8 Pobediteley Avenue, Minsk, Belarus
Tue-Sun: 10.00am - 6.00pm
History buffs definitely wouldn't want to miss this particular museum that was declared open on 22 October 1944, making it the first World War II museum to open during the course of the war. To date, it's the most amazing war museum I've ever been in my life.
The museum first opened shortly after the liberation of Minsk from the Nazi invaders at another location. Cool, right? It relocated to its current location near Victory Park in 1966.
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| The magnificent building covers a total area of 15,600 square metres. |
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| Is that a trumpet of war? |
Each of us paid an admission fee of BYR 8.00 (~S$5.05).
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| You need to pay an additional BYR 2.00 (~S$1.25) per person should you wish to take pictures. |
My BFF and I spent close to three hours, taking more than two hundred photos for personal keepsake. I'm not going to upload every single one here, of course, so you really need to see for yourself how awesome everything is. The museum is divided into a total of ten halls, boasting over 8,000 exhibits. Approximately 145,000 rarities are stored and thus not accessible to the public.
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| It all began with the Treaty of Versailles that eventually led to World War II. |
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| The knowledge that I gained from O-Level History started to come alive once again. |
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| I'm always interested in banknotes, be them old or new. |
When I entered the most exciting hall according to many, I was instantly reminded of Metal Slug, a run and gun video game series developed by SNK.
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| Enemy ahead! |
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| Katyusha rocket launchers! It was first first built and fielded by the Soviet Union. |
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| What would you like to eat? |
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| Look at those atomic bomb models! |
The Great Patriotic War between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany and its allies occurred from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945.
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| For the uninitiated, CCCP (Союз Советских Социалистических Республик) is the Russian abbreviation of the Soviet Union. |
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| The suffering of the civilians during the war... |
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| Hammer and sickle everywhere~ |
One of the halls exposes the savagery of the Nazis.
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| Maly Trostinets extermination camp set up by the Nazis in the Minsk region saw more than 200,000 people killed from 1941 to 1944. |
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| Imagine living behind the bars, waiting for your time to be executed... |
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| A salvaged handmade doll from the war era... So poignant... |
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| What runs through your mind upon seeing this picture? |
One section is dedicated to the livelihood of the partisans during the war.
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| A small, but well-stocked armoury~ |
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| How many of you are or would like to be surgeons? Not me. |
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| Would you like to study in a jungle school? |
We finally came to the hall that portrays the liberation of Belarus and Europe, as well as the defeat of the Nazis, its allies and also Japan.
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| The painting portrays the signing of the Act of Capitulation. |
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| A damaged propeller... |
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| Yosegaki Hinomaru (寄せ書き日の丸), or the Good Luck Flag, was a gift to a soldier signed by friends and family, often with short messages wishing him safety and victory. |
There's a small room that conveys the life in Belarus after the war.
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| Excavation of human remains... |
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| Seeing a sewing machine reminded me of my aunt who used to sew when I was young. |
The impressive Hall of Victory under the glass dome is the place where the Soviet soldiers placed the Victory Banner in 1945.
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| What a cool-looking emblem! |
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| Such unparalleled grandeur~ |
We walked all the way down to the first floor to see the remaining exhibits. The last hall is titled 'Successors of Great Victory'.
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| Those are some stuff about Angola and Cuba. |
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| Those are some publications by the Mnistry of Defence of Belarus. |
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| Such a cool-looking sculpture that looks like a shield! |
It was finally time to say goodbye to the inspirational museum.
When we walked out of the museum, we saw a square-like area.
Even if you're not particularly inclined to history, I'm pretty sure you'll still be awed by what the museum has got to offer.
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