Diorama Battle of the Dnieper
Diorama "Battle of the Dnieper" is a large diorama in Dnipro, opened in 1975 for the 30th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. Its full title is "Battle of the Dnieper in the area of the villages of Voiskovoe-Vovnigi in 1943." It is the largest diorama in Ukraine, the second largest in Europe, and one of the largest in the world. The work was created by artists of the Grekov Studio, with a 840 m² woven canvas installed in a special building designed by architect V. A. Zuev. The diorama is part of a memorial complex and now also functions as an exhibition center.
August 2019 © VKras · CC BY-SA 4.0
August 2019 © VKras · CC BY-SA 4.0
August 2019 © VKras · CC BY-SA 4.0
August 2023 © f7eeae1 · CC BY-SA 4.0
August 2023 © f7eeae1 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Identification | |
| Title | Diorama Battle of the Dnieper |
| Original title | Diorama Battle of the Dnieper in the area of the villages of Voiskovoye-Vovnigi in 1943 |
| Type | diorama |
| Subject | Battle of the Dnieper |
Historical context | |
| Historical context | World War II |
| Battle period | 26 September to 23 October 1943 |
| Battle description | A series of connected strategic maneuvers along the banks of the Dnieper; the first forced crossing of a strategically significant body of water |
| Battle outcome | The left bank of the river was liberated from the Wehrmacht |
| Battle scale | Over four million participants on both sides |
Creator | |
| Military consultant | Major General (ret.) I. F. Litvinenko |
| Scientific consultant | V. S. Prokudo |
| Artists' title | Honored Artists of the RSFSR |
| Artists' affiliation | Masters of battle painting from the Studio of Military Artists named after M. B. Grekov |
| Artists | N. Ya. But and N. V. Ovechkin |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Research basis | Documents, memoirs, letters, orders, and wartime reports from participants in the Dnieper crossing |
| Construction started | August 1971 |
| Construction approved by | Dnipropetrovsk City Council of Workers' Deputies |
| Approval date | 23 February 1972 |
| Construction period | 1971 to 1975 |
| Opening date | 7 May 1975 |
| Opened for | the 30th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day |
Physical characteristics | |
| Typical viewing angle | 120° to 180° |
| Viewing angle | Up to 230° |
| Diorama hall area | 900 m² |
| Building area | 1340 m² |
| Canvas dimensions | 14 × 60 m |
| Canvas area | 840 m² |
Materials | |
| Canvas manufacturer | Penza textile factory Krasny Oktyabr |
| Canvas material | Seamless woven canvas |
Appearance | |
| Foreground | Deep subject foreground with three-dimensional models of defensive structures, authentic weapons, crossing equipment, and other military attributes |
| Lighting and sound | Special lighting and sound design |
| Visitor effect | Creates the effect of direct presence at the scene of events |
Location and ownership | |
| Street exhibition items | Destroyed BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle; T-64 tank turret; mortar; damaged ambulance; pieces of the Donetsk airport's fortifications |
| Street exhibition theme | Replicates the ambiance of the War in Donbas |
| Street exhibition | Ways of Donbas street exhibition |
| Replacement for former display | S-125 surface-to-air missile system launcher |
| Former display | MiG-17 fighter |
| Open-air display items | T-70 tank; T-34-85 tank; 37 mm anti-aircraft gun; 85 mm anti-aircraft gun; 122 mm howitzer M-30; 57 mm gun ZIS-2; 100 mm gun BS-3; BM-13 postwar version on ZIS-151 chassis; a French military vehicle (model not specified) |
| Nearby exhibition | Permanent exhibition of Soviet military equipment from World War II |
| Outdoor exhibition | Permanent exhibition of Soviet military equipment from World War II on the square in front of the diorama |
| Nearby memorial | The Dnipro Bridgehead Memorial |
| Part of | A large memorial complex dedicated to the heroes and events of the Great Patriotic War |
| Installed in | A special building designed by architect V. A. Zuev |
| Institutional affiliation | Branch of the Dmytro Yavornytskyi Dnipropetrovsk Historical Museum |
| Address | 16 Dmytra Yavornytskoho Avenue |
| Location | Dnipro, Ukraine |
History and restoration | |
| Re-exposition period | June 2017 to June 2018 |
| Restoration work | The canvas was restored and conserved; lighting was completely replaced; sound was updated; two monitors and two projectors were added; a panoramic film about the events of 1943 was created |
| Renovation | 2018 |
Significance | |
| Size ranking | The largest diorama in Ukraine, the second largest by area in Europe after the Belgorod diorama Battle of Kursk, and one of the largest in the world |
Other | |
| Current use | Also functions as an exhibition center |