22 aircraft stands, new roofs, stable surfaces, lighting, street furniture, and a relaxation area. A project is underway to redesign one of the most distinctive parts of the Polish Aviation Museum’s outdoor exhibition. “MiG Avenue – Renewal” is not a cosmetic change, but a multi-stage project to protect historic aircraft and create modern display environments for them.
Anyone who has visited the Polish Aviation Museum has likely encountered the MiG Avenue. It is here, in an open-air setting, that dozens of impressive aircraft stand – primarily a collection of Cold War-era combat jets – manufactured in the Soviet Union and Poland under Soviet license, which served in the Polish Air Force since the 1950s. Among other things, you can see successive generations of the MiG and Lim families – from the MiG-15 and MiG-17, and their Polish versions manufactured at WSK Mielec, through numerous variants of the MiG-21, to the supersonic Su-7, Su-20, Su-22, MiG-23, and MiG-29.
The MiG Avenue is the central part of the Museum’s outdoor exhibition, located on the site of the former Rakowice–Czyżyny Airport. Elements of the historic airport infrastructure, including the original taxiway and apron in front of the Main Hangar, have been preserved nearby.
Since the Museum’s inception, the aircraft on display at the outdoor exhibition have been constantly exposed to the elements. Sun, rain, snow, humidity, and temperature changes all impact the condition of the preserved structures and surfaces of the exhibits.
Today, thanks to the support of the authorities of the Małopolska Voivodeship, and in particular Ms. Iwona Gibas – Member of the Board of the Małopolska Voivodeship responsible for the culture sector, this long-standing effort is yielding concrete results: work has begun on the investment project “Construction of roofing for the permanent outdoor exhibition of the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow dedicated to MIG aircraft – “MiG Avenue” together with land development.”
The scale of the project is enormous. The total roof area will be 4,112 m², 7 m high, 272 m long, and 15 m wide. The roof, made of trapezoidal sheet metal, reinforced with a membrane, will rest on steel columns with a light gray tubular profile. The structure’s estimated dead weight is approximately 350 tons. The roof structure will create a coherent landscape composition with the adjacent earthen embankment (built between 1998 and 2001), a so-called “artificial horizon.”
Ultimately, the project involves the construction of 22 covered stands for MiG aircraft, as well as the creation of a special relaxation area for visitors. Modern modular canopies, new paved surfaces, and small architectural elements are planned.
The new canopies will, of course, have a protective function—they will limit the direct impact of weather conditions on the exhibits—but the second dimension of the project is equally important: aesthetic and functional.
The design documentation was prepared by the Krakow-based studio Vostok Design, which proposed a solution that would become an integral element of the exhibition space. The shape of the canopies, reminiscent of wings and the dynamics of flight, was combined with small-scale architectural solutions to create a complementary relaxation area within the outdoor exhibition space.
It’s not just about ensuring that the aircraft, which have survived their era, can survive safely for decades to come. The experience of interacting with an aircraft in an open space has a completely different character. The opportunity to stop by the aircraft, view it from different perspectives, relax in its immediate vicinity, or discuss what we’ve just seen is all part of the museum experience.
This project is also important from the perspective of our contemporary understanding of public funding for culture and the responsibility of the entities responsible for it.
It is an example of bold, yet above all, responsible thinking about public funds – one that is not limited to financing current operations, but allows for the creation of infrastructure that will serve residents for decades to come. Investments in culture protect what cannot be recreated, while simultaneously preparing institutions for the needs of contemporary audiences. This is why projects like “MiG Avenue – Renewal” are more than just construction: they are an investment in the preservation of Małopolska’s heritage and the possibility of its exploration by future generations – emphasizes Tomasz Kosecki, Director of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków.
Due to the scale of the investment, the project was divided into phases. Funding for these phases is largely provided by the Małopolska Voivodeship budget.
On January 21, 2026, an agreement was signed with the Małopolska Voivodeship, enabling the commencement of this long-awaited investment. The funds raised will enable the completion of the first phase of the project by the end of 2026, including the preparation of the area for four aircraft stands, along with a rest area, and the construction of a canopy for one aircraft.
The project is not financed solely by grants. The Museum is also using its own funds, which were allocated, among other things, for project preparation, conducting the tender process, providing inspectoral supervision, and covering other costs of implementing the basic scope.
On June 22, 2026, following a competitive tender, the Museum signed a construction contract with the Krakow-based company Montero Sp. z o.o. The contract covers the basic scope and the construction options planned in the tender. Preparatory work began in July 2026. Archaeological and earthworks will be the first step. This is particularly important given the historic nature of the former Rakowice–Czyżyny Airport site. Everything is being carried out in accordance with the legally binding construction permit from 2025 and under the supervision of the Municipal Conservator of Monuments and an archaeologist.
The plan for 2026 is very specific: earthworks and completed substructures for four stands, as well as the construction of the first of 22 planned roofs. This will be the first visible piece of a much larger puzzle. The phasing will allow for the successive creation of additional complete exhibition modules, which will showcase military aircraft: fighters and attack-bombers.
