MUSEUM OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR

Description

Essentials about the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in brief

If you are interested in the history of the Second World War from the Russian/Soviet point of view, you should definitely visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (as the World War II is called in Russian). Along with the Central Museum of the Russian Armed Forces, it is the most important military museum in Moscow.

The significance of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War

The Museum of the Great Patriotic War is the central structure of Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill. With about 13 million fallen soldiers and about 14 million dead civilians, the then Soviet Union suffered by far the highest military and civilian casualties of all the warring parties involved in the Second World War. Accordingly, the commemoration and also the heroization of their compatriots, who made the greatest sacrifices for their homeland, is still an integral part of Russian national identity today.

The exhibition of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Opened in 1995, the museum commemorates the history of the Great Patriotic War in 1941-1945 in a variety of ways through weapons, uniforms, photographs, letters, sculptures and posters. In the center of the museum is the Hall of Glory, made of white marble, which commemorates the 11,800 people who were awarded the title of “Heroes of the Soviet Union.” Below is the Hall of Memory and Mourning, where the dead Soviet citizens are commemorated. In the sparsely lit hall, glass beads hang from the ceiling, symbolizing the tears shed for the dead.