Exhibition 'Here Will Be Zelenograd'

About exhibition

Zelenograd is a comparatively young city: its history spans just under seven decades. However, the lands on which it is located have a rich heritage: archaeological sites have been found here, centuries-old wooden houses with carved window surrounds and old churches have survived to this day. The region is notable not only for its memorial sites but also for important historical events witnessed by local residents. Echoes of many of these events still reach us today. One such event was the Battle of Moscow, which lasted from 30 September 1941 to 20 April 1942. About seven million people took part in it on both sides. On the territory of what would become Zelenograd, in the area of Kryukovo station and the village of Matushkino, the heaviest fighting took place from 30 November to 8 December. During this period the front line ran along Kryukovskoye Highway — the present-day Panfilov Avenue. The troops of the 16th Army fighting here, under the command of Konstantin Rokossovsky, halted the enemy on the approaches to the capital and went over to the counteroffensive. Characterizing the combat actions, Rokossovsky noted: "Perhaps, in terms of the ferocity of the fighting, it was the second Borodino." In 2020 Kryukovo was awarded the honorary title "District of Military Valor of the City of Moscow." The first part of the exhibition tells the history of the Zelenograd region from the Stone Age to the mid-20th century. The second section is devoted to the battles for Kryukovo and the village of Matushkino in November–December 1941. Items from the museum's collection presented in the exhibition include archaeological finds, documents, photographs, household items, and awards donated to the museum by battle participants and their relatives, archaeologists, and local residents.