Penza, 1 May 2017. PenzaNews. Several hundreds of people of different age came to the station Penza I in order to visit the exposition of the train-museum "Army of Victory 2017" on Monday, May 1.

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Waiting for the train arrival, everyone could eat porridge and have a tea prepared on a field kitchen as well as to examine several stands. Thus, visitors could see photographs taken during war years, hold for some time findings of the movement "Poisk-Vezdekhod" or get acquainted with weapons provided by the regional department of the Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet of the Russian Federation.

In addition, there was a station of military service selection located on the platform where everyone could find out more about offers and get advice.

The arriving train was met by shouts and applause of the audience that raised a banner with the inscription "Participants of the train 'Army of Victory' are welcomed! Hurrah!". A chain of soldiers did not let the audience approach the edge of the platform in order to prevent accidents. The meeting was accompanied by music performed by a brass band.

When the train stopped, the crew of the train in a matter of minutes prepared the exposition, which included an indoor museum, a stage ground and several platforms with different machinery – tanks, armored personal carrier and artillery cannons – both modern and of war years.

Then, residents of the city including veterans, listened to the speech of the Penza region governor Ivan Belozertsev who said that it was a great honour that Penza had become the first stop on the train's route.

"We will do everything that is possible not to let war return to the Russian land. In order to do this, we must develop economy and become a strong power," he said.

Notes of thanks for active participation in the preparation of the event were awarded to veterans of the Great Patriotic War Alexander Balakshin, Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev, Fedor Stepanov, Valentin Malyshev, and to current military personnel.

In turn, the Penza mayor Victor Kuvaytsev added that Russian citizens do not forget about heroism demonstrated by people during the Great Patriotic War.

"The fact that many city residents and representatives of the youth came here today confirms that we are on the right way and that such campaigns are necessary for us, for young people, and for our future," he explained.

Victor Kuvaytsev thanked veterans for their feats and for the work they have been conducting with young people up to the present day.

When the official part was over, the concert team of the train and the ensemble of folk singing and dancing of the central military region presented their programme and everyone could examine the exposition.

After the two-hour stop, the train left Penza for Samara. It will also make stops in Ufa, Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk, and Ekaterinburg. The second train "Army of Victory 2017" will go through Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Taiga, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tyumen, and Ekaterinburg.