The museum was founded in 1943 by the Soviet government while Belarus was still under Nazi occupation.
The building's floor plan features four rays representing the four years of the war.
The total exhibition area spans over 3,000 square meters.
The facility is positioned at the intersection of the Svislach River and the Komsomolskoye Lake.
The museum facade is constructed of 11 glass segments, each representing a front on which Soviet troops fought.
It contains one of the most extensive collections of original World War II-era partisan propaganda leaflets.
The museum serves as the main research center for the study of the Belarusian anti-fascist resistance movement.
The Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War is the first museum in the world to be established during the course of World War II. Its current building, opened in 2014, features a distinctive glass-and-steel facade designed to resemble rays of light emanating from the nearby Hero City stele. The museum houses over 150,000 artifacts across 28 exhibition halls, focusing on the Nazi occupation of Belarus and the subsequent liberation. Architectural elements include a massive, shimmering dome that symbolizes the Victory Banner. The collection features rare military equipment, including T-34 tanks, aircraft, and armored vehicles housed within the expansive interior. It serves as the primary national repository for documents and personal accounts related to Belarusian partisan movements. The facility is physically linked to the Hero City War Memorial complex, forming a unified historical site. Exhibitions utilize multimedia technology and interactive displays to narrate the wartime experience of both soldiers and civilians.
The central atrium under the massive dome, which provides a dramatic wide-angle shot of the architecture and the Victory Banner.
Allocate time to explore the exterior Hero City memorial complex, which is physically connected to the museum.
Focus on the 'Road of War' exhibit path, which guides visitors chronologically through the conflict.
Use the provided interactive kiosks to translate documents that may not have English signage.
Do not attempt to see the entire collection in under two hours, as the scale of the galleries will lead to skipping significant historical segments.
Closed on Mondays.
Maintain a solemn demeanor, as the museum acts as a memorial to national loss; do not consume food or drink inside exhibition galleries.
