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| - Until the IWM North my impression of a war museum was based entirely on a childhood experience of visiting the Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow, Russia. Due to the impact of the Second World War and the Nazi invasion on the USSR, the history of war was diligently collected, studied, and taught. There were tanks, planes, and various guns and bazookas, but it was a very different item that remained forever in my memory. It was the flayed skin of a concentration camp prisoner, complete with hairs and fingernails. It was the most outrageous item on display, and as kids we were fascinated, scared, and repulsed by it all at once.
Of course, compared to the above, IWM North is not that exciting. Being an island, Britannia experienced wartime hardships in the way, very different from either France or Russia. This is not to say that the British war efforts and losses in the two world wars were fundamentally different. However, the story of British partaking in wars is often more a story of the armed forces, rather that of civilians, and let's face it, we're forever more interested in people like ourselves.
IWM North hosted several important exhibitions over the last few years. They collaborated with the RIA-Novosti archive in London to bring to Manchester a selection of Soviet photographs; they commemorated the Air Forces in Against All Odds exhibition; they tackled the problem of prisoners of war; and they regularly have photo exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, and themed weekends.
The collection and all the exhibitions you may attend can overwhelm you, and to relax there is a cafe overlooking The Lowry and Salford Quays. They serve very decent food and drinks, including wine.
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