Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War: description, history, interesting facts and reviews

The Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War is one of the largest in the world. It is entirely devoted to those tragic pages of history that many would prefer to forget. Numerous galleries present elements of history that reflect how a few decades ago Soviet troops fought against the fascist army.

Collect valuable specimens for the exposition

In the summer of 1942, the Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus organized a commission charged with a responsible task, namely the collection of documents and other direct and indirect evidence of the heroic deeds and heroism of the people of Belarus in the period of the struggle against the Nazi invaders. It's safe to say that these people have done a great job, because they managed to collect together an amazing collection of various trophies. These include cold weapons, uniforms, an invaluable collection of photographs and personal belongings that were in use with Soviet soldiers. Special for all were the finds that the craftsmen made themselves.

Among them were beautiful small paintings and drawings of soldiers. As a whole, the collection has crept up and truly marvelous. Many elements help to reproduce all tragic events and fully experience the atmosphere of war. It is necessary to think about and re-think your life from time to time. Since 1942, the exposition, which was temporarily in Moscow, again returned to Minsk. This museum could rightly be considered the first and largest in the history of the USSR. Today, it does not cease to amaze with its scale. According to the latest information, every year more than a thousand valuable exhibits enter the museum.

The First Post-War Museum

It is noteworthy that this is the only museum that started functioning in the war years. In Minsk, since 1966, it has been located on the very central avenue of the city. Around the museum is a small square, on which are some examples of military equipment that were used during the Great Patriotic War. The exposition itself is located in 27 rooms. About 7,000 military exhibits tell of the horrors of the war, the cruelty of the Nazis and the heroic deeds of people. Since the building is located on the territory of Belarus, halls dedicated to the history of the partisan Belarusian movement are of special interest to this people.

The painstaking work of the architect

It is generally believed that the story of the war, which is built in chronological order, is not accurate. It is rather built as fragments of a story or one picture, with the help of which the author tries to convey an atmosphere or a general mood. The concept of the halls is as intricate as the history of the origin of the museum. Whatever it was, today it is in a new building, the construction of which began in 2010. The architect of this project was already known Kramarenko Victor, who at the moment is a professor and author of the beautiful buildings of the national library. When the construction work was completed, it was possible with courage to say that the new look of the museum looks impressive. On the walls there are reliefs, on which the names of soldiers are written, to which the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union was awarded. The idea of architects was to fill the architectural rays with laser light in the evening. This spectacular sight can be seen in the dark. Soon, on the square near the museum plan to put a fountain, which will revive the already beautiful architectural ensemble.

One of the largest in the world

This project really turned out to be successful, because the Belarusian National Museum of the Great Patriotic War is one of the most significant, as it has invaluable collections, which are equal only to Moscow, New Orleans and Kiev. Museums in these cities also talk about the events of the Second World War. They have wax figures, mock-ups and real combat equipment that were used at that time.

Halls dedicated to concentration camps

Museums, of course, are needed to not forget that war is the worst of all man invented. In these terrible years, thousands of people died, and some countries, including Belarus, lost almost one in three people. If you take into account the events that unfolded on the territory of Belarus, you can be horrified, because in the country there were about 250 death camps. One of the collections of the first museum was devoted to concentration camps. They were presented by the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. The expositions are dedicated to the victims of these events. Beginning in 1942, the created commission, which was in Moscow, continuously received exhibits directly from the front line. Among such historical values were various handwritten and printed editions, hand-picked weapons, and chronicles of partisan movements. These valuable data were sent to Moscow and stored there until the opening of the museum.

The Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. History in Detail

After a while, the state allocated a dark unsightly room in the center of the city for display, but it had to be content with this, too, since it was one of the few buildings that remained relatively intact after the war. In 1944, its doors in Minsk were already widely open to visitors. A few years later the collection was replenished with new exhibits. This became possible thanks to excavations, which were carried out on the territory of the concentration camp "Trostyanets". Specialists, using various technical methods, were able to accurately determine its location and conduct a number of search operations there. Their efforts were crowned with success, and the museum acquired several hundred new exhibits. Fortunately, the President of Belarus soon took the initiative to build a new museum complex. An interesting fact is that the expositions use modern technologies that help to see in detail the scale of military operations. Video and audio support this.

Solemn move to a new building

Designing the Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War is a difficult and responsible task, which was entrusted to the outstanding figures of the country. Among them was a well-known professor of international architecture - Victor Kramarenko. The total area of the projected building was fifteen thousand square meters. The museum decorated with its presence the center of the capital. It still impresses tourists with scale and grandeur. It can rightly be called one of the greatest buildings on the territory of the Belarusian state. The outer metal case shines and shimmers in the sun, and the glass gives the composition a complete look. These materials were not randomly chosen to become part of the building. Metal symbolized war, and glass was a victory and an enduring value.

Decent appearance

The design is laconic, although it can not be called restrained. The Belarusian Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War (described in the article) is well constructed. Harmonious monumentality combined with minimalism and modern technologies give the building a monumental chic. The whole construction is complemented by plasma large screens that are placed on the walls. If we return to the exposition, then we can say with certainty that the collection of almost three dozen documents deserves special attention. Among them you can find various combat reports, reports and magazines of military events. Of particular interest are the front characteristics of soldiers, they can be seen in one of the inner galleries. Since the Second World War, even letters from commanders and commanders-in-chief have been preserved.

Innovations in the museum

You can not only read them, but also look through them. Special infokiosks, which are located in the halls, are designed specifically for this purpose. Plasma screens almost all the time show unique footage from the military newsreel. The museum has a collection of over 40,000 photographs that can be seen by visiting the above-mentioned expositions. But there is something in the building that is much more interesting for many than a photo. This reconstruction in real size. Among them there are "Tank ram" and "Air fight".

Exciting excursions

Being in the center of Minsk, it is worth paying attention to this cultural center. Visitors leave the most flattering reviews about the "Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War". Excursions are held from Tuesday to Sunday with a single weekend - Wednesday (Monday, when it comes to public holidays). If someone is interested in deeper excursions in the museum of the history of the Great Patriotic War, it is necessary to submit preliminary applications or their conduct. They are conducted with a group that consists of no more than 25 people. Individual in-depth excursions are also possible. The administration of the museum kindly allowed the use of audio guides in several languages. The cost of various excursions, according to preliminary data, ranges from 75 000 to 150 000 Belarusian rubles. The Belarusian State Museum of History (WWII) opens the door for everyone who wants to look into history.