Mikoyan Museum in Sanahin, Armenia

Born in the small Armenian village of Sanahin, the Mikoyan brothers went on to become influential Russian citizens for helping to create the MiG fighter plane in World War II and for surviving the viper’s nest of Russian politics respectively and their legacy is remembered in this museum in their home town.

Aryton and Anastas Mikoyan were born ten years apart from one another around the turn of the century and both went on to become important Russo-Armenian figures during their lifetimes. The older Anastas, born in 1895 joint the Russian politburo as a Stalinist supporter and managed to remain in the cabinet (and alive) for a number of years, eventually even outlasting Stalin himself. Arguably more well known, the younger Aryton joined the air force and went on to sign up with the aircraft design devision and eventually co-created (along with his partner Mikhail Gurevich, hence the abbreviation) the MiG fighter jet which served the Soviets during World War II.

Given their prominent roles in Russian political and military history, a state-sponsored monument to the men was established in their hometown that still stands today. The most prominent aspect of the memorial is the sweeping canopy that hangs over a full-size replica MiG fighter jet. There is also a small museum with pictures and artifacts devoted to their lives and careers nearby staffed by local curators who are more than willing to tell visitors the story behind each piece in the collection, pride for the hometown boys who made a splash on the world stage, beaming from their every anecdote.