Club of military-historical reconstruction "BATALION"

Military historical reconstruction is one of the most effective forms of studying military history, allowing you to supplement information gleaned from documents, books, and films with your own impressions. The special sensations experienced by participants in the military-historical game are incomparable in brightness and sharpness to any other emotions familiar to the “ordinary person.” Military historical reconstruction is like a time machine, which allows you to travel back many years, find yourself on the battlefield, transform into a warrior for a while, and feel like a fighter. In order to get the most accurate idea of ​​the events of the war, to better understand the colossal burden of the struggle that the Red Army had to wage against the terrible enemy that was the German Wehrmacht, club members study history from both sides - Soviet and German. This explains the division into two opposing sides - which act as opponents during the period of military-historical events.

VIC "BATTALION" was created in 2005 on the basis of the Kaluga Regional Museum of Local Lore. The main task of the club is to unite people interested in the history of the Great Patriotic War and patriotic education through holding bright, spectacular military-historical events on the battlefields, the purpose of which is to increase interest in the heroic and tragic national history, to increase pride and admiration for the Great Victory in the greatest of wars.

The main activities of the club are:

• Military-historical reconstruction - carrying out military-historical events with the aim of recreating individual episodes of WWII battles.

Creation of collections and collections of uniforms, equipment and insignia of the armies of participants in the Second World War. Organization and holding of thematic exhibitions, expositions and classes.

• Conducting search work at battlefields during the Great Patriotic War. Identification and reburial of the remains of soldiers killed on the war fronts, search for their relatives and friends.

• Search and recovery of military equipment.

• Participation in the filming of historical television programs, documentaries and feature films.

• Conducting lectures on military-historical topics in educational institutions and military units.

• Participation in parades, celebrations and ceremonial events to perpetuate the anniversaries of victories in the Second World War.

VIC “BATALION” annually takes part in events in Russia and the CIS, the largest of which are: “Moscow is behind us in 1941” (Borodino village, Moscow Region), “Black Summer of 1941” (“Stalin Line”, Belarus). The club annually holds events in the Kaluga region: “Red Junkers” (Ilyinskoye village), “Kaluga - 1941. Liberation” (Kaluga), “Pavlovsky Bridgehead” (territory of the Ugra National Park), “Kremenki Frontier” (Kremenki). During its existence, the Battalion Club took part in the filming of feature films - “Saboteur-2. The end of the war", "Far from the war", "Faith. Hope. Destiny,” as well as in the filming of a number of programs and feature films about the war, including “Victory. Days of War", "Stalin's Junkers", etc.

Head of the club - Nefyodov Yuri

Military historical reconstruction has become extremely popular in Russia and abroad in the last two decades. It is known that initially it had deeper roots. The first reconstructions of important events and great battles were carried out in Ancient Greece and Rome. Now they have decided to revive this tradition.

Event history

Military-historical reconstruction was also carried out in Ancient Egypt. The organizers staged costumed performances. The public could see with their own eyes how key battles unfolded. Sometimes special arenas were even built for such events.

This type of performance experienced its next wave of popularity in the 17th century. This time, the country where military-historical reconstructions began to be carried out en masse was England. Here, in 1620-1630, units of the London militia performed demonstration drills in front of the public.

In second place in popularity were the battles of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Battle of Berlin

One of the most popular military-historical festivals in recent years is the “Battle of Berlin”. The reconstruction is dedicated to the storming of the German capital by Soviet troops in 1945.

The event takes place in Moscow at the end of April. In culture and recreation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation "Patriot" reenactors recreate the main moments of one of the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War.

Guests of the Battle of Berlin festival find themselves in the very center of the battles. The reconstruction allows you to plunge headlong into this operation of the Soviet troops. The park recreates the streets of real Berlin, through which tank units and motorized troops pass. Real artillery cannonade sounds, and uncompromising air battles unfold in the sky. You can feel firsthand what the storming of Berlin was like. Not only history buffs take part in the reconstruction, but also professional stuntmen and pyrotechnicians who carefully prepare a performance in memory of the heroes of that war.

It is worth noting that the storming of Berlin played an important role in the history of the war. The reconstruction allows you to imagine how it really was.

"Fire Arc"

The Moscow region is generally famous for regularly holding festivals of military-historical reconstruction. "Fire Arc" takes place in the town of Stupino in late April - early May.

This is a very spectacular military-historical festival, in which not only a large number of reenactors take part, but also a variety of equipment. These are German Messerschmitt planes, the legendary Soviet T-34 tank, and the famous Katyusha gun, which terrified German troops.

Every year about four thousand guests take part in the military-historical festival. The organizers take care of the organized delivery of guests to the holiday and the provision of parking spaces for those who decide to come by personal vehicle.

About 400 people take part in the reconstruction of the battle itself, as well as at least ten pieces of military equipment from the Great Patriotic War, produced in the 40s of the last century. The places where the festival takes place also attract a large number of tourists. These are fields and meadows next to

A large-scale performance is being prepared for the guests of the action, and after the reconstruction of the battle is completed, they can communicate with its participants and take unforgettable photographs.

The last time about 550 people took part in the reconstruction of the Prague Operation. 57 clubs from 19 Russian regions sent their representatives. There were about 100 German participants among them. It is worth noting that this is one of the largest military-historical festivals in the Moscow region.

Spectators witness the last operation of Soviet troops in the Great Patriotic War. held from May 6 to May 11, 1945.

Who you are?

Military-historical club Pionier Bataillon 1, Wehrmacht sappers, are located in Moscow. Formed as VEC in 2004, the first participation in events took place in 2005. Currently there are more than 25 people in the club.

How to join the club? What is needed for this?

The main desire, then you need to have free time and a certain amount of free finance. On our part, there are a number of simple requirements - age limit (lower limit 20 years), adequacy, lack of radical political beliefs, participation in club life.
To join, you can write a letter ( [email protected]) with a brief statement of your desire to join the ranks of our VIC, tell a little about yourself. The offer is relevant for residents of Moscow and the region. To find like-minded people in your region, create a topic in the communication section of our forum.

Where to begin? Where can I find all this? How much will it cost?

There is no definite answer, it’s different for everyone, but most prefer to start by purchasing a set of uniforms. I think that the order in which you purchase things is not important, the main thing is to assemble a complete set. You will have to invest 1000-1500 euros in a minimum set, but taking into account the fact that the process of acquiring things lasts for an average of six months, this will not be so hard on your pocket. We will tell you where, from whom and how much to buy all the things, if you have the desire, you can actually get ready in 2-3 months.

Activity. How often, where?

Let's start with a small classification of events - shows, tactics, private trips. They are held mainly in Moscow and the region, less often in Russia. There are events in Belarus and Ukraine, as well as in foreign countries. Major events happen 5-7 times a year, and the same number of local outings are held.

Minimum kit for reconstruction

1. Jacket and trousers M36 or M40
2. Helmet M35 or M40
3. Pilot M38
4. Boots (with spikes and horseshoes)
5. Undershirt or authentic T-shirt
6. Belt with buckle
7. Y-shaped harness
8. Pouches (pair) for clips for the Mauser 98 carbine - for the shooter, (for the machine gunner - a pistol holster and a box with spare parts, for the sapper - sapper bags and a backpack, for the orderly - sanitary pouches, for the doctor/paramedic - sanitary bag)
9. Rusk bag
10. Bowler
11. Flask (for an orderly - a medical flask)
12. A shovel with a cover; one of these items is allowed instead:
A. Hacksaw in a case
b. Flags in a case + bag with accessories for the miner.
With. Ax in a case
d. Mining scissors in a case
e. Large mining shovel in a case
13. Dummy bayonet in a scabbard on a suspension
14. Gas mask (a tank from it is allowed)
15. Anti-spirit cape in a case (its cover is allowed)
16. Raincoat-tent

Documentation:
Soldier's book
Identification badge

At the moment, the Russian government has not decided what to devote to the coming year of the Yellow (Earth) Dog. Why not time it to coincide with such a wonderful thing as “living history”. After all, the next 12 months will shock the Fatherland not only with a phenomenon called “World Cup 2018,” but also with another phenomenon called “historical reconstruction 2018.” Role-playing events have long become synonymous with a successful vacation for many Russians. Of course, this refers not only to war, but also to peaceful pursuits. Rather, a whole historical complex. Yes, history can come to life. Everything is within our power. In the article you will learn more about CIS festivals.

What is military historical reconstruction

Since 1979, the described hobby has been an activity of a narrow circle of people passionate about the romance of medieval battles, the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars.

Full-scale historical reconstruction became part of Russia only in the 1990s. It concerns the restoration (reconstruction) of a historical complex associated with a specific time, a specific place and a specific event. In the 90s, it all started not with historical battles, but with... fantasy ones. The fact is that the main contingent in organizing such an event as the festival of historical reconstruction were Tolkienists, fans of the world created by the English writer D. Tolkien. Some of them still live exclusively in Middle-earth, often speaking to each other in the language of hobbits or elves. Although most of their ideological followers switched to Westeros, created by the minds of the Game of Thrones writers. The “role players” already had experience in “revitalizing” events, although not historical ones. They created costumes, weapons, fortresses and palisades, and wrote production scripts.

It remains to add that abroad, the “resurrection of history” (as well as all the fun associated with it) came into use among significant masses of the population much earlier. The fact is that this process was firmly connected with the social movement living history, which was born in the middle of the last century. At the moment, the trend has “reborn” into some kind of school lessons, medieval festivals (in the Middle Ages, many Western cities were separate states - now the population takes their coats of arms out into the streets), as well as the work of skansen - open-air museums. Their workers completely restore the historical complex of a certain era and the associated traditions of a certain ethnic group (costume, tools, architecture, life, weapons and rituals). In fact, ancient life appears before the viewer (the history lesson student) in all its details.

So, we also have such a concept as a historical reconstruction club (HRR). And the joint activities of these associations of enthusiasts (from different parts of the state) accordingly “gave birth” to a global interactive performance, which is usually called the festival of historical reconstruction (FIR). Now this is something more significant than what the Tolkienists of the 90s called “making a toy.” As a rule, several organizations of “historical role-players” come to the festival at once. Moreover, they try to recreate a certain event in the location where it took place.

The largest festivals of historical reconstruction 2018

In the vast expanses of the CIS (in hundreds of its cities and rural settlements) shows are regularly held as part of various FIRs. However, not every one of them attracts thousands of participants and spectators, as well as dozens of journalists. In the category “the largest festival of historical reconstruction” were “” - a global event that takes place annually in different parts of Greater Moscow. It originated back in 2011 - in Kolomenskoye Park, with the goal of presenting to the general public the events in Rus' of the 9th-11th centuries. However, in the following years, it turned to later pages of the biography of our Fatherland, and not only ours. This year the event will come under the name “Times and Epochs. Meeting". Moscow is going to surprise Russians and World Cup guests from other countries with a kind of time machine. From June 12 to 23, people from different countries and centuries will gather at different venues, surprising onlookers with their clothing, crafts, dishes, dances and songs! “Vremena” is rivaled (in terms of popularity and people’s involvement) only by “Borodin’s Day” (more about it below).

The so-called medieval festivals are also especially popular. Some of the events (including an episode of the regatta of historical ships) will take place within the framework of the already mentioned spectacle “Times and Epochs. Meeting". We'll talk about the rest below.

Ancient Rus' and the Viking Age

Medieval festivals in the Russian Federation have a chronological frame of reconstructed events, starting from the 9th century. The fact is that this century became fateful in the history of the East Slavic peoples. There was an attempt to unite them into a single state. At the same time, this century was the heyday of the Viking campaigns.

In different regions of Russia, the 9th century has become the main theme of the activities of historical clubs. This year, such associations have a new reason for meeting - “Rusborg 2018” (it will gather admirers of the first Russians in May, the place is still unknown). “Rusborg” “pulls out” from the darkness of centuries the military campaigns that took place on the territory of the current North-Western Federal District of the Russian Federation - in the 9th-11th centuries.

“Rook Pole” and “Abalakskoye Pole” are FIRs that have their own “zest”. Their participants are forced to travel on large wooden boats - longships, knorrs or longships. In the new year, the Volga near Yaroslavl will be chosen as the scene of action at Ladeynoye Pole. It is planned to raft (with stops here and there) all the way to Kazan. Siberian “Abalak” invites everyone to Tobolsk for the second time on July 7-8. The next plot of these “Fields” is sea battles with the participation of Russians, Vikings, Finnish and Baltic archers, as well as military competitions.

The last event that is worth mentioning in this regard is the “Epic Coast”. At this “gathering” a specific event is not taken into account. This is a series of buhurts (field team battles), illustrating the difficult relations of Kievan Rus with Scandinavia and other neighbors. The brand of the festival (in addition to the sword tournaments and archery competitions common to such events) is the sulitsa competition (the sulitsa is a swing weapon that is similar to a mace, but differs from it in the design of the nozzle). The new epic bank on July 27-29 will be the bank of the Volga near the village of Toporok (rural settlement of Fedorovka, Kimry district of the Tver region).

Medieval festivals 2018

We are always predisposed to something most impressive - to terrifying iron armor, to large swords or axes clanging against them, to a lady's handkerchief sentimentally tied to a knight's spear... In a few months, all this will happen again in different Russian cities! Medieval festivals 2018 are:

• “Kulikovo Field” (will be held on September 13-16 near the Tula village of Tatinka);
• “Knight's Tournament of St. George” (will take place from April 30 to May 2 in Moscow);
• “Heritage of Centuries” (end of June, Belarus);
• “Knightly Fest of Mstislavl” (July, Belarus);
• “Battle of Four Epochs” (July, Sula Park, Belarus);
• “Genoese helmet” (Pike perch, August).

Let's start with "Paul Kulikov". This is a fairly popular historical reconstruction. 2018 on Red Hill once again promises us grandiose skirmishes and archery competitions. The bank of the Don near Tatinka is the place where D. Donskoy’s troops crossed before the battle.

Sword fights, whistling arrows - this is what intrigues tourists about medieval festivals. 2018 will be the year of several “interactive performances related to Western Europe. And most of them will be dedicated not to court balls, but to knightly tournaments, beloved by the people of our planet, as well as field battles in full equipment. Among the participants themselves, the latter idiom is more used in the form of the French original - the “new birth” of a large-scale battle is called the word “buhurt”. Buhurts will be held both at the Kulikovo Field and at the Knight's Tournament of St. George (in Kolomenskoye Park). Come early.

The medieval festivals “Heritage of Ages”, “Knight’s Festival of Mstislavl” and “Battle of Four Epochs” are a vivid embodiment of collective projects of historical clubs in Russia and Belarus. As always, the events will take place on the territory of the last of these states. In the last days of June, the Mir castle complex (Grodno region) will become a gathering place for medieval musicians, equestrian daredevils and all sorts of knights (“Heritage of Centuries”). Lovers of medieval culture will gather in Mstislavl (Grodno region) and in the Sula park in July. Three events will show in all their glory the knights of the gentry, the “winged” hussars of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, zalmers, musketeers from Western European countries, archers and Cossacks. Ancient castles will serve as the backdrop for the festival.

The summer Crimea is preparing for us another show with knocking the enemy out of the saddle with a huge spear, sword fighting and archery competition. Traditionally, in August, in the Genoese fortress (the one located in one of the coastal quarters of Sudak), citizens and guests of the city gather at the “Genoese Helmet” - a festival that is included in the top five best knightly spectacles in Europe! Medievalist reenactors from all over the world come here.

Napoleonic Wars

Unlike the concept of “medieval festivals,” the concept of other role-playing spectacles does not involve tournaments. It involves more storming of defensive structures, attacks, and restoration of some circumstances of trench warfare.

Historical reconstruction of a later time traditionally (for obvious reasons) has a more expanded composition of participants. A striking example of this is “Borodin’s Day” - a reconstruction of the decisive stages of the Patriotic War on the territory of what is now Kaluga, Moscow and Smolensk regions in 1812. In September, compatriots from all over the Russian Federation will flock to the Borodino Field nature reserve.

However, in the coming year, the battle of Krasninskoye will also be in the center of attention of reenactors. Near today's village of Krasny, the Russians fought with the French for 4 days and defeated the enemy. Everything will happen again - near the Losmina river (on the Smolensk-Krasny road). By the way, in addition to the Russians, clubs from Belarus will take part in the battle.

In Belarus itself, the War of 1812 will traditionally be honored with the large-scale action “Berezina”. Near the town of Borisov, near the Strakhov forest (where the pommel of the banner of one of the Russian regiments and a soldier’s warehouse were found), costumed memorial ceremonies will be held, as well as a reconstruction of one of the episodes of the persecution of retreating Napoleonic units. The event will take place at the end of November - to the date itself.

WWII reconstructions

A major festival of historical reconstruction, associated, among other things, with the Great Patriotic War, will, as always, be held in Sevastopol. This time – September 15-16. The action, within the framework of which several episodes of the city’s defense will be restored, is called the “Crimean Military-Historical Festival”. Its opening will take place on Historical Boulevard, which is laid on the territory of the defensive structures of the 1st Defense. By the way, the festival will also resurrect the events of previous eras associated with this place.

On February 2, the whole country will once again celebrate the Stalingrad Victory. On this day, in the hero city of Volgograd, in addition to the ceremony of laying wreaths and flowers at the Eternal Flame, a military-historical reconstruction will also take place. One of the battles of the Battle of Stalingrad (the breakthrough of the Soviet 64th Army has already been reconstructed in the Kirov district of the city - October 21).

On December 9, on the embankment of the Bystraya Sosna River (the city of Yelets), the troops of the Southwestern Front will again “come to life” to carry out the offensive of the first half of December 1941. The inhabitants of this city were completely liberated from the Nazi invaders.

A vibrant historical reconstruction is planned for the south of the Voronezh region. On January 14, near the town of Rossosh, details of the liberation of this settlement from the Nazis will be shown. Fighting will break out in the floodplain of Black Kalitva. They will be attended by residents of the Voronezh, Belgorod, Rostov, Volgograd and Moscow regions, as well as historical reenactors from Italy (in the “role” of compatriots buried here who fought on the side of the Third Reich). Spectators will communicate with participants in the reconstruction, local historians, historians, and see old equipment. The main feature is the large-scale use of pyrotechnics.

Clubs of historical reconstruction of Russia

Typically, the leaders of creative associations that “revive history” are people who are in one way or another connected with history (busy in the summer on excavations, and at other times in professional activities in universities). But there are many exceptions. After all, knowledge of the past (not only Russian) is now becoming fashionable. Members of the KIR gather in the premises allocated to them to make (or collect) household items or costumes authentic to “their” era. They attend historical fencing or shooting lessons (if the organization is reconstructing a complex of the New or Contemporary times). Participants in reconstruction even have the opportunity to earn money. They are able to decorate a celebration related to “their” theme with “action” or “ceremonial”. Reenactors often appear in documentaries (and today more often in feature films) dedicated to “the affairs of bygone years.” KIR unites people of all ages and professions.

Now you know what else you can devote the year 2018 to. Historical reconstruction awaits you both as a spectator and (if desired) as a participant. Leading KIRs, as a rule, have their own network resource, where the amount of the contribution, patterns of historical costumes and the collection location are indicated. There you can also get a lot of other information useful for a beginning reenactor. We would be very flattered if, after reading this review, at least one of our readers personally signs up for the historical reconstruction club. Look around and understand: it’s not too late to do this at any age.