It would be very strange to live in the Planeta hotel, right across the Victory park and not to visit the Museum of War.
I’ve been several times in such places in different countries but amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine the entire exhibition become extremely actual and modern.
The entire museum is about simple story, how people in poor country decided to gather territories and fight with the nearby counties. As a result was ruined cities, and billions of casualties from all sides.
Of course now, when you are hearing about handful men who defend the building for a month that occupants planned to seize in eight hours you are thinking about Azovstal, but it was Brest fortress. When guide is telling about city with 90% of destroyed buildings you are thinking about Lisichansk, but it was Minsk. When you are hearing about hundreds of inocent civilians killed during the ocupation in a small village you are thinking about Bucha near the Kyiv, but it was Katyn.
One of the central object in museum is a flask with a piece of human bone mounted inside. But it’s not a museum workers who made it, it was a heavy tank that ride across the soldier on the ground and crashing his chest. Tank of the army that ruined piece and brought suffering to Europe.
Unfortunately, in Russia war is closely tighted with victory. During decades of propaganda all the casualties, all people suffering were replaced by glorious image of military truimf. No surprise that for the considerable part of Russians current war in Ukraine is not a tragedy, but the next part of World War II, in which brave Rusians once again are fighting Nazism coming from the west.
However, the last couple rooms in the museum is very clear: agressor would pay a heavy price. I think we will see that it this rule is still working.
