov Design Bureau, which later became Antonov State Enterprise.

The Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company is famous for its large aircraft, especially its An-225 Myria, which had the largest wingspan of any operational aircraft in the world.

Unfortunately, Myria, as the aircraft was affectionately known, was destroyed in the first days of Russia’s invasion.

In line with its name, The Oleg Antonov Aviation Museum boasts an extensive collection of Soviet-era aircraft.

The site is the largest historical and technical museum in Eastern Europe and was opened in 2003. Initially opening with 33 items, the institution now boasts 90.

Visitors can normally view aircraft, helicopters, and drones that have been in service with the independent Ukraine and Soviet Air Force, as well as sample air weapons and aircraft engines.

The museum is home to the rare MiG-15UTI, the first experimental sample of the IL-86, and a pre-production Tu-134, amongst other historical pieces.

A spokesperson for the museum said that while the site's artifacts and library are safe, the museum had no idea how to protect the main collection of big aircraft.

You can buy e-tickets here or make a donation to the museum here.

Will you be buying an e-ticket to see the museum? Let us know in the comments below.