A Day Outside Moscow: Art, Ecology, and Wildlife
Spending a whole day outside Moscow can be both exciting and meaningful—and the Kaluga region offers two truly unique places to explore: an environmental museum and a picturesque private zoo.
Museum of Garbage
At the Museum of Garbage (MU-MU), created by the independent Moscow art bureau BÜRO in 2016, waste is transformed into art and visitors are reminded of the ecological importance of recycling and responsible consumption. Globally, there are only 10–12 such museums, which makes MU-MU a rare cultural experience.
There are more than 500 masterpieces by artists from 25 countries on display.
The museum offers a discount on tickets if you bring recyclable materials with you.
The museum amazes with its creativity: playful ‘trash shoes,’ a giant sphere of old keys called The Key Question, a fashion collection made from detergent bags, and a sculpture of Ernst Hemingway’s Old Man from The Old Man and the Sea crafted from foam insulation and cotton. Sculptures from old tires, plastic bottles, metal caps, and rubber shoes complete the collection.
Visitors can also enjoy interactive labyrinths—from a mirror maze to a playful ribbon maze—and even sign up in advance with friends to take part in one of several quest programmes. The imagination and craftsmanship of the artists, who find ways to turn discarded objects into impressive works of art, inspire admiration and genuine delight. Many guests leave the museum with a new perspective on waste management.
See the Mu-Mu website (in Russian) for more information.
How to Get There
Take the Moscow–Obninsk train from Kievsky railway station. It takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.
The train timetable is available here.
Bus N231, 601 to the stop Istya / Grachevka Turnoff stop.
The bus timetable is available here.
The bus ride is about 25 minutes.
When to Visit
The museum is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 7 pm.
Ticket Price
750 rubles
Vorobyi Bird Park
After exploring a creative world where ecology meets aesthetics, you can continue your trip at Vorobyi Bird Park—the largest bird park in Russia. Originating 20 years ago with a private collection of parrots, it’s now home to over 2,000 mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish from around the world. There is also a stone garden where you can sit and relax in beautiful surroundings unlike anything in the big city.
In the park, you can join various tours with experienced zoologists and learn fascinating and unexpected facts about the habits of animals.
More information is available on the park’s website (in Russian).
How to Get There
Take the Moscow–Obninsk train from Kievsky railway train station. It takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.
The train timetable is available here.
Bus N 288 from Obninsk
The bus takes about 40 minutes. The stop is Park Vorobyi.
The bus timetable is available here.
When to Visit
Opening hours: 10 am to 6 pm.
The park is closed on Mondays.
Ticket Price
Student tickets cost 500 rubles upon presentation of a student ID.
If you want to visit both locations on the same day, they are about 7 km apart—though there is no direct public transportation. A taxi ride will take about 10 minutes.