Dmitry Filipenko: "The school museum competition is the most important because it involves people who are creating the future."

      On May 12, 2026, 16:09 Society In the Nizhny Novgorod region, the results of the regional stage of the All-Russian Museum Competition "Military-Historical Dioramas: History in Details" have been summarized. Educational organizations from across the region participated in the project. For the competition, participants prepared dioramas dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War. The works were evaluated by Dmitry Filipenko, head of the regional executive committee of the United Russia party, State Duma deputy, regional coordinator of the party project "Historical Memory" Vadim Bulavinov, and regional coordinator of the party project "Culture of the Small Motherland" Sergey Gorin.

      The winner in the nomination "Best City Museum" was the work of the School Historical and Local Lore Museum "Guardians of Memory" (MAOU Vetluzhskaya Secondary School) titled "The Feat of the Shironintsy."

      "In this museum, you can feel the warmest, most tender atmosphere. Here you see a huge number of people who love their small homeland, proud of the history of their country, their family. Their eyes are shining. And it's not just the teachers, but also the students who absorb this love and want to develop their small homeland, preserve its history. I want to emphasize that the school museum competition is of utmost importance because it involves people who, preserving the past, are creating the future. Therefore, we will develop and continue this project - its significance is immense," emphasized Dmitry Filipenko.

      The diorama is dedicated to the feat of Lieutenant Pyotr Shironin's platoon. He entered history during the defense of Taranovka near Kharkov. On March 2, 1943, 25 fighters engaged in an unequal battle against superior enemy forces at the railway crossing of the Besspalovka station. Their steadfastness thwarted the advance of German tanks to the station and helped Soviet troops hold the line and regroup. In the battle, 19 fighters were killed, and 6 people, including Lieutenant Shironin, survived but were severely wounded. The feat of the Shironintsy has gone down in history as an example of mass heroism; they are often referred to as "Ukrainian Panfilovtsy." In 1977, director Leonid Bykov used this story as the basis for the script of the film "Aty-baty, the soldiers marched..."

      "For me, it was very important to participate in the work because I wanted to preserve the memory of the people who fought for our Motherland. I was entrusted with painting the little soldiers: each figure had to be carefully painted so that they looked like real fighters. It was painstaking work, but very interesting. I felt that I was contributing to a common cause. For me, this project became an opportunity to truly touch history," said Polina Baranova, a 10th-grade student at Vetluzhskaya Secondary School.

      By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 18, 1943, all 25 fighters of Lieutenant Pyotr Shironin's platoon were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. This is one of the few cases in the history of the war when the highest award of the country was given to the entire personnel of a unit. Among the Shironintsy was Lyudmila Sheborshina's grandfather - Andrei Arkadyevich Skvortsov.

      "I feel immense gratitude and pride - both for the children and for the teachers. They remember my grandfather's feat, they recreate not only the names but also the very stories of the feat. I am especially pleased that the kids have deeply immersed themselves in the history of the war, in the history of our fellow countrymen. In the Krasnobakovsky district, there are only six Heroes of the Soviet Union, and one of them is my grandfather. The fact that he has not been forgotten is priceless to me," shared mathematics teacher at Vetluzhskaya Secondary School, granddaughter of Hero of the Soviet Union Andrei Arkadyevich Skvortsov, Lyudmila Sheborshina.

      Dmitry Filipenko presented the winner's certificate for 50,000 rubles to the director of Vetluzhskaya Secondary School, Vera Testova. The funds won are planned to be directed towards the development of the school museum's exhibition, new research, and projects.

      "We are very happy and sincerely grateful to the organizers of this competition. We, of course, hoped that our work would be appreciated, as it was truly labor-intensive, delicate, and very serious. And most importantly - those who carried it out approached the task responsibly, seriously, and with great desire. Therefore, their idea came to life," noted Vera Testova.

      First place in the nomination "Best Rural Museum" was taken by the Novopokrovsky School Historical and Local Lore Museum (MOU Novopokrovskaya School) with the diorama "On the Road of Life."

      The works of the winners of the regional stage will represent the Nizhny Novgorod region at the federal level and compete for a grant that they can direct towards the development of their museum.

      Let us remind you that the preservation of Russia's cultural and military heritage, as well as the patriotic education of youth, is one of the most important areas of implementing the People's Program of "United Russia" and the party project "Historical Memory." The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+