Deep in remote Western Kazakhstan lay the Russian spaceport, the Baikonur Cosmodrome. In a long abandoned hangar there, lay two of the surviving Soviet Space Shuttles, slowly succumbing to the ravages of time, since the Shuttle Project was mothballed in 1993. The collapse of the Soviet Union meant that funding on this ambitious project came to an end, and because various Soviet states were involved in the development, ownership of these magnificent crafts remains, to this day, a very grey area. Already one of the Shuttles, the 'Buran', the only one to fly, was destroyed when the roof of its hangar collapsed in 2002. These two survivors, the last of their breed, lay forgotten.
Ever since learning of their existence in the early 2000s, I have longed to travel to the Cosmodrome to see them up close. I had originally planned a trip in 2020, where I was set to make the 45 km journey overland across the rugged Steppe in quest of the abandoned MZK hangar under the cover of darkness, but COVID put an end to that. During the lockdown, urbex explorers from Russia broke into the hangar and painted graffiti on one of the Shuttles; this resulted in a public uproar about the security of the site and the safety and preservation of the orbiters. I once again attempted to make the trek there in 2026, but this time obtaining permits (which previously were unattainable). Finally, I was able to see these incredible birds up close. It was a jaw dropping experience
I invite you to explore as I did; simply click on each image below to see a larger version, then scroll beneath those photographs to see different printing options for you to order.
