History of the Club
The “Soldiers of Victory” Military-Patriotic Club was established under the “Memory of Afghanistan” Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Internationalist Veterans in September 2002.
The club was founded at the initiative of the foundation’s Afghan War veterans and the brothers Anatoly and Kirill Matesh, whose father, Captain Matesh, was killed in Afghanistan. Its initial membership consisted of pupils from Minsk Evening General Education School No. 21, which already had cadet classes specialising in military history. The foundation provided club members with Great Patriotic War-era military uniforms and deactivated weapons, which it was legally authorised to use. In the summer of 2004, to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus, the foundation organised a historical rally of vintage vehicles from Minsk to Brest, involving members of the “Soldiers of Victory” club, veterans of the Great Patriotic War and internationalist veterans.
In the towns where the veterans and young people dressed in military uniforms from those heroic years stopped, numerous meetings with local residents, rallies and concerts were organised. This informal event attracted enormous interest not only among young people, but also among representatives of the local authorities and cultural workers.
Further Development
In the same year, 2004, the Zaslavl Local History Museum was preparing to open one of the pillboxes of the Minsk Fortified Region. The town authorities approached the foundation’s founder, Alexander Mikhailovich Metla, with a request to stage a small-scale reenactment of combat operations for the pillbox’s opening. It was here in Zaslavl that a landmark meeting took place between the foundation’s leadership and the leaders of the “Comrades in Arms” military-historical reenactment group. Following the successful reenactment, they decided to join forces to promote the reenactment of Great Patriotic War events in Belarus more actively. The “Comrades in Arms” group therefore became part of the “Soldiers of Victory” club, bringing its total membership to 178 people representing not only the Hero City of Minsk, but also many other towns and villages across the country. Since 2016, the “Comrades in Arms” club has operated independently and is no longer subordinate to the “Soldiers of Victory” club.
In the spring of 2009, the “Epoch” military-historical reenactment group was established within the club.
Opening of the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex
When the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex opened in 2005, trained military-history enthusiasts took part in the reenactment alongside service personnel from the Armed Forces of Belarus. At this time, pupils from Loshany Secondary School, located near the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex, also joined the “Soldiers of Victory” club.
Club Activities
The military-historical reenactments staged by club members are consistently popular with spectators. In addition to traditional events at Stalin Line, our “Soldiers of Victory” are invited by the authorities in Brest, Vitebsk, Smorgon, Polotsk and Gomel, as well as by organisers from Kyiv, Moscow, Mozhaysk and cities in the Baltic States. The “Soldiers of Victory” have also participated in international gatherings of military-history clubs in Slovakia, where their equipment and military training made a tremendous impression.
Few military-themed films made in Belarus are produced without the involvement of members of the “Soldiers of Victory” club. One of the first screen productions featuring club members was the music video for “Kolokolenka”, performed by the “Chisty Golos” ensemble. Over the years, the club’s screen credits have grown to include several dozen feature films and documentaries, among the most recent being programme series produced by Wargaming.
International Festivals at the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex
Every year, the foundation holds international festivals for military-history clubs at the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex, focusing on the Great Patriotic War period in early July and the Afghan War period in early August.
The festivals traditionally attract large numbers of participants from different countries. More than 300 reenactors from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, China and Japan took part in the tenth-anniversary Bagration Festival.
Club Reorganisation
By order dated 18 July 2016, the “Soldiers of Victory” club was reorganised to standardise its structure and improve management. All previously affiliated sections and military-historical reenactment groups were disbanded, with the exception of the “Shuravi” group. All membership cards issued by the “Memory of Afghanistan” Charitable Foundation before 16 July 2016 are to be considered invalid (except those of the “Shuravi” group).
Club Leadership:
A. M. Metla – Honorary Chairman.
A. A. Metla – Chairman.
M. A. Metla – Deputy Chairman.
S. N. Pushnov — Commander (Head of the Club)
D. S. Kovalevsky — Commander of “Shuravi” (Head of the “Shuravi” Section)
How to Join the Club
The club welcomes young men and women aged 18 and over. For further information about joining the club, please e-mail: soldaty.pobedy@stalin-line.by
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