17. International Miniature Festival “World in Miniature” in the Park of Military History

On Saturday, 24 May, the Park of Military History hosted the 17. International Miniature Festival World in Miniature, a traditional gathering of model makers and scale modellers organised by the association Svet v malem (The world in miniature). The event was held at the Park for the fourth consecutive year and once again attracted numerous participants from both Slovenia and abroad.

A total of 146 competitors entered the contest, presenting 487 models across various categories. Among them were 35 young modellers who competed in junior categories featuring aircraft, ships, and vehicles.

The festival had a distinctly international character, with participants arriving from Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Czech Republic. Alongside traditional military vehicle, ship, and diorama models, visitors could also admire remote-controlled aircraft models, fantasy creations, and racing track dioramas.

The exhibition drew a large audience, who enthusiastically explored the highly detailed and skillfully crafted models on display. The event was further enriched by creative workshops led by the Back to Basics Society, where young participants had the opportunity to build their own tank scale models and learn about advanced modelling techniques.

In parallel with the competition, a model fair was held, offering a wide selection of kits from various manufacturers, military and modelling literature, and a presentation of the activities of the Svet v malem Association. The event also featured a presentation by the reenactment society DTI – Society for Tactical Games, together with the reenactment unit Regiment, which showcased the equipment of the Partisans and the Yugoslav People’s Army at two dedicated exhibition stands.

The event was further enhanced by the participation of the 45th Armoured Battalion of the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Slovenian Armed Forces Recruitment Unit from Postojna. In addition, a selection of operational armoured vehicles from the Park’s collection and the Slovenian Armed Forces Museum were showcased in live demonstration runs on the museum’s driving range.

On the day of the festival, the Park of Military History received two significant donations. Mr Maurizio Bressan generously donated two original Royal Air Force flight suits—complete kits representing pilots of the British Harrier and Tornado aircraft. These valuable additions will significantly enrich the museum’s collection, and we extend our sincere gratitude to Mr Bressan, who has contributed several items to the Park in the past.

The second donation came from Mr Iztok Kočevar, a former tank crewman and expert in armoured military technology, currently active at the model-making company Triglav Models. He donated a detailed scale model of the T-55 tank, which will be a valuable enhancement to the museum’s display.