The World History: "The Soviet Aid to Spanish Republic. 1936-1939" Exhibition in Moscow

Dedicated to the events that become a tragic prologue of the Second World War, "The Soviet Aid to Spanish Republican. 1936-1939" exhibition opens on April 16, 2014, at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.

When the news about the 1936 coup and that Germany, Portugal and Italy support the rebels was broken, a mass movement of solidarity with the Spanish people, who find themselves on the firing line of the international anti-fascist front, swept over the world. Our country immediately went to the rescue the heroic Spanish people. USSR rendered Spain a broad comprehensive assistance, protecting the interests of the Spanish people in the League of Nations, sending food, medicine, and various types of weapons. There were about 600 military advisers in Spain at different times, helping in founding the Popular Army and in training command staff. Over two thousand Soviet volunteers, mainly tankers and pilots, fought there.

The exhibition reveals materials from the collections of the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia, the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, the "Interdom" Museum of Ivanovo Boarding School named after Y. D. Stasova and from the Spanish private collections. Among the exhibits are the documents, posters, photographs, the weapons and equipment.

The exposition includes the International Brigade soldier uniforms, a field cap of Rubén Ruiz Ibárruri, the republicans’ and nationalists’ banners, the soldiers-internationalists’ personal belongings. A key theme of the exhibition is the events of 1936-1939 and a participation in these Soviet specialists and volunteers.

The round table with the participation of researchers of named theme and the staff at the Institute of Military History of the Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and with the representatives of the Embassy of Spain in Moscow will be held at the opening of the exhibition. During the round table is expected to discuss the main causes, a scope and a role of Soviet assistance provided to the Republic of Spain, as well as its historical significance and lasting significance.