Russia is a great power with a rich past. Its citizens have something to be proud of. President Putin V.V. more than once expressed the idea of patriotic education of youth. And what can support a patriotic spirit better than military equipment, a demonstration of achievements? It is for this purpose that it is planned to create military parks throughout the country. The largest of the existing ones opened in the suburbs.
Grand idea
The new project received the loud name "Patriot". The ceremony of laying the first stone in the foundation of the future park was held on June 9, 2014. It was attended by Minister of Defense S. Shoigu and Governor of the region A. Vorobyov.
Park area and location
The military-patriotic park is located in Odintsovo near Moscow. Its structure includes the well-known Kubinka airbase, which hosts world-class air shows.
The total area of the park exceeds 5 hectares, of which 3.5 hectares are allocated for the military unit, and 1.9 hectares for civilian. It is planned that up to 20 thousand people will come here daily, and on holidays and various festivals the number of guests will be many times higher than this figure.
The Patriot Military Park will unite most of the museums of the Ministry of Defense. Here, in the open air, samples of military equipment of different years are exhibited. Most of the exhibits can not only be touched, but even climb inside. Museums of armored vehicles, artillery and tank will be transferred to the park. Only the Central Naval Museum will not change its location.
Military parks are provided not only for the demonstration of military equipment, but also for events of various kinds. Such as conferences, concerts, olympiads, which in one way or another relate to military affairs. A conference room, an exhibition complex, a hotel and even a concert venue are provided for guests.
Opening
The military park in Moscow was hosting guests on June 16, 2015. On this day, the Congress and Exhibition Center was opened. The first event held within the center was the Army 2015 forum, which has already become a tradition. This grand event was personally attended by the president and many distinguished guests. Since that time, a variety of events, exhibitions, auctions, reconstructions of the famous battles that have gone down in history and become the heroic heritage of the country are held on the territory of the park.
Fully “Patriot” plan to put into operation by 2017. The Minister of Defense plans to open military parks across the country. After all, the patriotic education of youth should take place everywhere.
Park Facilities
In addition to the above-mentioned Congress and Exhibition Complex, the Church of St. George the Victorious was built in the park in honor of all the soldiers who gave their lives for their homeland. It also recreated the "Partisan Village", consisting of more than 20 objects. Here there are dugouts, and a first-aid post, and a kitchen, and even a workshop in which explosives were made by handicraft. The organizers recreated the life and everyday life of the partisan detachment.
The territory of the park is divided into thematic zones, each of which is dedicated to certain types of troops: land, air force, aerospace, airborne, and navy. Each cluster includes exhibitions of specialized military equipment, as well as training grounds and attractions. To deliver heavy military equipment, a 10-kilometer railway section was laid in the Patriot military park.
Exposition
The museum exposition of the park includes thousands of units of military equipment from different historical periods. Here are cars from the Second World War, and samples of Soviet cars, and the latest achievements of the defense complex. So, it is planned to bring the steel hull of the strategic submarine Arkhangelsk to the military equipment park. This is one of the largest submarines in the world. The submarine, which has served its age, will be disposed of in such a way as to preserve a light hull with a length of 170 m. It will be located in the park. Visitors will be able to go inside the submarine, see how submariners live during long trips.
For the first time in the world, real equipment was brought into military parks, which was in service in the modern army. In particular, the most powerful anti-ship missile Granite was declassified and put on public display. This is a deadly weapon of a new generation. The operator only needs to determine the goal and click on the "Start" button. The torpedo itself will determine which ship in the squadron is the "ideal" target, and will make the necessary calculations of the point of impact. If several missiles are fired, then they "communicate" with each other, distributing combat positions. For its destructive power and unique qualities, this weapon is called the “Aircraft Carrier Killer”.
Military parks are created with the aim of attracting youth to military affairs. Which boy, and an adult, doesn’t want to see real armament standing guard over state interests? Here you can jump with a parachute, fight in a simulator, eat from a real field kitchen. Every day's program is full.
Forums, meetings
In addition to museum exhibits, a variety of thematic conferences are held at the Patriot, such as the All-Russian rally of members of the Yunarmiya movement, where representatives of 85 regions of the country arrived, or a robotics conference that brought together the brightest heads working in this direction. The organizers are trying to ensure that the days spent in the Patriot Park are remembered by visitors for a long time and come back here again and again.
Tank Biathlon
The real fame for the Patriot military-patriotic park was brought by the tank biathlon held here. Teams from many countries took part in the competition. The military showed their skills in areas of varying complexity. Thousands of visitors were able to see firsthand this fascinating action. Military parks are planned to open in many cities. One of them has already begun its work in Sevastopol.