{"id":4982,"date":"2016-09-10T09:03:30","date_gmt":"2016-09-10T09:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.stalin-line.by\/2016-09-10-11-den-tankista\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:12:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:12:21","slug":"2016-09-10-11-den-tankista","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stalin-line.by\/en\/2016-09-10-11-den-tankista\/","title":{"rendered":"10\u201311 September \u2014 \u201cTankers\u2019 Day\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\tStarts at 11:00.<\/p>\n

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\n\tOn 10\u201311 September, the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex, with the support of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus and Wargaming, will hold a Tankers\u2019 Day event marking the 70th anniversary of the tank forces\u2019 professional holiday and the centenary of tank production.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tOver the two days, the complex will host three military-historical reenactments dedicated to heroic events of the Great Patriotic War and the war in Afghanistan.<\/div>\n
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\n\tMore than a dozen interactive entertainment and recreation areas will be open to visitors. Guests will be able to test their skills in a virtual World of Tanks battle, at the Tank Crew School and by painting a tank, or take on the many challenges of the \u201cOperation\u201d quest. Visitors with children can enjoy a dedicated children\u2019s room, an inflatable trampoline, a photo area and the Stalin Line cinema. The most active competition participants will receive certificates and valuable prizes, as well as rides in military vehicles.<\/div>\n
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\n\tFor the first time, Stalin Line will present its visitors with an exceptionally rare exhibit: the legendary Soviet KV-1. Fragments of the vehicle were found by volunteer search teams, with the direct involvement of the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex and the Republican Special-Purpose Unit of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, in marshland south-east of the town of Senno in the Vitebsk Region. The tank was reconstructed by the Stalin Line restoration team to mark the 75th anniversary of Zinovy Kolobanov\u2019s feat on 20 August 2016.<\/div>\n
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\n\tDetailed information about the search and the reconstruction of the KV-1 heavy tank is available in the following materials  KV-1 \u2014 The Forgotten Legend<\/a>, Reconstruction of the KV-1 Tank<\/a>, Progress of the Restoration Work<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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\n\tWarm weather is expected on Tankers\u2019 Day, with possible rain and temperatures of +18 to +21 \u00b0C. We recommend that visitors dress warmly and bring waterproof footwear. <\/div>\n
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\n\t\tHistorical Background \u2014 Tankers\u2019 Day<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tTankers\u2019 Day is the professional holiday of tank crews and tank manufacturers, celebrated annually on the second Sunday in September.<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\tIt was established by a Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated 1 July 1946 to commemorate the outstanding contribution of the armoured and mechanised forces to defeating the enemy during the Great Patriotic War, as well as the contribution of tank manufacturers to equipping the country\u2019s Armed Forces with armoured vehicles. Until 1980, it was celebrated on 11 September, as Soviet troops had achieved major successes during the Eastern Carpathian Offensive on that date in 1944. In 1980, a Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the current date of observance. <\/div>\n
\n\t\t\tThe professional holiday of Tankers\u2019 Day is one of the most highly regarded celebrations in the armed forces. For a time, from the 1940s to the 1950s, major cities even marked Tankers\u2019 Day with ceremonial tank columns proceeding through the streets and a gun salute.<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\t\tHistorical Background: KV-1<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\tKV-1 tanks were last used extensively during the summer campaign of 1943. By then, these were predominantly KV-1S tanks. For example, the 6th Guards Breakthrough Tank Regiment operated as part of the North Caucasian Front in May and June 1943. Several regiments also took part in the Battle of Kursk. There were 70 KV tanks on the Central Front and 105 on the Voronezh Front, representing just 5% of the total number of tanks serving on these two fronts. Together with the T-34, which was produced in large numbers, the KV made its own contribution to victory over the enemy.<\/div>\n

\n\t\tHistorical Background: The Centenary of Tank Production<\/span> This year marks the centenary of tank production. In the summer of 1916, at the height of the First World War, tanks built by the British in strict secrecy were transported by rail to a port under tarpaulins. To mislead German spies, British railway workers were told that the shipment consisted of tanks made for the... Russian army! To make the deception more convincing, the \u2018tanks\u2019 themselves were marked \u2018Caution: Petrograd\u2019. The ruse worked, and when tanks first entered battle during the Battle of the Somme on 15 September 1916, their appearance came as a complete surprise to the German infantry. Despite their many shortcomings, the British achieved significant successes with the tanks. Armoured vehicles subsequently took part in every major offensive operation. At first, tank armour was impervious to all types of small-arms fire, while field artillery did not yet have armour-piercing shells. It took the Germans some time to discover that the armour of British tanks could be breached only by a direct hit from a shrapnel shell case. Special armour-piercing bullets for small arms were developed somewhat later, followed by anti-tank rifles.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tProvisional Programme for 10 September*<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\tMinsk Time<\/em><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t09:00 First buses depart from Kamennaya Gorka metro station<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t11:00 Event begins. Guided-tour and interactive zones open to visitors<\/strong><\/div>\n