During 2000s, while creating new exhibitions the Museum workers deepened further into different problems and processes, which broke previous stereotypes and filled gradually white spots of the history of the Second World War and enriching its thematic in national and in general humanitarian aspects as well. However, in that times thematic of the combat operations and destinies of the Ukrainians in rows of the Red Army prevailed yet.
In order to highlight significance of the human factor in the whirlpool of war was cited the fact that just 3% of those who started to fight in 1941 remained in army by 1945, due to different reasons. Around this fact even a small chapter of the Museum exhibition was built.
In 2004, the Museum collection was replenished with a curious exhibit – an army jacket, equipped with a system of prosthesis with holders for the writing materials. Previously jacket belonged to the Red Army artillery officer Vasyl Petrov, His personality represented that-time vision of the Second World War.
Vasyl Petrov was born in 1922 in the Melitopol region. After graduation from the school, he was drafted to the Red Army. After finishing the compulsory military service he decided to remain in army and became a regular military. Beginning of the German-Soviet War Vasyl Petrov met on the position of the 92nd Independent Artillery Division battery commander. In September 1941, he along with thousands of other Red Army soldiers got into the “Kyiv encirclement” but managed to run away. During further two years, he participated in operations in Voronezh and Briansk fronts. In September 1943, fought in Kyiv region again, and this time he barely survived. While combats on the Bukryn bridgehead, southwest to Kyiv, he was seriously wounded in his arms and until late 1944 underwent treatment in different hospitals. Doctors could not save his hands. However, the artillery officer get used to his new life and after numerous insistences returned to the military service in December 1944. Until the end of the War he held the position of the deputy commander of the Anti-tank Artillery Regiment. Vasyl Petrov was twice awarded as the Hero of the Soviet union for his participation in operations of the crossing of the river of Dnipro and actions on the territory of Germany.
After the War, he remained in army, created his memoirs. Since 1991, he continued military service in Ukrainian armed forces as Colonel-General, Deputi commander of the missile forces and artillery. In 1994 in accordance of the Order of the President of Ukraine he stayed in the armed forces for life.