Kids love a theme park – and for parents willing to queue up for hours to get on rollercoasters, it can be a great way to tire out the children on a family day out.
But while kids in the UK pester their mums and dads to take them to Thorpe Park or Alton Towers, Russian children can spend the day climbing over army tanks.
Dubbed Putin’s ‘military Disneyland,’ Russia’s Patriot Park opened to the public in 2015, offering kids the chance to fire grenades and learn more about the country’s military history.
The park, based in Kubinka an hour outside of Moscow, was launched shortly after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, when tensions between Russia and Ukraine first began to ramp up.
According to CNN, the park – which is rated 4/5 stars on TripAdvisor – is often packed full of families, many of whom wear T-shirts imprinted with Vladimir Putin’s face.
On a trip to the park, the news outlet reported a father had taken his son to look at the weaponry on display – and said: “Russia is unbeatable.”
Just like in Western theme parks, gift shops are dotted around the “military Disneyland” – but instead of selling memorabilia from beloved children’s TV shows, kids can pick up camouflage jackets to look like soldiers.
They can also pick up fridge magnets of the faces of Soviet figures, including Joseph Stalin.
And there are plenty of pit stops where families can sit down to have lunch too – but instead of burgers and chips, military rations are on the menu.
CNN reported: “For the price of a wait, you can get a dollop of buckwheat porridge.”
However, those who don’t want to chow down on bland army grub, there are also a few kebab stalls around the park.
Patriot Park also puts on shows for children and parents alike to enjoy, including air force choirs and dance troupes dressed as Russian soldiers.
Perhaps the park’s biggest draw is its grand display of weaponry, including tanks, grenades and missile launchers.
While kids can use multi-million dollar tanks as climbing frames, the pushier parents can get their kids to learn how to use grenade launchers.
The park even contains a shooting range where people can practice firing bullets from Kalashnikov assault rifles – but this privilege is only extended to visitors who are Russian nationals.
The equipment on display includes tanks dating back to the WWII era, as well as the newest, most modern weaponry.
Since it opened, the park is reported to have hosted an annual military expo, where the latest cutting-edge weapons and technology are shown off to potential buyers.
The Guardian reports that during an army conference in 2015, marquees were set up to showcase “secure fingerprinting equipment to armoured riot control vehicles and police watchtowers.”
It’s thought the park was launched at a time when patriotic rhetoric in Russia was at a high – to encourage younger generations to support the Russian army.
The newspaper reports former KGB head Vladimir Kryuchkov was at the opening of the park to demonstrate the computerised training system for rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
He said: “All males of all ages are defenders of the motherland and they must be ready for war, whether war comes or not.”