KGB Espionage Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | KGB Spy Museum |
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| Established | January 17, 2019 |
| Location | 245 West 14th St., New York, New York, United States |
| Type | History Museum |
| Collection size | Over 3,900 Objects |
The KGB Espionage Museum was a special museum in New York City. It showed off cool spy gadgets and tools used by the KGB. The KGB was the main security agency for the Soviet Union. This museum opened in Manhattan on January 17, 2019. It had the world's biggest collection of KGB spy equipment. Visitors could explore interactive exhibits and take guided tours. The museum closed in late 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its amazing collection was later sold at an auction.
About the Museum
The KGB Espionage Museum was started in 2019 by a father and daughter team, Julius Urbaitis and Agne Urbaityte. They were from Lithuania. Mr. Urbaitis began collecting these spy items in Lithuania. His first museum was even in an old KGB bunker there! Most of the collection was then brought to the United States. This was the first time many of these items were shown to the public.
Spy Gadgets and Tools
The KGB Espionage Museum was a large space, about 4,000 square feet. It displayed more than 3,900 different objects. Most of these were original spy tools. There were also a few exact copies, called replicas, of famous items.
Some of the most interesting objects included:
- A lipstick gun known as the "Kiss of Death."
- A Fialka Machine, which was a Russian version of the famous Enigma Machine used for secret codes.
- A special tooth that held a hidden secret.
Types of Spy Gear
The museum organized its collection into different groups. This helped visitors understand the many ways spies worked.
- Spy Cameras: Tiny cameras hidden in everyday objects.
- Recording Devices: Tools to secretly record conversations.
- Concealed Listening Devices: Hidden microphones to listen in on people.
- Cipher Machines: Devices like the Fialka Machine used to create and break secret codes.
- Spy Radios: Radios used to send and receive secret messages.
- KGB Telephones: Special phones used for secure communication.
Hands-On Fun
The KGB Espionage Museum also had several interactive exhibits. This meant visitors could touch and try out some things, making the experience more exciting.
- KGB Interrogation Chair: You could sit in a chair like one used for questioning.
- Morse Keys: Try sending messages using Morse code.
- Switchboards: Learn how old telephone switchboards worked.
- KGB Chief's Desk: See what a high-ranking KGB officer's desk looked like.
- Robotic Arm: An arm that could pick up objects.
- KGB Prison Bed: Experience what a bed in a KGB prison might have been like.
- KGB Uniform Photo Booth: Dress up in a KGB uniform for a fun photo!
