In the course of implementing the project in the Museum of Archaeology and History in Elblag (Poland), the historic East Building on the castle grounds and the courtyard were renovated. The Russian museum „Friedland Gate” in Kaliningrad carried out the most urgent renovation works and commissioned an expert assessment of the adjacent stronghold, which will form the basis for further modernisation of the grounds and renovation of the historic buildings.

The renovated buildings can now boast new exhibitions – two in each museum – and modern equipment. The twin modern holographic presentation systems, where visitors can watch the film „Stories over the borders”, presenting the common elements in the history of Elblag and Kaliningrad, deserve special attention. It is a unique way of presenting history with advanced technology, not used in European museums before. Thanks to the cooperation between the museums, a tourist guide about the attractions of Elblag and Kaliningrad was published. The publication is available free of charge for visitors and residents of both cities. It is aimed at encouraging them to visit the neighbouring city. The strategy, developed in the framework of the project, sets out the direction of the development of the museums in the future. The joint educational programme that was also elaborated within the project helps children and teenagers from both cities to learn about the history and attractions of the entire cross-border area. The funding from the European Union made it possible to transform local museums into attractive places for tourists from outside of the region, and they now have many visitors both from Poland and Russia.

„(…) Both museums, modernised within the project, have experienced a significant increase in the number of visitors. We also notice many people, who come to see the new exhibitions again together with their families and friends. The enthusiastic entries in the book of visitors and positive reviews on the tripadvisor.com website testify to high satisfaction with the outcomes of the project. Once, a girl of about seven started to cry while watching the holographic film „Stories over the borders”. She said it was because she was sorry they destroyed such a beautiful city. Such an emotional reaction from a child showed us that history, when presented appropriately, can be both engaging and, more importantly, understandable even for children. We gained not only attractive tourist infrastructure, but also considerable knowledge and experience which we will be able to use in realising similar projects in the future. We especially value the experience, gained in cooperation with our partner, and the friendship formed over more than two years of working together. The project allowed us to buy two holographic presentation systems for presenting a film on the common elements in the history of the cross border area. One of the systems was installed in Elblag, and the other one had to be transported to the „Friedland Gate” museum in Kaliningrad. The procedures connected with transporting the equipment to Russia were very complicated and time-consuming, and we think completing them was a small success. (…)”

Agnieszka Slawinska, Project Coordinator, Museum of Archaeology and History in Elblag

Beneficiary:  Museum of Archaeology and History in Elblag (Poland)

Partner: Museum „Friedland Gate” (Russia)

Project budget: € 3 888 888,89

Project website: www.mob.elblag.pl