The Museum of Military Glory in Kolomna opened in a new building on the eve of Victory Day 2010. The citizens celebrated the 65th anniversary of the great holiday with the creation of an exhibition complex in memory of those who died in the Great Patriotic War. At the entrance to the museum the alarm sounds.
40 years ago
In the fall of 1976, in preparation for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the city, a new department was created at the Kolomna Museum of Local Lore by the decision of the Minister of Culture of the RSFSR. The initiator was a committee of veterans.
For the military-historical exposition about Kolomna during the Great Patriotic War, a building was allocated in the Memorial Park. The premises of the former church of the Apostles Peter and Paul were tidied up by enthusiasts. Previously, a children's sports school worked here, and I had to make a lot of efforts to make exhibition rooms out of sports halls.
August 26, 1977 is considered the birthday of the Museum of Military Glory in the city of Kolomna, Moscow Region. But it should be noted that the creation of a permanent exhibition required more time than was initially released. Demonstrating materials in the exhibition version, the employees of the young museum worked to increase the fund, study and design the acquired items. A full-fledged exposition appeared on May 9, 1981.
Over the course of 30 years, the museum’s exposition changed three times, twice the building was overhauled. Museum workers are well aware of the strengths that these seemingly ordinary, everyday events require. “Glory and pride of Kolomna” was the name of the permanent exhibition, from which visitors learned about the life of Kolomna people at the front and in the rear. Young soldiers have not returned home from the Afghan war. The Museum of Military Glory of Kolomna has created a permanent exhibition "Afghanistan - our memory and pain."
For several decades, the museum has been working to bring to the citizens information about the feat of the older generation in the days of a heavy and bloody war. There were excursions, lectures, festive events. The museum created circles, conducted scientific activities. Great importance was attached to attracting young people to work, their military-patriotic education. Themed, free tours for schoolchildren were also held here.
All the world, all the people ...
On June 2, 2009, the building that housed the museum was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. At the same time, the construction of a new museum was announced.
The goal was set: the construction of a modern building, taking into account new technologies and capabilities, is required. But harsh conditions were also identified: it was necessary to meet the shortest possible time, create an innovative exposition, and find material opportunities. The city could not cope with these requirements, but the townspeople came to the aid of the authorities.
The bulk of the funds for the Museum of Battle Glory of Kolomna were allocated from the city budget. But that was not enough. Money for the construction came from organizations, enterprises, from private individuals of the city, they were collected by all concerned people. Neighboring cities also helped. Two Volokolamsk firms also contributed. But the help was not only material. Enterprises allocated equipment and people for the construction, subbotniks were held. The media conducted reporting reports from the construction site, covering the implementation of a busy schedule of work.
Memorial park
The Kolomna Museum of Military Glory was opened on May 7, 2010 and has become another attraction of the city. The museum building is located in the Memorial Park and has become part of the composition of the memory of the heroes. His address: 1 Invincible Street.
The territory of the park is a large mass grave. Here, during the war years, dead soldiers and wounded who died in the Kolomna hospital were buried. True, even earlier, there was a city cemetery. On the outskirts of Kolomna, which has now become the center, citizens were buried, and the church of Peter and Paul was a cemetery. When improving the central part of Kolomna, the city authorities took care of the feelings of the indigenous people - a memory park is located here.
Here, in 1970, the memorial "From Kolomna to fellow countrymen who fell in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" was opened. Then the torch of eternal flame was lit.
Monuments have been erected in the park to local residents who suffered from the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, who died in local wars and who suffered from repression.
Memorial at the Museum of Military Glory in Kolomna
In the open square in front of the museum, the red wall of the building is visible from afar, as if the giant Victory Banner is spread on the facade. An alarm bell is installed near the entrance with the inscription: "Live and Remember." And in front of the facade, as a reminder to the enemy, mounted artillery and rockets.
On a low wall there are plates with a list of all military units and formations that were formed in this city.
The principle of creating compositions of the new museum
Despite the short time allotted for the work, museum specialists decided that they would create a completely new exposition worthy of the attention of citizens and guests of the city.
The museum will tell visitors not only about life in Kolomna during the Great Patriotic War. The story will begin with the events of the XIV century, with the feats of arms of the defenders of the fortress, and will remind you of the participation of the Kolomna people in all battles for their homeland.
The expositions of the new museum will not be repeated, they will not be similar to similar exhibitions of the local museum of local lore, and the material used in the work is either withdrawn from archival collections or attracted from private collections.
In order to achieve realism of the demonstrated events, light and sound accompaniment should be used. And also provide for the demonstration of photos and film materials.
Ground floor of the museum
The museum begins with the Hall of Fame, in the center of which the Book of Memory is installed. The creators of the museum consider it the heart of the object. The names of the twelve thousand Kolomna people who did not return from the war flow through the pages of the book in a continuous stream.
The walls of the hall are decorated with plaques dedicated to the memory of order-bearing fellow countrymen. A multimedia kiosk is ready to give detailed information about each of the characters.
Exposition hall
Using archaeological finds during excavations on the territory of the city, as well as modern materials, and attracting specialists from various fields to work, it was possible to demonstrate the historical path and development of the military industry from the 14th to the 21st centuries. The materials are presented not only in the form of classic exhibitions or display cases, but also using natural angles and dioramas, which, of course, gives great realism.
Volumetric Exposures
During excursion service at the Museum of Battle Glory of Kolomna, visitors are shown volumetric natural corners. In one of the compositions of sightseers, an armed Sagittarius meets, this is a warrior of the Moscow regiment. The background is the recognizable walls of the Kolomna Kremlin. Here he will occupy the defense of the fortress.
Another such realistic fragment. Near the horse is a Russian warrior of the Middle Ages. Chained in chain mail, a bib and a helmet, it rests on a spear. In his hands is a shield with a coat of arms. Perhaps he is from the army of Dmitry Donskoy, and in front of him is a battle on the Kulikovo field.
There are also voluminous compositions of the military of the 40s. This is the rear city of Kolomna, Moscow Region, making shells for the front. In the workshop, a factory worker grinds a shell for a shell on a real machine. Under her feet there are also real plates, on which tanks once went to the front after repair.
The diorama, which shows the firing position of the battery, shows military weapons of the war years. At the center is a mortar, developed in 1942 by the local engineering design bureau (KBM).
KBM
In the military history of the city of Kolomna, there is an enterprise that cannot be kept silent. It actively helped in the creation of the new museum, provided materials, gave consultations, and participated in work on modern expositions.
The Design Bureau of Engineering was established in 1942. Engaged in all the years of its existence, developments in the development of the country's armaments, today it occupies a leading position among design and research-and-production centers. On the basis of the KBM, a huge number of mortars, bomb mortars, anti-ballistic missiles, guided missiles, ballistic missiles and many other weapons for all military branches, which today stands on the defense of the country, have been developed.
Maintaining close relations with museum employees, the KBM administration invites them to the enterprise, talks about materials that can be used in the work of guides. A museum is dedicated to the activities of KBM.
On excursion days there are many visitors. Entrance fees for all categories of the population are small, there are benefits for which admission is free. Excursions for schoolchildren are often organized by teachers under the motto “Lesson in the Museum”.
For more than 10 years, the new museum has been working with a youth audience. Celebrations are held here, patriotic groups are organized, thematic exhibitions are organized. In Kolomna, at the museum, there are search teams that conduct a lot of exploratory work.
Opening hours of the Museum of Battle Glory of Kolomna - from 10-30 to 16-30. Weekends are Monday and Tuesday.