Authorities in Russia’s Kursk region have proposed the establishment of a museum in Sudzha dedicated to the “Ukrainian occupation” of the city, which has been under Kyiv’s control for seven months since August 2024.

The initiative, led by acting Deputy Governor Alexander Chepik, envisions a historical exhibition once Russian forces reclaim the area. Chepik compared the situation in Sudzha to the Battle of Stalingrad, the pivotal Second World War battle that reversed German advances and expelled Axis forces from the Caucasus.

Sudzha, a small town with a pre-war population of just over 5,000, has sustained significant damage during the Ukrainian occupation. 

“Sudzha is our Stalingrad; we must establish our own museum there,” Chepik said during a meeting broadcast online. “As soon as it is liberated, our museum specialists, together with the military, should go there and prepare proposals for the creation of this museum.”

The proposal has gained support from acting Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein, who stressed the importance of documenting and preserving events in “some kind of visual material.”

Ukraine launched its offensive in the Kursk region on August 6, 2024, catching Russian armed forces and border guards by surprise. Within a week, Ukrainian forces had seized approximately 1,000 square km and established a military administration over the occupied territory. However, by early October, the offensive had stalled, and Russian forces began reclaiming ground. By November, Russia had recaptured around half of the territory. As of early March 2025, less than 300 sq km remains under Kyiv’s control.

At the same meeting, Chepik reported that since August 2024, the Ukrainian advance in Kursk had displaced more than 152,000 residents.

The proposal for a Sudzha museum comes as Russian forces intensify military operations in the region. Since March, Russian and Ukrainian media have reported successful offensives by Russian forces. During a recent operation, Russian paratroopers reportedly used a decommissioned gas pipeline to bypass Ukrainian positions. The latest Russian push has been accompanied by intensified strikes across Ukraine, fuelling concerns that the withdrawal of US intelligence assistance has left Ukrainian forces vulnerable.