Posted: 16.02.2023 11:44:00

From Brest to Grodno with a single click

The Tretyakov Gallery, the Louvre, the British Museum — these famous historical and cultural sites can be visited without leaving home, using the Internet. Did you know that our museums also have virtual tours? Having studied the websites of more than 150 institutions, we have prepared a selection of the most interesting online exhibitions.

Know and remember

Surely everyone at least once had a chance to visit the Brest Hero Fortress Memorial Complex. But, if for some reason it was not possible, you can do it online. The site of the complex says that several expositions are available for a virtual walk: ‘Museum of War — Territory of Peace’, ‘Chronicle of the Brest Fortress’, ‘Defence of the Eastern Front’ and ‘Museum of the Defence of the Brest Fortress’. I decide to take a look at the last one. The red-grey halls immediately immerse you in the gloomy atmosphere of hostilities. The blue arrows on the floor tell you which direction to go. In hall number 7 I find a part of the plate with the inscription ‘I’m dying, but I don’t give up!’, made in 1941 by the defender of the fortress, scratched out. It seems so realistic, as if I see it in reality.

At the Museum of the Defence of the Brest Fortress

The Bereza Historic and Regional Studies Museum invites visitors to get acquainted with the online exposition about the history of the Carthusian monastery, founded in the 17th century. Guests have the opportunity not only to see six halls, but also to listen to an audio tour from the guide. On the walls of each virtual room there are photographs, diagrams and engravings that relate to the history of the town of Bereza and tell about the construction of the monastery, its current state. At first glance, it’s hard to figure out what’s what. But next to each picture there is an ‘I’ icon. I wonder why? I click on it. The image is enlarged to full screen, allowing you to better see the details, and the voice of the audio assistant explains to which historical period the selected part of the exposition belongs and what is shown on it. It’s like asking a real tour guide.

Navigation helps with orientation in Bereza Historic and Regional Studies Museum

Animated mannequin

You can get acquainted with one of the oldest cities in Belarus — Turov — at the virtual historical and archaeological exposition called ‘Ancient Turov’, created by the local museum of local lore. By clicking on the link on the site, I get inside the building. At first, it seems that it was on real archaeological excavations: in the very centre are the remains of an ancient city. How to look inside? I’m trying to find a way by clicking all the icons in a row. But in vain: even virtual exhibits cannot be touched. Looking around, I notice several stands about the first princes of Turov and the history of the city.

The remains of an ancient city can be seen in Turov

A search for interesting online excursions in the Vitebsk Region led to the website of the Glubokoye Historical and Ethnographic Museum, where I found a link to a video tour. The protagonist of the video in a grey suit, old-fashioned glasses and with an old suitcase walks around the exposition, demonstrates old coins, clothes of ancestors, while the voice-over tells about the development of agriculture and industry. Then something strange happens: the mannequin that was holding the iron suddenly comes to life and shows how to use the device correctly. Then it freezes again, as if nothing had happened. Wow! 

Visiting the squirrel

In the Grodno Region, you can walk around the Squirrel Museum in Bolshaya Berestovitsa. I heard a real squirrel lives there. Can’t wait to look at it. But everything turns out to be not so simple. It’s not easy to get inside from the first attempt. After making several circles around the building, I finally find an arrow leading inside. And here is the cage for the red-haired inhabitant! However, the animal was not there: apparently, it hid in the house. Then I’ll take a look at the exhibit. On a separate stand, the collection ‘Squirrel in Art’ is presented: a variety of squirrel toys sit on the shelf — from large to very tiny.

Exposition at the Squirrel Museum in Bolshaya Berestovitsa

In the New Castle of the Grodno State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve, the creators of the online tour not only provide an opportunity to wander through the halls on their own, but also allow you to go out to the balcony, from where a beautiful panorama opens. Another iconic object in the Grodno Region — Mir Castle — can be visited with the help of a video tour. There are three expositions to choose from: ‘Weapons of Honour and Courage’, ‘Warriors on the Same Field’ and ‘Combining Space and Time: Belarusian Lands on the Maps of the 16th–18th Centuries’. The most colourful is the first one. The guide not only talks in detail about various types of weapons and demonstrates them, but also immerses guests in the atmosphere of past centuries with his appearance — his military uniform. Completing the tour of the regions of Belarus, I open the site of the Khatyn Memorial Complex. Repair work is currently underway on the territory of the incinerated village, but this is not a hindrance to an online walk: the museum is available for remote visiting. Guests will not get lost: the map shows the route to follow to get acquainted with all the exhibits. It’s very convenient!

Excursion in book format

The National Historical Museum offers visitors the ‘Belarus and Belarusians’ online project. The exhibition is presented in book format. When you start flipping through it, the pages rustle as if you are holding a real edition in your hands. It contains illustrations that accompany the story about the history of the formation of the Belarusian statehood from ancient times to the present day. There are also several thematic pages about Belarusian traditional clothes, language, cuisine and music. You can also take a walk online in the National Art Museum, as well as in the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. 

By Polina Gardevich
Open source photos