Unique wartime items displayed in Ufa

On May 5 the Combat Glory Museum opened an international exhibition "The Soviet Union's role in defeating nazism and liberating the Far East" timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War and of the end of World War II, in Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan) as part of Russia's SCO Presidency in 2014-2015. Beijing (the People's Republic of China) will open a similar exhibition in the next few days.

The exhibition in Ufa has been organised by the Russian Defence Ministry and its Armed Forces Central Museum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Culture.

The exhibition represents the main events of the Great patriotic War - the battles for Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk, the siege of Leningrad and the taking of Berlin. Part of the exhibition is devoted to the hostilities in the Far East, Harbin's liberation and Japan's surrender. Items of combat life and documents are of particular interest. Many of them have never been shown to the public at large, for instance, thank you letters by residents of Chinese cities and villages to Joseph Stalin and the act on the transfer of civil administration in Harbin by the Red Army command to a representative of China's national government. All documents have been translated into Russian, Chinese and English.

Bashkortostan Minister Ruslan Mirsayapov said: "2015 is a very important year for Russia and includes several landmark events. The most significant event is the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The people of the SCO countries are celebrating it together. The exhibitions in Beijing and Bashkortostan create a bridge of friendship and memory between our countries."

The exposition has been donated to Bashkortostan and will be permanently hosted by the Combat Glory Museum.