Museum of Railway Transport, Kyiv-Passenger

Thousands of people rush past it every day with their luggage, completely unaware that just a few metres away stand steam locomotives older than their grandparents. The Railway Museum has hidden itself in the last place you’d think to look — right on the tracks of the country’s main railway station.

You don’t need to imagine how a steam engine worked. Here you can climb in, peer into the firebox, and feel like a stoker from the 1950s.

Location at a Glance

What Is This Place and Why Do People Visit?

An open-air museum — a real rolling stock exhibition on a dedicated track at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station. The exhibition has been running since 2011 and spans three eras at once: pre-revolutionary, Soviet, and modern.

People come for two reasons. First, it’s a paradise for children: machinery you are actually allowed to touch. Second, it’s a hands-on history of Ukrainian railways — from early-20th-century salon carriages to powerful post-war steam locomotives.

The Story Behind the Collection

The idea of gathering surviving rolling stock in one place had been growing for years: some locomotives and carriages were rusting on sidings, others stood as monuments outside depots. In 2011, a selection was brought together on a single exhibition track under the pedestrian bridge between the station terminals.

The exhibits include salon carriages from 1910, 1912, and 1939; freight steam locomotives of the Er, L, and SO series; a ChS4 passenger electric locomotive from 1967; maintenance trolleys; and track maintenance machinery. Every piece has its own technical biography.

The salon carriages in the collection pre-date Soviet rule itself: some examples are dated 1910–1912. They survived two world wars and are still standing on track today.

What to See on Site

Steam locomotives of the L, Er, and SO series. The undisputed stars of the exhibition. You can climb up to the cab, look inside the firebox, get into the coal compartment, and imagine life as a stoker. Both kids and adults get completely absorbed here.

Early-20th-century salon carriages. Wood, velvet, brass — a world apart from modern open-plan sleeper cars. This is what first-class rail travel looked like a hundred years ago.

Track maintenance machinery. A snow-clearance machine, a maintenance trolley — equipment normally invisible to passengers. At this exhibition it all stands in full view.

How to Get There

Landmark. Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station. The exhibition is on a dedicated track near the pedestrian crossing between the Central and Southern terminals.

By public transport. Take the metro to Vokzalna station, then walk into the station complex. Best to check directions at the station information desk or with staff.

Tip. Check access hours and guided-tour availability in advance: this is an active railway station, and visiting conditions can change.

Traveller’s Checklist

• Bring: a camera — the machinery is photogenic in any weather.
• Bring: children: this is one of Kyiv’s best hands-on technical attractions.
• Bring: comfortable shoes — you’ll be climbing.
• Check: access hours and tour availability ahead of time.
• Don’t: climb onto structures not designated for visitors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the museum?

At Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station, on a dedicated exhibition track near the pedestrian crossing between the Central and Southern terminals.

Can you go inside the steam locomotives?

Some exhibits allow access: you can climb into the cab, look inside the firebox, and explore the coal compartment. The exact conditions depend on the exhibition’s current operating mode.

Is the museum suitable for children?

Absolutely — this is one of Kyiv’s best technical attractions for kids: real locomotives and carriages you’re allowed to climb. Adults will love it too.

The best thing about this museum is that nothing is behind glass. Railway history here is something you can not only see but touch: the cold metal of handrails, the ribbed floor of a cab, levers that once drove trains across half the country.

Next time you rush for a train at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi, spare half an hour. Just a few steps from your carriage stand its great-great-grandparents.