ponyri historical and memorial museum

This is a small but interesting museum, which I understand was put together within and by the local community. I believe that the items displayed were locally sourced. As you enter the upper floor, where exhibition hall is housed you are confronted by a sculpture, which on closer inspection is metalwork recovered from the battlefield, shells, rocket casings, helmets and the like. I thought it a novel way to display such items.As you progress around the room there are a number of displays covering various aspects of the era: soldiers minor luxuries, infantry life, artillery life, tank life, engineers, signallers etc. The largest display is a wall painting of the climax of the action when troops of the 4 Guards Division (previously Paratroops) defended the train station, using captured PAK guns. Outside the building there is a small array of artillery, mainly Zis 3s, and a small antitank point trench system, complete with command dug out. They even have capes, headwear and weaponry (actually AK 74!) so that you can fully capture the experience!Combined with the location, in the middle of the battlefield, an interesting and valuable musem.

A very small almost local museum, dedicated to one of the hardest fought battles of WW2. Don't miss the nearby station rebuilt after the war on Stalin's orders.