A military-historical museum named after Hero of the Soviet Union K.S. Zaslonov has been opened in Orsha

The new two-story building with a total area of just over 1 thousand sq.m. is located at the old address – 9 Molokov Street, near the railway station.

– This museum in Orsha is a place of memory and pride for our people and their past, – said the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, during the opening ceremony. – It is noteworthy that it got a second life in the Year of Historical Memory. And this is not just a memory of an outstanding person who gave his all for the sake of our bright future, but a whole complex, a center for military-patriotic education. More than ever, the words are relevant: "If we forget the war, war will come again."

As a reminder of those tragic events, the building of the new museum is finished with dark-colored fiber cement panels, and the walls are made in orange-brown colors. The entrance group is colonnaded.

The first floor of the museum houses the storage facility, staff offices, cloakroom, and restrooms; the second floor is occupied by expositions. At the entrance, on the right side, visitors are greeted by a large bas-relief of Konstantin Zaslonov; on the left, there is a multimedia installation that introduces the expositions. The through exhibition area spans two floors.

The sound accompaniment of all three halls is impressive, giving a sense of complete immersion in the events. Among the dramatic moments are the threshold of peaceful life and the first hours of the enemy invasion, the capture of the city, the establishment of the occupation period, the Orsha Ghetto, the execution of Orsha underground fighters as evidence of the genocide of the civilian population of Belarus, and the mortal wound of Konstantin Zaslonov.

– The new museum is a tribute not only to the legendary partisan brigade commander; the exposition of the new museum covers the events of the entire Great Patriotic War period in the Orsha region. The "Zaslonov" storyline is organically woven into the overall military theme and, at the same time, is to some extent an independent section of the exposition, – notes Yulia Komarova, Director of the Museum Complex of History and Culture of the Orsha Region.
The conceptual design of the exposition allows us to present the strength of patriotism and the aspiration of the Soviet people to achieve victory over the invaders and occupiers.

 

– My generation grew up with surnames like Masherov, Gorovets, Dovator, Zaslonov. It is very important that children in today's modern Belarus, all those who live in our peaceful country, not only remember these surnames but can also touch the historical past, – emphasized Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies. – Konstantin Zaslonov is a legend not only for Orsha but for our entire country. It is very important that such a museum has been created, which will be interesting for both children and adults. Love for the Motherland and patriotism give us spiritual strength. This is the truth for which our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers fought. This is the truth with which all of us must live.

A special place in the "Genocide" section is occupied by one of the unique exhibits – a telephone wire. It was discovered in one of the three graves with executed civilians of Orsha and the Orsha district during the Great Patriotic War.
– When it was discovered, the remains of three people, mutilated by the fascists, were tied with it, – said Yulia Komarova. – The wire was placed separately from other exhibits in the darkest place with dim lighting on a rusty-blood-colored stand…

It is noteworthy that the museum's area is now twice as large compared to the old building. And instead of 300 original exhibits of the main collection, more than five hundred are now presented.

– The opening of such a museum is a historic day for Orsha, – stated the President's Aide – Inspector for the Vitebsk Region Anatoly Linevich. – We are building not only production and sports facilities, but also museums and monuments to show the connection between generations, to preserve it for future generations. One can read, hear, but it is better to see and appreciate the events that took place on our long-suffering land. A museum is one of the textbooks that can show history.

"Vitebskiye Vesti", photos by "Orshanskaya Gazeta"