Georgian National Museum Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia invites you at the opening of the exhibition "Georgians in World War II," dedicated to the 70^th anniversary of the victory over fascism.

The exposition will showcase at least 250 little-known items from the collections of the Georgian National Museum, including the private letters of Georgian combatants, certificates, greeting cards, medals, orders, and weaponry such as guns, pistols, machine-guns, assault rifles, etc. made in USSR and Nazi Germany. 

One of the distinguished artifacts are a greeting letter from Simon Chikovani addressed to General-colonel Konstantine Leselidze, the orders of Konstantine Leselidze, General Janjgava's medal of honor, uniforms of Georgian generals and officers, and the unique flags of Georgian partisans who were fighting in France and Italy.

Visitors will have a chance to see the private pipe of Joseph Stalin and an ivory vase specially made for his 50^th birthday.

From the maritime section of the exhibition one of the highlights is a model of the famous submarine "Maliutka" which belonged to USSR hero Ioroslav Ioseliani. Also, you may observe the flight suit and equipment of the USSR pilot hero Davit Jabadze, and Vermacht's personal belongings from the private collections.

The exposition is enriched with photos and videos, as well as sketches drawn on the front lines of the war. The artwork and paintings of the war done by Elene Akhvlediani, Lado Gudiashvili, Porphir Krilov, Zurab Tsereteli etc. will be showcased.

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World War II started on the 1^st of September 1939, with the invasion of German troops in Poland and finished on 2^nd of September 1945 with surrender of Japan. It was the bloodiest war in world history. More than 60 states took part in this conflict. Armed forces mobilized a total of 110 million people. Battles took place on three continents and covered the territory of 40 countries. WW II killed about 60 million people, 20 million of whom were civilians.

About 34.5 million Soviet soldiers took part in WW II. Among them there were 700,000 conscripts from Georgia. Half of these draftees never come back. In the last stage of the war numerous Georgians participated in the final attack on Berlin. Two Soviet soldiers, Russian sergeant Mikhail Egorov and Georgian private Meliton Kantaria were privileged to hoist the victory flag on the Reichstag. 164 Georgian conscripts were awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, and others received the titles of the National heroes of France, Italy and Yugoslavia.

Address: Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia, 3 Shota Rustaveli Avenue. Tbilisi, Georgia.