KUBINKA, Russia -- Exuberant children crawl over tanks and play with grenade launchers. Fighter jets and helicopters buzz overhead. Lunch in the canteen consists of army rations. Souvenirs are face masks, ballistic helmets and bomber jackets adorned with the word "Victory."
This is Patriot Park -- a sort of 'military Disneyland' an hour's drive from Moscow in the town of Kubinka, where there is fun for the whole warmongering family.
Russian President Vladimir Putin officially opened the theme park to great fanfare on Tuesday, with appearances by a military choir and robot-dancing special forces unit. He called the new attraction "an important element in our system of military-patriotic work with young people."
Putin also used the opportunity to announce that 40 new ballistic missiles would be added to Russia's nuclear arsenal this year.
The park comes amid a time of heightened patriotism and militarism following Russia's annexation of Crimea last year and the ensuing confrontation with the West -- the worst between the two since the Cold War.
Mashable photojournalist Evgeny Feldman visited Patriot Park on Friday, and captured the following images:
[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FEV_5792.jpg" caption="Onlookers welcome the arrival of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin (left), Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (center) and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (right) at the International Military-Technical Forum "ARMY-2015,", also known as Patriot Park." credit="Evgeny Feldman, Mashable" alt="Russia, military, Patriot Park"]
[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FEV_5740.jpg" caption="Visitors pose for photographs with the Russian Army's so-called "polite people" at Patriot Park. The nickname stems from the annexation of Crimea, when Russia denied its solders were on the ground, instead saying they were merely "polite" volunteers." credit="Evgeny Feldman, Mashable" alt="Russia, military, Patriot Park"]
[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FEV_5600.jpg" caption="Jet fighter aerobatics team Russian Knights perform at the International military-technical forum "Army 2015."" credit="Evgeny Feldman, Mashable" alt="Russia, military, Patriot Park"]
[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FEV_5608.jpg" caption="Visitors watch the Russian aerobatics team The Swifts perform at an army field during the International military-technical forum "Army 2015" at Patriot Park." credit="Evgeny Feldman, Mashable" alt="Russia, military, Patriot Park"]
[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FEV_5582.jpg" caption="Dancers perform alongside T-80 heavy tanks and MI-28 military helicopters during a "tank ballet" at Patriot Park." credit="Evgeny Feldman, Mashable" alt="Russia, military, Patriot Park"]
