A short film about “international solidarity” between the two countries “against Western imperialism” played as hundreds of schoolchildren and members of the public walked by.
The museum's promotional materials say it runs “patriotic programs and quests” for school groups, and its “Children's Center” is described as “a single space for civic and patriotic education for school students.” On Wednesday, some of them chanted slogans while taking part in patriotic exercises.
“We should not be surprised that there is now open recognition of the role North Korean troops are playing in Russia's attack on Europe, since half-serious denials of this fact ceased some time ago,” said Keir Giles, senior fellow at Chatham House, a London think tank.
“What's even more interesting is the way it's being presented to the Russian public, because a key element of Russia's great power status is that Russia doesn't need help from other countries. It's completely independent and sovereign in the sense that it can manage its own affairs,” he said in a telephone interview Friday.
“So this does indicate a gradual shift, perhaps an attempt to bring about a gradual change in Russia's understanding of its place in the world, where previously presenting an Asian ally as important for Russia to achieve its goals would have been unthinkable,” Giles added.
Last month, South Korea's intelligence agency estimated that about 2,000 North Korean soldiers died in the war.which entered its fourth year in February.
Efforts to end the fighting stalled this week when President Donald Trump confirmed that a second summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin there was no talk of ending the war.
The United States subsequently imposed significant sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, the first economic sanctions imposed by Trump on Moscow during his second term.
The moves were met with anger in Russia, although Putin told reporters on Thursday they “will not have a significant impact on the health of our economy.”
The role of Western countries in the war, including the United States, was exhibited in another gallery of the Victory Museum. Under banners reading “Weapons of the West” were images of American Humvees, a burnt-out Bradley Fighting Vehicle and an M1 Abrams battle tank, as well as other military equipment and British helmets.
These are trophies of a “special military operation” and evidence of the destruction of NATO equipment, according to signs in Russian near the exhibition.
