Description of the attraction
The Vitebsk City Museum of Internationalist Warriors was established on December 17, 1992 at the initiative of the Vitebsk Union of Afghanistan War Veterans. In February 1996, the museum was opened to the public.
The idea of creating a museum of the Afghan war arose in the late 1980s. In the Vitebsk Palace of Pioneers, a search group "Red Cleaver" was created. High school students collected memorabilia of the fallen Afghan warriors, organized memorial evenings and exhibitions. The search team created a large number of documents, photographs, personal belongings and other exhibits, which were later included in the museum's exposition.
The museum consists of three halls with a total area of 136 square meters. The museum opens a monument: a soldier is holding his dying friend in his arms. The first hall tells about the history of the country of Afghanistan, its cultural traditions, and the beginning of the war. The exposition is called “Afghanistan. How it was… . The second hall is dedicated to the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, stationed in Vitebsk and performing its international duty in Afghanistan. The third is the hall of sorrow. It tells about the dead young guys, about their military exploits and destinies. The stories illustrate the soldiers' letters home, photographs and photo albums, the diaries of the dead guys. The museum also houses a large collection of weapons, uniforms, and special equipment from the times of the Afghan war.
The museum sets itself the noble goal of perpetuating the memory of the heroes of the Afghan war. So that the younger generation knows and understands what war is and how it began, so that the names of the fallen heroes are not forgotten.
