Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum - A historical landmark in the revolutionary land.
As one of the three earliest museums established in the Vietnamese museum system, for over 60 years, the Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum has become a familiar destination for visitors from all over the world, serving as an educational tool to preserve the tradition of "leading the way" of Nghe An province during the 1930-1931 uprising, contributing to the enhancement of the heroic image of the homeland of our beloved President Ho Chi Minh.
Connecting the patriotic power source
To ensure that the flame of the Soviet-Nghe Tinh revolution always burns brightly in the hearts of every citizen of Nghe An province, spreading strongly to compatriots nationwide and international friends, on January 15, 1960, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Culture issued Decision No. 106 - QD/VH on the establishment of the Soviet-Nghe Tinh Museum under the direct leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and the People's Committee of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. This is considered a significant historical site commemorating the contributions of the Soviet-Nghe Tinh revolution.Soviet soldiers of Nghe TinhThey sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland; honoring the cultural heritage values of Soviet Nghe Tinh; and serving the task of educating about revolutionary traditions.
Immediately after the decision to establish it was made,Soviet Museum of Nghe TinhIn coordination with the Nghe An Department of Culture, they called on the people and students to collect artifacts to build the exhibition house. In a short time, a considerable number of artifacts were mobilized for the exhibition. After 3 years of construction and preparation, on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the Nghe Tinh Soviet (September 12, 1963), the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum was officially inaugurated and opened to welcome visitors for research, commemoration, etc.
In its early days, although the number of documents and artifacts was limited, and the art and methods of display were restricted, the presence of the Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum fulfilled the earnest aspirations of the people of the whole country in general and the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh in particular, making a worthy contribution to the resistance war against the US to save the country.
On the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the founding of the Party (February 3, 1964), President Ho Chi Minh respectfully signed the "Preface" for the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum. This speaks to the great historical significance of the Nghe Tinh Soviet and the important role of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum in preserving and promoting the values of the Nghe Tinh Soviet, contributing to the effective political and ideological education of the people, especially the younger generation.
Subsequently, on May 19, 1964, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong visited and planted a commemorative tree at the Museum. Since then, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum has had the honor of welcoming many leaders of the Party and State, central ministries and agencies, friendly provinces, our people, and friends from around the world to visit, tour, research, and study.
In 1965, as the US imperialists expanded their bombing campaign against North Vietnam, Vinh city became a focal point of enemy attacks. The Soviet-Nghe Tinh Museum closed its exhibition halls, evacuated, and transitioned to wartime service.
In a short period of time, three single-story houses were built for exhibition purposes in Kim Lien village (Nam Dan district). The exhibits were designed to suit wartime conditions. Despite the hardships of war, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum still provided attentive service to visitors.
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In addition to on-site exhibitions, the Museum has developed a mobile exhibition with compact images, bringing them to serve agencies, enterprises, and trenches serving military units and youth volunteers on air defense battlefields; and serving Party Congresses and Youth Union Congresses at all levels, such as in Ky Anh and Huong Son districts (Ha Tinh province)...
Many military units and youth volunteers, before setting off to support the front lines or marching through this region, would visit the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum to draw strength from the traditions of their forefathers, transforming determination into power and achieving many victories in the fight against the enemy. Despite the fierce war with the American imperialists, international delegations still visited the Museum, which was a great source of encouragement for the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum.
On May 18, 1971, a delegation from the Soviet Navy visited the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum and recorded their impressions: "We greatly admire you. With a newly formed self-defense force, armed only with rudimentary weapons, sticks, and spears, the Vietnamese proletariat overthrew the French imperialist government in 1930-1931. Certainly, in this resistance war against the US for national salvation, victory will belong to you."
On April 15, 1974, a delegation of Lao Party and State leaders wrote: “After visiting the Soviet Museum, we see that the Communist Party of Vietnam, from its inception to the present day, truly deserves to be called a heroic party, a model party, a glorious party. We are honored to stand alongside you.”
After the country was reunified in 1975, along with the rest of the nation, the people of Vinh City healed the wounds of war and rebuilt the country. In 1980, the Soviet-Nghe Tinh Museum returned to Vinh City, continuing its work. The museum's exhibition building now only has the ground floor remaining; the upper floor was hit by American bombs, and the courtyard is overgrown with weeds. Besides cleaning up and repairing the damage from the war, museum staff, along with scientists from the central and local levels, are developing a new exhibition plan suitable to the economic conditions at the time.
In 1980, after returning to Vinh City, in addition to cleaning up and repairing the aftermath of the war and restoring the exhibition hall, the staff of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, along with scientists from the central and local levels, began developing a new exhibition plan. Despite difficult economic conditions and limited exhibition methods, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum now had a 2-hectare campus and 10 exhibition rooms totaling 600 square meters, sufficient to showcase the heroic fighting spirit of the people of Nghe Tinh in 1930-1931.
In 1985, to improve exhibition science to meet the public's awareness requirements, the Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee organized a scientific seminar on "Exhibition work at the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum"; the museum's content was revised and exhibition methods improved to attract more visitors.
On November 11, 1987, the Ministry of Culture and Information issued Decision No. 204-VH/QD, transforming the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum into a branch of the Vietnam Revolutionary Museum. By 1995, with funding from the central government, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum underwent a complete renovation of its interior and exterior. The exhibition hall was improved, the surrounding corridors were expanded, the rooms were ventilated, and the roofs were replaced to prevent mold and mildew on the artifacts. The exhibition content and methods were modernized with sound effects and engaging display techniques.
From 2005 to the present, with the attention and investment of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum has built the "Memorial Monument to Patriotic and Revolutionary Fighters Imprisoned at Vinh Prison"; and added thematic exhibition rooms on "Vinh Prison 1930-1945", "The Life and Revolutionary Career of VI Lenin", and "The Life and Career of President Kaysone Phomvihane and the Vietnam-Laos Friendship".
Unique features of the Vietnamese museum system
The Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum is a historical memorial museum, one of the three earliest museums established in the Vietnamese museum system. Notably, it is the only museum whose preface was signed by President Ho Chi Minh on February 3, 1964. This speaks to the great historical significance of the Nghe Tinh Soviet and the important position and role of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum in the overall development of culture, and in the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of Nghe An province.
Over 60 years of construction, development, and growth, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum has collected and preserved more than 16,000 valuable artifacts and documents about the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement of 1930-1931; served tens of millions of visitors; inventoried 250 historical sites; compiled dossiers for 47 national-level historical sites; successfully organized numerous seminars, workshops, and scientific research projects at various levels; flexibly conducted propaganda activities to bring the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement to a wide audience throughout the country and abroad; and constantly innovated its exhibitions to attract visitors.
In particular, for decades, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum has been a place of faith for countless families of those who contributed to the revolution and sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. Over time, most of the Party members of 1930-1931 or the Nghe Tinh Soviet fighters have passed away, and historical evidence of their revolutionary activities has also disappeared. Therefore, thanks to the museum's efforts in accessing records and documents about comrades who participated in revolutionary activities and were imprisoned by the enemy during the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, currently stored at the Security Records Department of the Ministry of Public Security, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum has brought joy and happiness, contributing to changing the lives of thousands of families who contributed to the revolution. This is one of the most meaningful and practical activities, and also a source of pride for the museum, as it has contributed to the work of showing gratitude and repaying kindness, which the Party and State are increasingly promoting and expanding.
Valuable artifacts are stored and displayed at the Soviet Museum of Nghe An. Photos: Duc Anh - Cong Kien - Thanh Quynh.
The Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum is not only a learning environment for studying history but also a spiritual tourist destination, featuring the "Memorial House for Soviet Nghe Tinh Martyrs" within its grounds. Located on a part of the former Vinh Prison, the Memorial House is a sacred place of worship for nearly 2,000 Soviet Nghe Tinh martyrs. Visiting the museum, respectfully offering fresh flowers before the altar of the martyrs, and silently gazing at the memorial plaques commemorating the outstanding sons and daughters who fell for the green of their homeland at a very young age will bring unforgettable emotions to every visitor. This is also one of the unique and outstanding features of the Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum.
In addition to welcoming visitors, participating in seminars and thematic discussions, meeting and interacting with historical witnesses, and learning history through permanent exhibitions, the Museum also focuses on bringing its exhibition content to the public by building compact mobile exhibitions, starting from the idea of promoting existing images and artifacts at the museum. Based on the practical needs of visitors and suggestions from history teachers, the Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum has integrated the addition of exhibits, closely following the content of textbooks to build mobile exhibitions at schools as part of the plan to "bring Soviet Nghe Tinh education into schools," which is always eagerly awaited by teachers and students.
Visitors from within and outside the province, as well as younger generations, visit the Soviet-Nghe Tinh Museum. Photo: Soviet-Nghe Tinh Museum - Thanh Quynh
The museum's professional activities have become increasingly in-depth and high-quality, organizing numerous scientific conferences and seminars commemorating prominent figures in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement; developing research projects at the ministerial, institute, and agency levels; and publishing many publications about revolutionary figures, memoirs, and conference proceedings to support exhibitions and research. The museum has now collected nearly 6,000 files and portraits of individuals who participated in the revolutionary movement and were imprisoned by the French colonialists in various prisons from 1930 to 1945.
Changes in the format of professional activities and the quality of exhibitions with modern methods have attracted an increasing number of visitors to the Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum, with a wider range of subjects. Annually, the museum welcomes over 50,000 visitors for on-site visits and mobile exhibitions at festivals throughout the province.
The unit has also been proactive, creative, and innovative in its activities to promote and educate about the revolutionary traditions of the Party in 1930-1931, such as organizing cultural exchanges, meetings with historical witnesses, traditional talks, history quizzes... with students and young people in the localities; or coordinating with newspapers and television stations to introduce a glorious period of struggle of the people of Nghe Tinh.
Over more than 60 years of operation, the staff of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum has grown increasingly mature. Along with its unique and distinctive features, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum is a destination that meets all the needs of domestic and international visitors, contributing to the deep penetration and strong dissemination of the Nghe Tinh Soviet heritage in the hearts of tourists visiting this heroic Soviet homeland.
After many efforts, the collective and individuals of the Soviet-Nghe Tinh Museum have been awarded 2 Third-Class Labor Orders, 1 Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister, and numerous Certificates of Merit from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the People's Committee of Nghe An province, etc.
