The Memorial Museum of the Bendery Tragedy was opened after reconstruction today, on the day of the 30th anniversary of the start of the 40-day military operations in Bendery. The institution in its original form was established by September 1997. The exposition has been replenished for almost a quarter of a century. But the premises were dilapidated. Not only repairs were needed, but more modern equipment, up-to-date technologies for presenting exhibits and providing information. The President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Vadim Krasnoselsky focused on the special social and historical significance of the museum. The building was overhauled on his instructions, the furniture was updated, and the equipment was modernized. The project was implemented at the expense of the Capital Investment Fund. Work began at the beginning of this year. The deadline for the completion of the facility was clearly defined by the PMR President – June 19, 2022. Mission was accomplished. The museum received the first visitors, including the President.
It was noted during the tour conducted for the guests after the solemn-official part of the event that there are now four halls in the museum, and not two, as it was before. Museum workers consider the Pridnestrovian flag to be one of the most valuable exhibits, which during the hostilities in the summer of 1992 fluttered over the building of the city executive committee (the Bendery state administration now), remaining an inaccessible target for Moldovan militants. The exposition contains documents and belongings of participants in the hostilities to protect Bendery. There are shell fragments. The first exhibits were collected immediately after the war. The museum fund was replenished with new units over time: the materials were provided personally by the participants in the tragic events of 1992 and the relatives of the dead and deceased defenders. Multimedia is among the innovations that appeared after the reconstruction and modernization. Touch screens are designed to view video materials. The photographs have also been digitized. They collected about three hundred. Audio systems are installed in two halls. A separate sector is dedicated to the achievements of modern Bendery – it tells about the local industry and its products.
Director of the museum Alexander Tikhonov noted as today's guide that renovated museum, while retaining its significance, will be of interest to a wide audience. Not only sightseeing visits of visitors are expected, but also holding various thematic events at the museum site.
