The owner has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the KGB and makes for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The gizmo's and gadgets are straight out of any espionage movie, but these are all the real deal. You are encouraged to wear genuine military headware and pose with the weapons of the time for photo's which is cool. Entry is about £10.00 each...
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KGB Museum, Prague
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KGB Museum
Mala Strana Vlasska 13, Prague 118 00, Czech Republic
+420 272 048 047
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Ranked #18 of 199 attractions in Prague
Type: History Museums, Museums
Owner description:
KGB for many years have been of the most powerful and famous secret service in the world. The KGB museum (Russian: Музей КГБ, Czech: Muzeum KGB,...
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Owner description:
KGB for many years have been of the most powerful and famous secret service in the world. The KGB museum (Russian: Музей КГБ, Czech: Muzeum KGB, German: KGB Museum, French: Musée du KGB) was founded by the organization Chernyy dozhd. This non-governmental private organization is a community of people who are fascinated with the history collected unique items related to the activities of the Soviet Secret Service. The presence of many exhibits is primarily due to anarchy and lack of control over many state museums in the USSR during its division into many independent states, which used to be former Soviet socialist republics. Only due to the Chernyy dozhd organization many priceless exhibits were saved from looting, destruction and recycling. This is the first time in the world memorabilia previously belonging to the first persons of the Soviet Union, the heads of the Cheka-NKVD-GPU-OGPU-MGB-KGB and the senior functionaries of the soviet state security are put together in one place.The exhibition features absolutely unique exhibits such as Lenin death mask, which was made in January 1924 by Doctors of Medicine Vorobiev and Zbarsky (the authors of the unique embalming technique of dead body); the weapon, which was used for Trotsky’s murder in Mexico in 1940; the personal belongings from the cabinet of Beria, who was Marshal of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD), a chief of the Soviet security service during the difficult years of World War II, and later a supervisor of the Soviet atomic bomb project; an unusual type of small arms, chemical weapons, made according to then-advanced technology, and many other exhibits. A part of the exhibition showcases the history of the personal standard weapon of the Soviet secret service officers.In the 20th century such kind of technique was actively developed, designed and produced by secret laboratories, institutes and specialized factories of Warsaw Pact countries, and especially by the Soviet Union.Gifted scientists, talented designers and highly skilled engineers with unique abilities were engaged into this invisible and closed for ordinary people industry.Hidden cameras (in the Soviet Union they used the term "tacit photography"), things which were used for keeping secret information (dead drops), instruments for applying signal labels, standard gifts for the officers and employees of the KGB to celebrate various anniversaries in the history of the USSR and the KGB, the first merit badges of the agents, and all the things which were inextricably connected with the activities of Soviet intelligence officers can be seen now at the KGB Museum in Prague. A part of the exhibition is dedicated to the so-called "Prague Spring". Many unique photos of the city streets were made by the KGB agents during the events of 1968. Unusual photos reflect the dramatic history of that time, the tragedy of the beautiful old European city, which fate became a bargaining chip in a great gamble game of superpowers. One can also see an extraordinarily beautiful handmade banner that had been made by the children from the GPU labour commune for 2 months and was presented to Grampa Lenin in the autumn 1923, three months before his death. After the Soviet state head’s death the banner, as well as the flags from the GPU NKVD RSFSR, had been held over the World Proletariat Leader's body in the House of Unions' Pillar Hall for 3 days. In that frosty cold January of the year 1924 a three day procession of more than a million people walked past the Lenin's coffin.. The vision of and comments on the existence of the most powerful secret services of the world can vary, but it's obviously clear that every state needs a strong secret service, the instrument of its foreign and domestic policy.
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Copenhagen, Denmark
1 review
I don't go to museums too often, but this definetely a must see. After visiting it you realize that James Bond was nothing and the way the guide tells you the stories is amazing too. If you also the possibility to touch all the spy gadgets and make pictures.
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1 review
Came across it in the 'eclectic' section of the lonely planet Prague guide - so glad we went! The owner is so enthusiastic and knows everything and more about the extensive collection, gives every visitor a guided tour and answered all of our questions - even encouraged us to handle some of the rather terrifying weaponry! Really really worth a...
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New Iberia, Louisiana
Reviewer
It tells the story of how depressing and repressive life under communism was while poking fun at its self Especially good for those who are too young to remember
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See 2 more reviews by Jwghmg for Prague
Turin, Italy
Contributor
It is rather bone chilling to walk into a replica of a KGB interrogation room, with an old phone ringing in the eery silence, as it is looking at footage of protests (in the late '60s and '80's) taking place in the same squares and boulevards you just strolled a few minutes earlier. The museum offers a great quantity of...
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dorset uk
Contributor
Small museum quite difficult to find but near to the Segways. You are given a small tour by the owner with demonstrations, his accent is a little hard to follow, my daughters boyfriend loved the museum & thought it to be one of the highlights of his trip.
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Alexandria, Virginia
Senior Reviewer
As others have said - don't know how he keeps his enthusiasm up - but he does, amazing! Great and fascinating museum. A great sense of humor -- putting on some of the jackets/hats etc. was a nice touch.
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Sydney, Australia
Contributor
You have to want to read abouthe history of Communisim as all the boards are in several languages. If you are not a history buff then you probably will not enjoy it, but I'd you like to learn and see what happened then it was worth the 190czr which is appx $9.50.
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Senior Contributor
This is a small museum that is packed full of cool spy stuff from the communist era. The tour is lead by a russian guy who is very knowlegeable and passionate about KGB history. It was fun and i would recommend it.
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2 reviews
As others have said, this is a quirky little museum owned and run by a single Russian now living in Prague, whose own mother worked for the KGB. It is fascinating: spy gadgets from the 1920's through the 1980's: one Maxwell Smart ("Get Smart" 1960's spy comedy) era item: a cigarette case that held real cigarettes but also had two...
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3.5 out of 5, 688 reviewsLast reviewed 16 Jun 2013
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