TEXT 2. THE CENTRAL SOVIET ARMY MUSEUM

In 1919, though the Civil War was still in full swing and the forces of counter-revolution and intervention had not been crushed yet, an exhibition of the first trophies of the young Soviet Army was mounted on Moscow's Red Square. These were the standards of defeated White Guard regiments, their weapons, and equipment. There were also the famous machine-gun carts from Chapayev's units, armoured cars, revolutionary flags and revolutionary proclamations and posters. Subsequently all these war relics were exhibited in a specially created museum called "Life in the Red Army and Navy".

Today it is named the Central Soviet Army Museum. It has a great collection of items attesting to the gallantry and courage with which the Soviet fighting man so heroically defended his country against counter-revolution and intervention and crushed the nazis in the Great Patriotic War.

In 1965 the Museum moved into a fine new building specially erected for the purpose. Its vast exhibition is contained in 25 rooms and also outside in the grounds. Among the indoor exhibits there are the Council of People's Commissars Decree of January 15 (28), 1918, which Lenin signed to organize a Workers' and Peasants' Red Army; the weapons, decorations, and personal belongings of outstanding Red Army commanders of Civil War time, such as Frunze, Blukher, Budyonny, and Voroshilov; the first Soviet orders and medals; the first Red Army uniforms with their long greatcoats and pointed cloth helmets; specimens of Soviet-made weapons; and operational plans that have now passed into the history of strategy and warfare.

The most powerful impression is produced by the displays that deal with the history of the Great Patriotic War, an epic of mass gallantry and heroism of the Soviet people. The exhibition reflects such undying chapters of gallantry as the defence of the Brest Fortress and Leningrad, the epoch-making Battle of Stalingrad, the forcing of the Dnieper and many others.

The Victory Room displays the Soviet Victory Flag that was hoisted above the Berlin Reichstag on April 30, 1945. Besides photographs depicting the famous Victory Parade on Red Square, there are the nazi regimental standards that were cast down during the Parade at the foot of Lenin Mausoleum.

The phrase "On Guard for the Motherland" sums up the display dealing with the Soviet Armed Forces of today. The visitor does not only see various weapons and equipment, but is also given an idea of the excellent training of the young men of the Soviet Armed Forces, the comradeship-in-arms¹ between the Soviet Armed Forces and the brother armies of the socialist countries as well, a comradeship-in arms that is on guard of peace and international security.

Questions

1) When was the first exhibition of the Museum opened?

2) What are the main items of it?

3) How does the Museum reflect heroism of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War?

4) What is the display of the Museum dealing with the Soviet Armed Forces of today?

Note

1. the comradeship-in-arms - братство по оружию