Victory Train arrived to Kazan Station

 

Over 2,000 young people are expected to visit the moving exhibition.

Victory Train is the first ever immersive train-based exhibition; it’s dedicated to the events of the Second World War, commonly known as the Great Homeland War in Russia. Each of the eight train cars contains items reflecting the war itself, as well as immediate pre-war and post-war days.

The train started from Moscow on 23 October 2020. During the following months, it visited Saint-Petersburg, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Moscow, Smolensk, Kursk, and Crimea. The second trip commenced on 19 January 2021 and has covered Karelia, Leningrad Oblast, Vologda, and Rzhev. The train is staying in Kazan for two days, 26 and 27 April, and then departs for Cheboksary, capital of the Chuvash Republic.

“We are accustomed to see museum exhibits behind a glass. The uniqueness of our project is that you can touch everything and even sit beside the items,” explains Alexandra Nikulina, co-creator of the train installation.

Among the exhibits, there are many multimedia objects, including 50 video projectors, 18 video walls, and 12 touch surfaces. Interiors of various specialized train cars, such as sanitation, headquarters, and laundry, are reconstructed with impeccable precision. Light and sound effects help in immersing visitors into the atmosphere of dogfights and tank battles.

The creators carefully selected and reconstructed thousands of photos. The sculptures – also present here – are clothed in genuine garments and uniforms of the war.

Local schoolchildren have shared their favorable feedback of the Victory Train, noting its authenticity, immersion, and wonderful audio commentaries.

 

 

Source text: Larisa Busil

Photos: Alexander Kuznetsov

Translation: Yury Nurmeev