In 2003 a group of people on what is described as a "Relic Find" with metal detectors scanned a known WWII battlefield in Pskov, Russia, they scanned all the bogs and marshes of the surrounding area and one day they had a big signal on their metal detectors.  A man in a wetsuit burrowed into the bog and sure enough there was a tank in there.

It is estimated that there are many 100's of  Russian and German WWII Tanks, Vehicles and Field Guns buried in the Russian swampland wilderness, relics from WWII.  Some were deliberately dumped others just sank under their own weight, more often then not, the tank crews managed to get out alive.  These relics are not classed as war graves.

" Yep ! There's a tank down there boys ! "

Steel cables are attached to the tank and several trucks haul the Russian T34-76 out of the bog, where she has rested since 1944. The T34-76 is in remarkable condition, preserved in the freshwater bog, covered in silt, almost pickled in it to last 59 years down there.

The T34-76 Tank is slowly dragged out of the swamp and again she sees daylight for the first time in 59 years, as in my previous page about the other T-34 salvaged from the swamps this tank too is all intact with no structural damage.

The tank is finally dragged clear, she is then hosed down to rid the hull from 59 years worth of mud and silt.  The local Police and army are notified and all of the tanks munitions are recovered and disposed of safely, usually unstable ordnance is blown up...far away.

The Restoration.

A full service please and do check the oil ! The Tank is taken to a suitable facility where it is completely stripped down to its shell.  The engine is also removed ready to be rebuilt. The rear steel armour plates are taken off to give maximum access to the tanks interior.

It is interesting to note here that a name has been engraved into the side of the tanks turret, probably by the original owners. The word says "Sniper", most tank crews from around the world in past wars and present give their tanks a personal name.  After the T34-76 has had all its paint removed it will be primed and resprayed in an original WWII Soviet Army Green colour.

Below: The tank as she is today, sitting in the Kubinka Tank museum in Russia. Here she can be viewed and photographed by visitors to the museum. The museum also hire out a T-34-76 tank for rides at $550. Capitalism at its best ! 

All tanks salvaged in Russia and all and any tanks restored to working order automatically belong to the state, but I would add that everyone has a price! If your a multi-millioniare reading this web, you could probably buy one. They are  usually confined to a museum, the biggest Tank museum in Russia is the one situated in Kubinka.

It is true to say here that all of the Tanks in the museums around Russia would be called into service to defend the country in times of war. The Russian Government doesn't  care how old or antiquated they are its just a case of having an extra number of tanks "for the use of". 

There are several thousand tanks in Russian museums. The same also applies to small arms relics and even medi-evil weaponry.