Gagarin Air Force Academy (Russian: Военно-воздушная академия имени Ю. А. Гагарина, romanized: Voyenno-vozdushnaya akademiya imeni Yu.

Among the academy alumni are around 700 Heroes of the Soviet Union (highest award in the USSR), more than 10 cosmonauts, and over 2000 military specialists from 21 foreign countries.

[3] In Soviet times, only the officers with a primary military education (летное училище – flight school) and holding the position of major could study at the academy.

The collection of the serial and experimental Soviet aircraft (air force museum) served as a base for the studying by cadets of the academy.

According to tradition, after the end of active military service as teachers of the academy, the officers became the guides in the museum.