SAMOLVA
Seeing a whole class of children pile into his museum about a Russian prince’s 13th-century victory over Western crusaders, historian Vladimir Potresov was delighted.His “Battle on the Ice” exposition is only made up of a few rooms, but has seen a surge in visitors since its inclusion on a list of “patriotic” tourist routes published by local authorities.
It is one aspect of how Russia has sought to promote pride in its history and military conquests across public life since launching its Ukraine offensive in 2022. Authorities have launched more than 140 “patriotic” tourist routes since 2023, many aimed at highlighting historic victories by the Russian empire and Soviet Union.
“Our museum is small, but recently we’ve been welcoming around 5,500 visitors a year,” said 80-year-old Potresov, who moved from Moscow to the village of Samolva more than a decade ago to found the museum. “The Battle on the Ice brought to a close what was history’s first clash between Russia and the collective West,” he added, using a term the Kremlin regularly employs to describe Moscow’s NATO and European enemies.
Among the exhibits on display at the museum are maps and replica helmets that schoolchildren are encouraged to try on.A teacher accompanying the class told media that they were visiting as part of a “patriotic education” assignment set by her school — tasks that have become increasingly commonplace since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive.
“Next we’re going to see the monument to Alexander Nevsky on the shores of Lake Peipus,” she added, referring to a 15-meter-tall statue of the battle’s victor, inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin in 2021. “The children love it,” she added.
Fought in 1242 over a frozen lake straddling what is now Russia and Estonia, the Battle on the Ice resulted in a decisive victory for Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod, halting the eastward expansion of the Catholic Teutonic order. The battle was the subject of film director Sergei Eisenstein’s 1938 classic “Alexander Nevsky.”
