Stalin's line Minsk

During the trip, I had a lot of interest in "Stalin's line 'in Belarus. The ‘Stalin Line’ was a line of fortifications along the western border of the Soviet Union. It happened that the whole territory of Belarus can be regarded as military museum. There's no place that wasn't wounded by the War. The cities and villages were destroyed but the lessons that a war teaches any society shouldn't be forgotten.

The Historical and Cultural Complex "Stalin's line" is situated in 35 km from Minsk or 45 km from Minsk city center. "Stalin's line" is an open air museum.

"Stalin's line" is the chain of defensive installations. It is consisted of twenty three fortified regions including more than four thousand permanent weapon emplacements. It was a strong reinforced unit that spread to 1200 kilometers. There were some other fortified regions in Belarus. Those fortified regions formed a united defense line. Minsk's fortified region No 63, which was 140 kilometers long. In June 1941 at the lines of the Minsk's fortified region started fierce fights with the offensive units of the fascist army.

The exposition of the museum was created and planed so that from the first steps a visitor could feel the spirit of the times. The opportunity to be absorbed in history is one of the distinctive features of the museum. There is a common belief among veterans that if one comes closer to a pillbox and press his ear to its wall he will hear the sounds of slot-machines and the cries of soldiers.

The park of military equipment of different years is a highlight of the museum. It is the most complete exposition in the Republic of Belarus of all artillery and military equipment, which was adopted in different years, beginning from the war times. Some dates stage reconstruction of fights is carried out in the museum it gives the visitors an opportunity to see the fights which took place at the line of the Minsk fortified region in June of 1941.

sources:

http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article/the-stalin-line-museum-in-belarus/6730/

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/belarus/history

http://thevelvetrocket.com/2009/06/25/stalin-line-military-complex-belarus/

http://www.stalin-line.by/english.shtml