Kamenka district, August 21./Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Stalin Line historical and cultural complex was opened after reconstruction in the village of Podoima, Kamenka District. This is a former pillbox, built in the 1930s to protect the banks of the Dniester. There was a powerful defense unit equipped with the latest technology of that time.
“The pillbox-24А was one of the most powerful fortified area in the Ribnitsa. It was a large long underground building with many different rooms. The combat unit included 2 casemates: a three-gun headband and a two-cannon artillery half-caponiers,” Yuri Zhora, the Chairman of the District Council of Veterans said.
The underground part of the pillbox was like a large underground city. There were 12 rooms for various purposes: ventilation and household rooms, warehouses. Also, there was its own water supply sanitation, power station, and other rooms necessary for the garrison of this bunker life support.
The restoration of the pillbox started in 2017. The local authorities, deputies of the Supreme Council Porfiry Shkilnyuk and Valery Babchinetsky, as well as entrepreneurs, provided the financial assistance.
At the grand opening of the historical and cultural complex, those who took part in the restoration of the bunker were awarded 75 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and 30 years of the PMR jubilee medals.
“This project is designed for three stages. The first stage was finished by May 9, 2019. We have opened the pillbox itself. The second stage was timed to May 9, 2020, when the complex was opened. The pillbox will be opened in a revised version by May 9, 2021. There will be a fence, an entrance, and everything else,” Yuri Zhora informed.
First, it was provided the access to the underground part of the bunker, and then reconstruction work had begun: a headband and the towers of the battle casemate were built. After that, the underground rooms, corridors, and external sites of the territory were reconstructed.
Almost all the rooms were cleaned and painted. Three rooms were left in their same form for clarity. One room was prepared for the museum.
“I believe that the pillbox should be included in the register of monuments, to be taken under state protection. It is necessary to take children there. Education on the history of the Second World War is a basic education, within the framework of patriotism,” Igor Buga, deputy of the Supreme Council and the head of the Victory Heirs movement said.
Сегодняшнее открытие комплекса приурочено к 75-й годовщине Победы. «Наследники Победы» организовали выставку вооружений времён Великой Отечественной войны. После торжественной части состоялась экскурсия по подземелью ДОТа.
Today's opening of the complex is timed to the 75th anniversary of the Victory. Victory Heirs organized an exhibition of Great Patriotic War weapons. After the solemn part, there was a tour through the dungeon.
The honor to open a memorial plate of the historical and cultural complex was given to the veteran of the Great Patriotic War Evgenia Poloz.
«I want to gratitude all the enthusiasts, initiators, search engines, sponsors who made efforts to implement this project. Given our modest opportunities, I think you really tried, and it turned out well,» Vladimir Bychkov, head of the Kamenka state administration said.
More information about the new historical and cultural complex and about further plans for the reconstruction of the bunker in Podoima you can find in our following materials.
