Friday 26 May 2023

Russian tank temporarily moved from Freedom Museum to Leidseplein in Amsterdam

The 44 ton destroyed Russian T-72B tank will be on display in Amsterdam starting the 25th of May. This initiative was started by Cultureel Centrum De Balie, as a part of Forum on European Culture (https://debalie.nl/exhibition-...). Up until a few days ago, this tank could be seen next to the Freedom Museum in Groesbeek. It will return there on June 5th, 2023.

The tank was captured by Ukrainian forces in March of 2022. The tank was heavily damaged when it ran into a French mine in Kyiv during a Russian attack. It was displayed in front of the Russian embassy in Berlin in late February 2023, as a form of protest against Russian aggression in Ukraine. The protest in Germany was organised by Enno Lenze, journalist and director of the Berlin Story Bunker Museum. He worked closely with the person behind the initiative in the Netherlands, Gerard Boink (former air force officer and chairman of the Oost Gelre Veterans’ Committee) and Wiel Lenders (Freedom Museum director) to enable this protest and awareness campaign in Germany and the Netherlands respectively.

This (clip) shows the tank being hoisted up at the Groesbeek Freedom Museum.