Russia has a 'Military Disneyland' theme park aimed at inspiring young people to do 'military-patriotic' work.
In 2016, 'at a time of heightened patriotism and military rhetoric in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea' according to The Guardian, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially opened a 'vast military theme park' just outside of Moscow. At the time, Putin said that the park was part of Russia's 'military-patriotic work with young people.' In 2017, officials announced plans to build a model of the German Reichstag, which Soviet Troops stormed in the 1945 Battle of Berlin, so that 'youth army soldiers can storm not just any building, but a concrete place.' As reported by Atlas Obscura in 2015, the park is essentially a large military installation: The park covers more than 4,000 hectares, much of it taken up by military vehicles. There are more than 268 Soviet-era aircraft on display, including helicopters, and an armored vehicle section with around 350 tanks from various countries. Some of these can be taken for a virtual spin in the park's military training simulators. Also, keep an eye out for a few intercontinental ballistic missiles. For kids and adults of a warmongering nature, there's also the Military Tactical Games Center. Here, the whole family can do some fun military-grade exercises before engaging in a simulation of urban warfare with airsoft guns and replicas of famous buildings (the park is supposedly building a replica of the Reichstag for kids to invade). At the shooting range, meanwhile, visitors can unleash their inner Rambo with a variety of weapons. Children can even take a quick class in sabotage. 'Military Disneyland' is an American nickname for the park, and this one presents a very different vibe than an actual Disneyland. The park's actual name in English 'Patriot Park' (Патриот Парк) or the 'Military-Patriotic Park of Culture and Recreation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation' (Военно-Патриотический Парк Культуры И Отдыха Вооруженных Сил Российской). As such, claims of a 'Military Disneyland' in Russia are a 'Mixture' of truth and falsehood.
nan
04783-proof-02-GettyImages-1228384389.jpg