MINSK, 22 October (BelTA) – The Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the country's biggest repository of war history, marked its 77th birthday on 22 October, BelTA has learned.
Over the years of its existence and fruitful work, the museum has become the country's calling card and the most visited place. Its collection comprises more than 157,000 items.
“For 77 years our museum has been collecting materials telling about the events of the bloodiest war in the history of mankind. This year alone our museum collection has expanded by 1,069 more items. I would like to thank all our staff for their work and congratulate them on this occasion. Our dear veterans deserve special credit. We do an important job - we keep the memory alive, find out new historical details, learn about the heroes and work on new projects,” museum director Vladimir Voropayev said.
“In 1943, the Red Army was just taking its first steps to liberate Belarus, and there already was an idea of creating such a large museum. It was a symbol that victory was near. Our museum was the first museum of the history of the Great Patriotic War on the whole post-Soviet space. Its first employees were former partisans and underground fighters who saw with their own eyes the tragic events of the war. In a short period of time they could create an exhibition and on 22 October 1944 the museum opened its doors to visitors,” deputy director on scientific work Anna Galinskaya said.
According to her, the museum is trying to keep up with the times. "We hold various expositions, events, lectures. We are looking for new approaches to attract visitors, including youth. The museum is actively expanding its activities, developing new quests for various categories of visitors, organizing international online conferences to share experience with foreign colleagues," Anna Galinskaya emphasized.
A temporary photo documentary exhibition "Between the Past and the Future" has been prepared for the big date. It narrates the history of the museum from its opening in 1944 to 2014 when it moved into a new building. Thematic photographs, documents reflect the milestones in the preparation of the first exposition that the museum unveiled on 22 October 1944. Its main characters are the partisans who came back to Minsk right from forests in 1944 and who put together the first museum exposition within three months.
Hall No.9 "Belarus After Liberation. 1944-1950. Memory of the War" reflects the history of the post-war reconstruction of the country, which became possible thanks to the greatest efforts of people.
