Kraków 2019-12-10
Zamość. Museum of Fortifications and Weapons "Arsenal".
Zamość is one of the most beautiful cities in Poland. Its charm and rich history attracts many tourists, which offers a lot of attractions. In Zamość you can see the good hand of the hosts. Tourists who visited the city a few years ago can come here again because there are new attractions. Zamość is getting more beautiful every year.
In this article, we present the Zamość Arsenal, which houses the Museum of Fortifications and Weapons ‘Arsenal’. The name of the museum was adopted in 2015, when after the renovation of the objects it adopted a new formula.
The Zamojski Arsenal, a former armory, is located in the Old Town, in the southwest. The first Arsenal was built at the end of the 16th century on the north side of the Zamoyski Palace. In the 17th century, the new Arsenal was built south of the palace, in the area of Bastion III. In 1658, a fire destroyed part of the Arsenal, therefore in 1670, a new Arsenal building was built, which exists to date (2019). The Arsenal housed a weapons warehouse, stables, and even a custody. During the Second Polish Republic there were schools and workshops here.
In 1984, the Arsenal Museum of Color and Arms was opened in the Arsenal. Several cannons from the Second World War were presented in front of the building. The museum was focused on propagating the history of the activities of the Soviet army "liberating" Poland.
The changes took place along with the socio-economic changes in Poland after 1989. Slowly but surely, the city revitalized the historical infrastructure of Zamość. With the liquidation of the Air Force Technical School (1995), the museum took over some of the equipment from the school. Heavy equipment began to be presented at an outdoor exhibition, near Bastion III, on Podgroble Street. It was not a happy solution. The outdoor exhibition was closed in 2011. When the revitalization of the bulwark of defensive fortifications began, it was also decided to expand the museum. Work began in 2012 and was completed in 2015. The museum received: the renovated building "Arsenal", the object "Powder Magazine", as well as rebuilt interiors of "Bastion III", the so-called "Curtain".
In 2015, along with the name change of the museum, to the Museum of Fortifications and Weapons "Arsenal", the museum was opened to visitors. A powder cinema was organized in the magazine, which shows a fantastic 3D movie (without glasses) about the development of Zamość and the ongoing battles for the city. Especially the 16th-18th century. In the Arsenal building, on the ground floor, there is a permanent exhibition of small arms and firearms, cannons, models, engravings, costumes of soldiers – especially from the 17th century. Temporary exhibitions are presented on the first floor. Currently (2019) there is an exhibition about history titled "Zamość 1939". The third object is a large pavilion under the "Curtain", covered with a glass roof. It exhibits military equipment and machines from the twentieth century (including those transferred from the former outdoor exhibition) and exhibitions, including multimedia, about military operations in the Zamość region. In the curtain you can see: PZL TS-11 Iskra aircraft, PZL Mi-2 helicopter, T-34 tank, BWP (infantry fighting vehicle), floating transporter, cannons, cannons and many more. There is a military mobile oven for baking bread. There is a field kitchen for 160 soldiers. There are rooms with screened war documentaries.
The museum is organized at a world-class level. You can rent an audio guide. The mentioned 3D movie is screened in Polish, but foreign tourists receive an audio player with their own language. There are toilets in each building. Disabled people have all the necessary amenities: elevators and ramps.
Photorelation.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman