5 most impressive World War II museums in Russia (PHOTOS)
Vast exhibition halls with hundreds of thousands of exhibits, 3D installations and interactive displays. There, you can learn everything about the most important battles of the Eastern Front.
1. Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War (Moscow)
This is the country's main military history museum dedicated to World War II and one of the largest military history museums in the world. Its nearly 17,000 square meters house a whopping 830,000 exhibits: weapons and military equipment, documents, maps, photographs, personal belongings of servicemen and much more.
Separate exhibits are dedicated to the ‘Battle of Moscow’ and to the workers of the fuel and energy complex, who labored behind the lines. In the Hall of Commanders, you can see bronze busts of recipients of the USSR's highest military order, ‘Victory’, and, in the Hall of Historical Truth, you can learn about the key facts of the bloodiest war in human history.
2. Museum-Reserve of the Heroic Defense & Liberation of Sevastopol (Sevastopol)
The museum complex tells the story of the defense of Sevastopol, not only during World War II, but also during the Crimean War of 1853-1856, when the city was besieged by allied Anglo-French-Turkish-Sardinian forces.
The museum's highlight is the colorful diorama ‘The Storming of Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944’, which illustrates the battle for a key point of the German defense on the approaches to Sevastopol. After its capture, the Red Army broke through to the city, which was completely liberated two days later.
3. ‘Breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad’ Museum-Reserve (Leningrad Region)
The museum-reserve is dedicated to the events of January 1943, when, during ‘Operation Iskra’, Soviet troops broke through a narrow corridor to the besieged city. Within a few weeks, a railway was built there, which quickly sent food trains to the devastated city.
One episode from those battles is shown in 3D panorama, featuring 30 figures of soldiers from the Soviet 63rd Rifle Division. All of them are recreations of real people, whose biographies are also on display.
4. The Battle of Stalingrad Museum-Reserve (Volgograd)
This large-scale complex includes several sites dedicated to one of the major battles of World War II. On Mamayev Kurgan, once the site of fierce fighting, stands the ‘Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad’ memorial complex, featuring an 85-meter statue of a woman holding a sword bearing the inscription: "The Motherland Calls!"
The ‘The Defeat of the Nazi Troops at Stalingrad’ panorama was created by the best Soviet battle artists from the Grekov Studio. Nearby stands a striking testimony to those terrible events – the dilapidated building of Gerhardt's mill.
The complex also includes the remains of the famous ‘Pavlov's House’, where Soviet soldiers defended themselves for a long time against superior enemy forces, as well as a memorial ship to the Volga Military Flotilla.
5. ‘Kursk Bulge. Belgorod Direction’ Museum-Diorama (Belgorod)
The ‘Fiery Bulge’ diorama illustrates an episode of the tank battle near Prokhorovka during the Battle of Kursk. It’s 67 meters long and 15 meters high, making it the largest diorama in Russia.
In addition to the diorama, the museum includes an exhibit detailing the main stages of the battle and the military history of Belgorod Region. Various military equipment from World War II is on display in the open area behind the main building.
