Paris taxi, Soviet fighters, Russian bayonets and soldier's album "Through the seas and oceans to France". Russian Ambassador to France Silvia Bermann visited the Upper Pyshmin museum of military equipment of UMMC, which is one of the top ten world museums of history.

"In our museum of military equipment, we chose three base points that the Ambassador would like to show. They have a direct relationship to world history, the relationship between Russia and France, as well as military issues, "the deputy director of the UMMC museum Kirill Yakimov met the delegation.

Excursion for Sylvia Bermann began with a story about the Yak-3 plane. This is a Soviet fighter, which was in service with the Air Force in 1944. It was they who were staffed with the legendary squadron "Normandy - Niemen". They were French volunteer crews, consisting of fighter pilots and technical specialists.

Kirill Yakimov said that before the ambassador now is not a mock-up of an airplane, but a real Yak-3, assembled by Soviet designers. He almost repeats the coloring of the Normandy-Neman fighter aircraft.

"The only thing that is different is the color of the screw. The French made three blades of it with the colors of the national flag: blue, white and red ". Also on the fuselage was drawn an arrow, "- he explained..

Sylvia Bermann found this exhibit very touching.

"It was very exciting to look at the aircraft that brought the pilots of the squadron" Normandy - Niemen ". You know that it was created by the decision of General Charles de Gaulle, "said the ambassador.

After a sightseeing tour through the first floor, the delegation was led to the second floor, where military vehicles. True, there is also a very unusual exhibit - a French taxi. It was she who conquered the heart of Sylvia Bermann. The ambassador even got behind the wheel.

"This famous Marne taxi. In 1905 it was produced in France. Strangely enough, this passenger car became a participant of the First World War. The Germans began a swift attack on Paris. Bloody battles were fought on the river Marne. When the French were sorely lacking in strength, taxi drivers came to the rescue. By order of the commandant, they were engaged in the transfer of troops. In each such car was placed up to 5 people, not counting drivers. Having completed two flights, they managed to transport about 6,000 soldiers per day, from September 7 to September 8, 1914, "said Kirill Yakimov.

The Ambassador liked this car and its history so much that she returned to the taxi at the end of the excursion.

"I was very lucky that I got into this wonderful museum. As ambassador of France, I am impressed, because part of the exhibition concerns the history of my native country. All this is a symbol of a long-standing Russo-French friendship and cooperation, because we were allies during the First and Second World Warriors, "she shared her impressions..

The third floor of the museum is dedicated to small exhibits. Here are collections of historical uniforms, awards, banners and small arms. Sylvia Bermann showed the last exhibits that were brought to the Urals from an archaeological expedition. Excavations were carried out in August 2017 at Rheims on the hill of Mont-Sapen, where during the First World War, fighters of the Russian Expeditionary Force.

In a soldier's uniform the Frenchwoman was met by the scientific employee of the museum of military equipment of the UMMC Nikita Krutokov. He showed the delegation French buttons of different eras, bullets, a two-liter soldier's jar.

"There is also a steel cauldron of the Russian army. They were supplied with soldiers who were sent to serve in the west. On the eastern front the boilers were copper or brass. We also found a bayonet for a French rifle, which was armed with an expeditionary corps. He has no tide, "he shared..

Silvia Bermann looked at the unique exhibit of the museum - the album of the soldier of the first special regiment "Through the seas and oceans to France".

Over 10 years in the collection of the museum of military equipment UMMC collected more than 250 units of military equipment, unique collections of domestic awards, military regalia, models of cold and firearms. In November 2015, the museum was commemorated by the Russian Military Historical Society "The Best Museum of Military History", and in October 2016 became the winner of the Government of the Russian Federation prize in the field of tourism.

PHOTO-REPORT from the UMMC museum - here.