From the Press Release
Wargaming today unveiled its plans to join with its long-term partner, the Russian Kubinka Tank Museum, to reconstruct and put back in running condition the only remaining Panzer VIII Maus tank.
“Wargaming closely cooperates with military museums around the world,” said Andrei Yarantsau, VP of Publishing at Wargaming. “We are excited to contribute to the Kubinka’s initiative and plan on supporting the museum in future. We’ll help it put together an exclusive collection of armored warfare, assisting it in lifting and reconstruction of legendary military vehicles and enriching its exhibition with renowned machines from private collections from across the world. A unique selection of legendary warfare will attract military enthusiasts from Russia and abroad, sparking interest towards military history and inspiring younger generations to learn more about their country’s past.”
Regarded as the epitome of excellent tank design, the colossal Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus is the heaviest, fully enclosed armored fighting vehicle to see completion during World War II. Weighing 188 tonnes, only two prototypes were ever completed. The sole surviving tank is housed at the Kubinka Museum with an empty hull.
The museum and Wargaming intend to re-build its interior from scratch based on authentic diagrams. Missing parts will be restored in single quantities at a number of tank-building plants, with the entire process supervised by experienced warfare instaurators. The conserved Maus will be stored at the Kubinka Museum so that people from all over the world may come see the renowned vehicle with their own eyes.
Wargaming is involved in a number of socially significant projects that aid in the preservation of historic heritage. The company has launched a global campaign to assist in the search for and conservation of military warfare worldwide, including the support of the Soviet T-34-76 tank restoration in Belarus and the lifting and reconstruction of the KV-1 USSR tank in Voronezh, Russia. Other activities include the recovery of the world’s last remaining Dornier Do 17, now on display at the Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford, United Kingdom, the Wargaming Education Center at the Tank Museum at Bovington, United Kingdom, and the on-going sponsorship of the USS Iowa, docked in the Port of Los Angeles, California.