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The national museum of history of the World War II 1941-1945

The national museum of history of the World War II 1941-1945 in Kiev - is a memorial complex that is located on the hills of the right bank of the Dnipro.

The Museum of World War II in Kiev has changed its location twice until it had grand opening on the current place on May 9, 1981. It was opened by Leonid Brejnev, the head of Soviet State.

On June 21, 1996, following the order of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kutchma, the museum got the status Ukrainian National Museum.

This museum is one of the biggest in Ukraine (more than 300 000exhibits). Rodina Mat (The Mother of the Father Land) has become for almost every Ukrainian the symbol of the Museum of the World War II. It is also one of the most famous views of Kiev.

On the territory of this huge complex there is a big bowl of the Eternal Fire, the exhibition of war weapon and technologies that were used at the time of the World War II as well as during the after War period, the Alley of the City-Heroes.

There is an alley that runs along the Dnipro hills and brings you to the Gallery of the main entrance that leads you to the square and to the building of the museum. The sculptures in the museum show the eternal courage that the soldiers were demonstrating during the War against the Nazi who were attacking the borders of the USSR, the horrors of the occupation of the country, the guerrilla war, heroic labor deed of the home front, the battle for the Dnipro.

These are the sculptural compositions "The first battles at the border", "the Unconquered", "The clandestine activity", "The heroic guerillas" and "The home front to the battlefront". On the main square of the memorial you can see sculptures "The weapon transfer" and bronze composition "Heroic deeds of soviet soldiers". In the headwall there are blocks with the holy ground from the City-Heroes - this is the Alley of the City-Heroes.

The monumental sculpture to the Mother of the fatherland is situated above the building of the museum and its height is 102m, its weight - 530tonnes. The museum is situated in a five storey building, four storeys are hidden in the ground of a hill and the fifth storey is also a pedestal of the sculpture Mother of the Fatherland.

On the walls of the entrance hall you can see the names of 1098 companies that are honored carry the names of the released cities of Ukraine. You can also find there 252 names of the guerilla and clandestine companies who were fighting against the Nazi on the occupied territory of Ukraine. After that you go on to the cinemalecture hall and the hall of exposition dedicated to the holly struggle of the soviet people against the Nazi. In the hall of War Fame you can find the names of the soldiers who got the honor The Hero of The USSR for their deeds during the World War II. In the middle of the hall there is the order of the Victory that has 5m in diameter.