Moscow’s *The Bunker* exhibition brings war up close for schoolchildren
A new exhibition called The Bunker has opened in Moscow, offering visitors a close-up look at military equipment from Russia’s ongoing conflict. The pilot project, housed in a renovated basement on Lenin Street, is the first step in a larger plan to create a permanent Putin Center by 2027. Schoolchildren are expected to be the main audience for the displays, which include drones, mines and virtual tours of war zones.
The space itself has a complicated history. Businessman Oleg Khabibullin acquired the site in 2013, but his renovation plans led to a legal dispute with a nearby developer concerned about structural safety.
The exhibition is located in a 120-square-metre basement at 69/4 Lenin Street, part of the former Foreign Economic Activities Business Center. Khabibullin bought Block A of the abandoned complex in 2013, while another company, UGMK-Navigator, purchased two unfinished blocks in 2017. When Khabibullin announced plans to restore his section, UGMK-Navigator took legal action, arguing that the old structure posed a collapse risk during reconstruction.
Courts ultimately ruled in Khabibullin’s favour, allowing the project to proceed. UGMK-Navigator had demanded safety guarantees, citing high-risk assessments, but the decision cleared the way for The Bunker to open. The exhibition now features Russian and Ukrainian military hardware, including drones and uniforms, alongside a virtual tour of Mariupol and interactive weapons training.
Beyond this pilot, a much larger Putin Center is planned for 2027. That exhibition will occupy a repurposed building on Anton Valek Street, another section of the same abandoned business centre. Organisers have made clear that school groups will be a key focus for both the current and future displays.
The opening of The Bunker marks the first phase of a long-term project to document Russia’s military campaign. Khabibullin’s legal victory ensured the site’s renovation could move forward despite safety concerns from neighbouring developers. With school visits already anticipated, the exhibition is set to become a regular feature of Moscow’s public education efforts.
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