The exhibition of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore has become mobile

The updated standalone exhibition of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore "In Memory of the Patriots of Vitebshchina" has become mobile, reported Nadezhda Varlamova, head of the museum's scientific and exhibition department.

The updated standalone exhibition of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore "In Memory of the Patriots of Vitebshchina" has become mobile, correspondent of BELTA was told by Nadezhda Varlamova, head of the scientific and exhibition department of the cultural institution.

The third exhibition, created in 2003 in the historical building on Krylov Street, has been updated. "All display cases and additional items were removed, leaving only photographs and inscriptions on the walls, which form the main emotional background sufficient for an excursion to the prison cellars of the SD-9 operational team (SD - Sicherheitsdienst, the Nazi secret security service, the intelligence department of the SS), which was located in Vitebsk during the war," explained Nadezhda Varlamova. "Currently, the building is in a difficult technical condition, and it is very difficult to conduct excursions there in winter due to the cold and dampness. As a result, the unique exhibition, the only one in Belarus, is closed to visitors for almost half a year."

This problem has been solved by equipping information stands-display cases. "During the summer period, the exhibition will be located within the walls of the former SD prison cellars, and in winter, we will take it down and use it as a traveling exhibition at any venue," emphasized Nadezhda Varlamova. She added that the military theme is currently in high demand, and there is already an offer to host the traveling exhibition at the House of Cinema.

The updated exhibition has become more comprehensive. "All information about the SD includes inscriptions on the walls that record the names or surnames of underground fighters, as well as their memoirs, which are stored in our funds, archives, and document collections from various years. Copies of photographs and orders of the occupation authorities will serve as additional materials for the exhibition," said Nadezhda Varlamova. The exhibition serves as a platform for continuous scientific work.

The building at 7 Krylova Street, which currently houses the "In Memory of the Patriots of Vitebshchina" exhibition, was built in 1803 for the needs of a public school. At different times, it housed a male gymnasium, a theological school, and since 1918, the Proletarian University and then the Polytechnic College operated here. During the war, the German SD-9 operational command, which was located in Vitebsk from the summer of 1941 to December 1943, was housed in this building. The upper floors contained offices where torture and interrogations took place. The basements served as prison cells. After the liberation of Vitebsk in 1944, inscriptions were found on the cell walls - posthumous messages from those who died here. On the eve of the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, the idea arose to create a permanent exhibition within the walls of the former SD prison. The first exhibition operated in the 1960s-1970s and was located in the basement corridors. It featured photographs, documents, and personal belongings of former prisoners. The second exhibition, a photo-documentary one, was opened in the late 1970s. In the mid-90s, the exhibition was closed due to the renovation of the basement premises.

In 2003, work was carried out to create a new (third) museum exhibition. It was maximally oriented towards preserving the external appearance of the cells and corridor. The inscriptions in the cells were restored. Each cell contains panels with inscriptions, and materials on the occupation regime and Vera Khoruzhaya's group are displayed on the bars.

Alena Tikhonova