LATRUN ISRAEL TANK MUSEUM - YAD LA SHIRION

The 20th century in the history of mankind has become the bloodiest and most cruel. 2 world wars, a lot of local conflicts that arise at one end of the planet, then at another crisis ... There is no peace and happiness for a person. And the longer we live, the more sophisticated and dangerous the weapon becomes, and the tougher the person. But one should not forget about terrible events, because memory can save you from repeating mistakes.

This is the thought of Israeli veteran tankers when, in 1978, they took the initiative to create a museum of armored forces. The Association received at its disposal the Latrun Fort, the former center of the British police in Palestine (then there was no state of Israel yet). In 1967, Israel recaptured the fort from the Jordanians.

The exposition is based on the trophies of the Israeli army captured during the Six-Day War and other conflicts, and armored vehicles that were in service in Israel. Today it is one of the most popular and visited places by tourists, and you need to come here with an Israeli individual guide because there are so many interesting things here that it is impossible to see everything and find out in a day.

Expansion in the open-air museum for children: it is one thing to play with tanks on the computer, and another thing to see everything, touch, and climb onto the tank's tower. Inexpressible pleasure! The center of the exposition is captured tanks infantry fighting vehicles, and Israeli weapons (one of the best in the world). Then, in the course of replenishing the collection, equipment from different countries of the world appeared: British, America, and the Soviets, including the T-34 tank hero of the Great Patriotic War, recognized as one of the best in the world. But simply listing everything that can be seen in Yad HaSharion is a waste of time.

This is not only an exhibition of military power, and not even an exhibition at all. This is a museum of memory. If you look at the museum in this aspect, you will understand the idea of ​​the museum workers, and you can only admire how Israel can keep memories of the past and pay tribute to the dead. Almost all the equipment is located in the open air, and in the fort itself, there is an exposition telling about the feats of tankers in wars, because the tank is not only a killer machine, but also the most dangerous for the crew, and it only seems that the tankers are better protected than the infantry.

Visitors to the museum are greeted by a memorial dedicated to Israel Tal - the man who created the Merkava tank, or rather, being a general, he led a group to create this combat vehicle. His knowledge and ideas about what a tank should be were driven by designers and engineers. Thanks to this man, there is no stronger Israeli army in the Middle East, especially its armored unit.

A little further away, on a pedestal made of huge stones, there are three combat vehicles from the Second World War: American, British, and Soviet. This is a tribute to those who won the most brutal war in the entire history of mankind. And inscriptions in three languages. In the building of the fort, there is an exposition about the War of Independence, the Six-Day War, and the Yom Kippur War. On the outer wall of the fort are the names of all the dead tankers, no titles, no mention of awards. What for? They are all heroes.

And on the big screen on every calendar day, the names of tankers who died or died on that day are shown. And you know what's impressive? There are only two days a year when the screen is blank. The museum hosts events dedicated to patriotic education and the oath of young military men. Here, as nowhere else, they understand that a tank is just a machine, and the people who drive it are priceless. Near the museum, you can also visit Mini Israel, the Monastery of the Silent, and the stalactite caves in Sorek.

VISIT THE TANK MUSEUM IN LATRUN TODAY!