Museum concept
G.A. Krupnitskaya
“Don in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945” is the permanent exhibition based on the KMVI concept located in the building of the Don Military-Historical Museum, part of the Sambek Heights complex in Rostov Region. A significant part of the museum funds are personal belongings of those who participated in the events, those heroes who made many sacrifices to liberate the country and their homeland from fascist invaders. Documents and letters, personal awards, weapons, uniforms of various units and other artefacts are displayed in thematic showcase complexes
that not only fulfil their main function but also add to the architectural landscape of the museum space, in accordance with modern exhibiting principles. There is no clear architectural distinction between the exhibition parts, one hall flows into another, and they are all parts of the same space. Thematic layout is a well-adjusted composition of articulated topics arranged in chronological order. Architectural elements and color scheme of the halls help the visitor intuitively switch between topics. The narrative line is divided with colors and shapes into two ideologically juxtaposed parts.
Staged scenes complemented by virtual characters determine semantic and emotional messages of the installations, creating a reliable artistic image of the epoque. Each section is preceded by a multimedia guide voicing the historical event context. Multimedia tools deploying the core concept of the exhibition include interactive maps of military operations, a panoramic cinema, information touch pads, screens demonstrating video materials, artistic lighting, and audio content
The architectural design of the halls and the choice of the materials aim to create an atmosphere of pressure and speed: monumental blocks, concrete textures, the overall dark color scheme – all help focus the visitors’ attention on the images, video content and artefacts presented. The second exhibition hall is dominated by an audiovisual composition “Victims of Occupation”. The central piece is a copy of O. Skarainis sculpture “The Unbroken”, originating from the Salaspils concentration camp memorial in Latvia. Many architectural blocks are divided into two parts: the lower being a display block, where artefacts are presented, and the upper showing projections with biographical information. Thus, exhibits and events prove connected
While working on the project a special scientific expert group was formed to select and purchase artefacts, and also to supervise the task of recreating various objects for the exhibition. Multifaceted staged scenes and installations were built with maximum historical accuracy and in accordance with the thematic scenario. 106 artefact copies and 22 sets of reconstructed military uniforms fit organically into the display context
Artistic and technical solutions
The “Executions” installation is presented in a form of a damaged metal sheet pierced by bullets, and through the bullet holes you can see faces of the executed residents of the Rostov region. Nearby the visitor would find bits and pieces of destroyed families and lives: children's toys, personal belongings, and documents of the occupation victims. The installation is built along the graphic timeline of the mass executions. The imagery is enriched by an emotionally poignant projection of a flying white dove, a symbol of a pure innocent soul. It also refers to one of the photographs: Vitya Cherevichkin was shot while holding a dove in his hands
Audio content added to the installation presents memories of the eyewitqsnesses of Nazi atrocities
и формируют последовательность тематического восприятия
в едином стилистическом решении
с архитектурной пластикой экспозиции
с экспозицией пространство. Полигональная пластика диорамы позволяет органично вписать
в структуру проекционных плоскостей тематический контент
с хроникой, картографией
и анимацией
The fifth hall is dominated by a multi-level polygonal architectural structure of sophisticated shape. It is a complex large-scale multimedia art object. Projected images come to life on all the facets, creating a flowing effect of artistic images and documentary footage. The content can be conditionally subdivided into three large thematic parts: “Firework on May 9, 1945”, “Soviet flag over the Reichstag” and “Memory, Heroes”
A memorable object makes part of the installation: it is a multimedia typewriter, helping you to find and print brief information about the participants of the battles in the Rostov region
The first hall invites a visitor to get acquainted with a large-scale architectural block “Two Worlds”, which is composed of three staircases and a spatial portal. The stairs create symbolic architectural dominants, representing the way the political regimes of the USSR and Nazi Germany were formed and then began to confront. Each step is a stage in the formation and development of ideology, illustrated by characteristic statements and slogans on both sides. The images shown here are the very beginning of the exhibition route and they later change along the way, transforming into disturbing symbols of struggle, confrontation and then overcoming on the way to the Great Victory
The third staircase is the highest in the architectural composition; it does not have text elements on its steps, giving a visitor some space for analysis and reflection
2020 was declared a Year of Memory and Glory by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Thousands of events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War were held in all corners of Russia. Rostov Oblast has undoubtedly made a significant contribution to the overall Action Plan.
This new construction looks grandiose in a place that keeps the memory of the Mius Front events during the Great Patriotic War, the Military-Historical Museum complex “Sambek Heights”.
Since 2015, a huge amount of work has been done, which resulted in the grand opening of the museum complex on August 30, 2020. That was a significant resonant event not only for our region. Delegations from all parts of the Russian Federation have been striving to come to Rostov Oblast to see the scale of the new museum, to study the experience of implementing such a project. The flow of visitors from the most remote municipalities of our region is growing daily. People come to bow to the memory of the heroes, to feel the atmosphere of historical wartime events.
I express my gratitude for your invaluable contribution to the creation, as well as managing the grand opening of the renovated museum in the “Sambek Heights”.
I am sure that the museum complex will become one of the symbols of our common memory and admiration for the selfless struggle of the Soviet people for the sake of the Great Victory. I wish you good health, prosperity, and peaceful skies!
Minister of Сulture of Rostov oblast
A.A. Dmitrieva
A.A. Deineka "In the Donbass" (1925)