“The Victory Train is a unique interactive project which gives an opportunity to experience the atmosphere of that tragic and yet heroic time. More than 90,000 people in the Russian Federation have already seen this exhibition, and today the Victory Train continues its journey in the Republic of Belarus. The train will travel across all regions of our country and arrive in Brest on 22 June for the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. The Brest Hero Fortress took upon the first strike of German fascist invaders on 22 June 1941. It is very symbolic that recently this exhibition has been supplemented with the materials about the heroic defense of the Brest fortress, which is considered an example of indomitable courage and military prowess all over the world," Igor Lutsky said.
According to him, projects such as the Victory Train not only help to once again look into the past but also strengthen unity. "The war has left a mark on almost every Belarusian family. We have lost one in three, and we will never forget it. Today it is our sacred duty to preserve the historical truth, the memory of the victory over Nazism and pass it on to future generations. The truth is that the peoples of the Soviet Union made a decisive contribution to the defeat of fascism and saved the world from the brown plague, no matter what history revisionists who are rearing their heads in all countries of the world say today,” Igor Lutsky noted.
“Belarus and Russia are going through relentless attacks and information wars. There are attempts to impose completely false historical narratives on our people, especially the youth, to blame the Soviet Union, along with Nazi Germany, for unleashing World War II, to liken Soviet symbols to Nazi ones, and to ban people from celebrating this sacred event under the banner of the Great Victory. They want us, the descendants of heroes who won this war, to make excuses for our grandparents and great-grandparents who sacrificed their lives to save the mankind. We have accepted this challenge. We will fight for the truth, we will defend our right to retain the memory of this heroism, our right to sovereign development today and in the future,” Igor Lutsky said.
The project is run by Belarusian Railways and Russian Railways. In Belarus it was launched in the Year of People's Unity to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. It is supported by the Belarus President Administration and the national volunteer center.
The Victory Train project will be running in Belarus on 11-28 June. According to Belarusian Railways, on 11-13 June the exposition will be in Minsk, on 14-15 June it will travel to Orsha, and on 16-17 June to Vitebsk. The train will make a stop in Polotsk on 18 June and in Grodno on 19-20 June. After that it will travel to Brest where it will stay on 21-24 June. On 25-26 June it will be in Gomel, and will make a final stop in Mogilev on 27-28 June when the city celebrates the liberation from the Nazi invaders.
The Victory Train is a large-scale historical and educational project set up in Russia by the Nevsky Batalist [Neva Battle Painter] team of artists together with the Red Square media group with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, Russian Railways and Victory Volunteers public organization to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the Year of Memory and Glory in Russia. The first train departed from the Belorussky railway station in Moscow in October 2020. The project has traveled to 38 cities of Russia drawing about 92,500 visitors.
This project is a unique interactive exposition based on a presence effect created as part of a mobile exhibition and lecture complex. The Victory Train consists of 12 cars, nine of which are used as an exposition. One of them is dedicated to the feat of the Brest Fortress defenders - soldiers and commanders of the Red Army, women and children - family members of soldiers, who were the first to encounter the enemy.
"The Victory Train project is a unique exposition consisting of nine cars, each of which is dedicated to a certain period of the Great Patriotic War. This project was developed by a large team of people. The project is immersive as the exposition visitors get an opportunity to touch exhibits and listen to audio narratives. The exposition shows life of the Soviet Union and its citizens, reflects the war through the prism of the railroad. The exposition features a lot of media screens, more than 100 figures of heroes, train interiors, unusual locations - all recreated life-size,” says Margarita Popova, coordinator of the Nevsky Batalist team.
The exposition features 3D-panoramas: picturesque paintings, layouts, and other items. The Victory Train's exhibition walks visitors through different episodes of the war: the pre-war period, the Great Patriotic War, the Victory. At present, no museum in the world can boast such complex sculpture compositions, Belarusian Railways added.
“Another element that makes the exposition unique is its multimedia content. It also featured 3D audio, mechanical effects, presence sensors, holograms, VR panoramas of battles, filmed historical reenactments, 3D computer graphics showing military machinery and equipment. Every zone of the exposition has its own background music,” the press center of Belarusian Railways noted.
The Victory Train project is recognized as social both in Russia and in Belarus. The exhibition is open from 10:00 till 20:00, with the break from 14:00 till 15:00. It invites adults and children aged 12 and older. One car of the Victory Train can accommodate no more than 10 visitors at a time, one audio guide runs for 5 minutes, and the excursion lasts 45 minutes in total.
“Due to the limited throughput capacity of the train and the current epidemiological situation, the exhibition is open only for organized groups by invitation extended to organizations and educational institutions of Belarus by local executive authorities. The organizers will enforce all recommendations of the Healthcare Ministry to prevent the spread of diseases. Wearing face masks on the train is mandatory,” Belarusian Railways added.
Written by: belta.by
