Orsha was the first in the Vitebsk region to welcome the 'Victory Train'
The "museum on wheels" made a two-day stop at the Orsha railway station on June 14-15. A solemn rally dedicated to the opening of the exhibition gathered students, citizens honoring the feat of the liberators, and honored guests, with veterans rightfully occupying the most important place among them.
− From the very first days of the Great Patriotic War, Orsha found itself in the zone of military operations. From June 23, 1941, the city and the railway station were regularly subjected to raids by Nazi bombers. Wagons departed for the front from here. Therefore, our residents treat the events of the war years with special reverence, carefully passing down historical memory from generation to generation. That is why there are so many young people here today. They must know and remember the horrors that our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers had to go through so that we, contemporaries, could live peacefully today and build our lives in our free country. And this unique project is a testament to that.
− The project leaves a completely different impression than books, films, and traditional museum exhibitions. It is more large-scale, poignant, and personal. Full immersion. Leaving the train, you understand how wonderful it is that we did not have to live in that terrible time and that under no circumstances should the glorification of fascism be allowed. I am sure that after visiting these nine carriages, every reasonable person will definitely be left with this thought.
The significance of this event for the city was noted by **Sergey Pats, First Deputy Chairman of the Orsha District Executive Committee**:
− From the very first days of the Great Patriotic War, Orsha found itself in the zone of military operations. From June 23, 1941, the city and the railway station were regularly subjected to raids by Nazi bombers. Wagons departed for the front from here. Therefore, our residents treat the events of the war years with special reverence, carefully passing down historical memory from generation to generation. That is why there are so many young people here today. They must know and remember the horrors that our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers had to go through so that we, contemporaries, could live peacefully today and build our lives in our free country. And this unique project is a testament to that.
It can be confidently said that not a single person who visited the exhibition remained indifferent. Each visitor leaves with a strong charge of unambiguous emotions – pride in the selfless feat of the Soviet people and the strength of their spirit, a sense of belonging to history, and the burden of responsibility for the future of our country, believes **Maria Shmatova, First Secretary of the Orsha District Committee of BRSM**:
− The project leaves a completely different impression than books, films, and traditional museum exhibitions. It is more large-scale, poignant, and personal. Full immersion. Leaving the train, you understand how wonderful it is that we did not have to live in that terrible time and that under no circumstances should the glorification of fascism be allowed. I am sure that after visiting these nine carriages, every reasonable person will definitely be left with this thought.
Among the first to visit the "Victory Train" was **World War II veteran Yefim Emelyanovich Brezgunov**. Despite his advanced age, the 94-year-old resident of Orsha still leads an active life and dedicates a significant part of his time to meetings with schoolchildren and students of the city. "It is very important that our children and grandchildren, through our living example, realize the suffering that past generations had to endure, the courage and selflessness they had to show so that we all live under a peaceful sky now, raise children peacefully, and build our lives," the veteran emphasized:
− In Belarus, perhaps, there is not a single family that has not been touched by the echo of war. Our people, more than any other, know the true value of freedom and independence. They also know the price of betrayal. Unfortunately, what is happening now around Belarus is directed against the Belarusian people. I believe in our people, in our youth. If necessary, everyone will unite to stand against the threat together again.
− In Belarus, perhaps, there is not a single family that has not been touched by the echo of war. Our people, more than any other, know the true value of freedom and independence. They also know the price of betrayal. Unfortunately, what is happening now around Belarus is directed against the Belarusian people. I believe in our people, in our youth. If necessary, everyone will unite to stand against the threat together again.
With tears in his eyes, Yefim Emelyanovich spoke about the museum train. "I am simply stunned. Getting acquainted with it brought back memories. As many people as possible should see this. So that there is no repetition of war. There are no traitors," the veteran concluded.
The "Victory Train" began its journey in Minsk with great excitement. Visitors show great interest in Orsha. With anticipation and impatience, it is already awaited on June 16-17 in Vitebsk. Without a doubt, the next stops of the mobile museum in Polotsk, Grodno, Brest, and Mogilev will also be eventful. It is expected that more than 16,000 people will visit the exhibition in Belarus in total. A virtual tour of the museum can be taken on the project website поездпобеды.рф.
In Belarus, the project is implemented by Belarusian Railway and Russian Railways JSC with the support of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus and OAOactive assistance of the Republican Volunteer Center within the framework of the Year of National Unity and is timed to the 80th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War.
The "Victory Train" will run on the Belarusian Railway until June 28, 2021.
According to the organizers, the "Victory Train" is a large-scale historical and educational project
The "Victory Train" began its journey in Minsk with great excitement. Visitors show great interest in Orsha. With anticipation and impatience, it is already awaited on June 16-17 in Vitebsk. Without a doubt, the next stops of the mobile museum in Polotsk, Grodno, Brest, and Mogilev will also be eventful. It is expected that more than 16,000 people will visit the exhibition in Belarus in total. A virtual tour of the museum can be taken on the project website поездпобеды.рф.
In Belarus, the project is implemented by Belarusian Railway and Russian Railways JSC with the support of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus and OAOactive assistance of the Republican Volunteer Center within the framework of the Year of National Unity and is timed to the 80th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War.
The "Victory Train" will run on the Belarusian Railway until June 28, 2021.
According to the organizers, the "Victory Train" is a large-scale historical and educational project
A project created in the Russian Federation by the team of the creative workshop "Nevsky Battalist" in collaboration with the media group "Krasny Kvadrat", with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, JSC "Russian Railways" and the public organization "Volunteers of Victory" as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 and the Year of Memory and Glory in Russia.
It is a unique interactive exhibition based on the "presence effect," dedicated to the feat of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War and created on the basis of the carriages of a mobile exhibition and lecture complex. The "Victory Train" consists of 12 carriages, nine of which are exhibition carriages. The exposition of one of the carriages is dedicated to the feat of the defenders of the Brest Fortress – participants of the heroic defense, soldiers and commanders of the Red Army, as well as women and children – family members of the military personnel who bore the brunt of the first blow of the German troops. It is symbolic that the "Victory Train," with a carriage narrating about the feat of the defenders of the Brest Fortress, will be in Brest on June 22, 2021, the day the Great Patriotic War began.
The exhibition is based on three-dimensional panoramas: picturesque canvases, life-size models, and multi-object displays at arm's length. The route through the "Victory Train" is a transition from one episode to another. Pre-war years – the Great Patriotic War – Victory. To date, there are no such number of multi-figure compositions in sculpture in museums around the world.
The exhibition is unique due to its multimedia accompaniment. Additionally, it features surround sound, theatrical lighting, mechanical special effects, presence sensors, holograms, virtual reality (VR) battle panoramas, historical reconstruction filming, and three-dimensional computer graphics with military equipment models. Custom music has been composed for each exhibition zone. All the solutions used in the exhibition allow for showcasing the scale of events and presenting the feat of the Soviet people. The fates of historical figures and ordinary people, portraits of legendary personalities, and images of lesser-known creators of Victory – soldiers, scientists, railway workers, medics – are presented in the train museum exhibition.
Due to the limited capacity of the Train and the epidemiological situation, visits to the exhibition are only possible for organized groups of residents from the regions, by invitation tickets distributed among organizations and educational institutions by local executive authorities.
The train embarked on its first journey from the Belorussky railway station in Moscow in October 2020. Since then, it has been visited by approximately 92.5 thousand people from 38 Russian cities.
Due to the limited capacity of the Train and the epidemiological situation, visits to the exhibition are only possible for organized groups of residents from the regions, by invitation tickets distributed among organizations and educational institutions by local executive authorities.
The train embarked on its first journey from the Belorussky railway station in Moscow in October 2020. Since then, it has been visited by approximately 92.5 thousand people from 38 Russian cities.