In July 1943, near the city of Belgorod, the famous battle near Prokhorovka took place. Many experts consider it the largest battle with the use of armored forces in military history. In recent years, the interest of Russians in the history of the Second World War has increased. It was he who caused the museum-diorama “Battle of Kursk. Belgorod direction ”(Belgorod), whose building began to slowly collapse in the 90s, today does not know a shortage of visitors, including citizens of foreign countries.
Description
The city where the museum-diorama "Battle of Kursk. Belgorod direction ”- Belgorod - is located 64 km from the site of the famous battle that took place near the village of Prokhorovka. The attention of all who come there is usually attracted by a building made in the form of an arc. If you look from afar, it resembles a large white sail, which flutters in the wind. On the pedestals in front of the main entrance to the museum-diorama, a Soviet WWII-IS-3 tank was installed on pedestals, as well as an ISU-152 installation, an anti-tank gun and mortars.
The building houses a huge ribbon-shaped, curved in a semicircle, with carefully written battle scenes and a realistic foreground. On this layout are structures, as well as models of objects, mannequins, figures of various sizes, depicting people, equipment and weapons. Thus, the visitor appears to be at the epicenter of the fighting.
To the right, on the horizon, is the Prokhorovka railway station, and to the left is the small village of Beregovoye. In the very center of the exposition the Oktyabrsky state farm is visible. Further south you can see the railway Belgorod - Prokhorovka. The diorama of the Battle of Kursk is the largest of its kind in modern Europe. Tens of thousands of tourists visit it annually. The total area is 1477 square meters. In addition, it includes a 2-hectare park area.
External exposure
Museum-diorama “Battle of Kursk. The Belgorod direction ”(contacts are presented below), among other things, provides its visitors with the opportunity to see samples of armored and other equipment of the war years. They are located on the open area, which is located behind the main building. At the same time, although these are real guns, tanks and self-propelled guns, not one of them participated in the Battle of Kursk. In addition, in front of the central building in a picturesque and well-groomed square, several busts of the heroes of the Prokhorov battle were installed.
A few words about the battle
A total of 858 tanks participated in the battle of Prokhorovka . The command of the German formations was carried out by the SS Oberstgruppenführer P. Hausser, whose opponent was the Soviet military leader P. A. Rotmistrov. At the same time, the Red Army was 5 times superior in armored vehicles.
Museum-diorama “Battle of Kursk. Belgorod direction ": history
In 1983, in response to an appeal from residents and regional leaders to the Council of Ministers of the USSR, permission was received to open the “Hall of Military Glory”. Soon on the land, which was located on Popov Street, work began on its construction. After 2 years, on the day of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Great Victory, a new museum building was inaugurated. However, by that time they managed to place only a temporary photo exhibition in it.
Meanwhile, in the USSR’s only Studio of Military Artists named after M. Grekov, under the leadership of N. Bout, work was done to create a picture for a diorama. Its content was approved after consultation with experts and in accordance with the recollections of eyewitnesses of those events. Famous battle painters N. Booth, V. Shcherbakova and G. Sevostyanov, as well as a group engaged in the creation of a relief layout, completed their work in the middle of the summer of 1987. On the fourth of August the museum-diorama “Battle of Kursk. Belgorod direction ”Belgorod opened for visiting. The complex has become the main attraction of the area. And in 2008, the building, which, being built in a hurry to the "red date", began to collapse, was overhauled and replaced the marble slab at the entrance.
Museum-diorama "Battle of Kursk": contacts
To book an excursion, you need to call: 32-31-98 (code 4722). Admission for adults costs 114 rubles. Museum address: st. Popova, house 2. It is close to Belgorod attractions such as Victory Park, Transfiguration Cathedral and Alexander Nevsky Church. An art museum is within walking distance.
How to get there
There are various ways to get to the diorama. For example, on the trolleybus number 4 (stop "State Bank"). Buses No. 1, 7, 13, 15 also go there, you just need to get off near Holy Trinity Boulevard and walk further.
Tourists reviews
Next year marks 30 years since the first visitors saw the diorama dedicated to the Battle of Kursk in Belgorod. During this period, several hundred entries were left in a special commemorative book. Today, times have changed. There are many other opportunities to share your impressions of what you saw. Judging by the reviews, as well as several decades ago, the diorama makes a strong impression on tourists. Moreover, after the 2008 reconstruction, new technical devices were installed in the museum, allowing viewers to find out the information they are interested in on their own. In particular, many tourists necessarily use the services of a multimedia kiosk and order a viewing of a documentary about a tank battle.
Now you know where the Museum-diorama “Battle of Kursk. Belgorod direction. " Belgorod is a city where there are many temples, historical monuments, art objects and other attractions that are worth visiting. Therefore, it is a great place to spend a long weekend, especially for those who cherish the memory of the feat of their grandfathers during the Second World War.