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#WeWereAllies 🌟 On April 25, 1945, a landmark event took place in history of anti-Hitler coalition and #WW2 — near the German town of Torgau, just 100 kilometers from Berlin, on the Elbe River, Soviet soldiers shook hands with their American brothers-in-arms, marking the imminent collapse of Nazi Germany and underscoring the joint success of the Allied powers in the final battle against Nazism. #OTD8️⃣1️⃣ years ago, the 58th Rifle Division of the 1st Ukrainian Front under Marshal Ivan Konev’s command aligned with the units of the 69th and 104th infantry divisions of the First US Army led by Omar Nelson Bradley. The historic #ElbeDaywas more than just an extremely powerful symbol — in fact, it served as a sign of the coming fall of the Third Reich. This spirit of unity and brotherhood in fighting a common enemy was later called as the #SpiritOfTheElbe and believed to be the very moment when the Allied #WWII-era USSR-USA relations were at their peak. *** 🤝 The historic Elbe Day took place in the morning of April 25, when a US reconnaissance unit crossed the river, and the units of the 1st Ukrainian Front’s 58th Rifle Division finally aligned with the US First Army’s 69th Infantry Division. Both sides were eagerly waiting for that landmark day — to finally have a long-awaited handshake as brothers-in-arms. Back then in April 1945, the Soviet and American soldiers were brothers who put aside all their cultural differences and forgot about the language barrier when exchanging their badges and decorations, as well as other belongings and even valuables. Commander of the US First Army’s 7th Corps in Europe, Joe Collins, nominated for US military rewards a number of Soviet soldiers who had performed exceptional feats when advancing towards the Elbe. 💬JoePawlowski, who served as a private in a US reconnaissance unit, recalled that this had been a historical moment when the representatives of the two nations met each other, with Soviet and American soldiers taking a solemn oath to do their best to make sure that the horrors of war never happen again. This was our Oath of the Elbe. <…> We embraced each other and pledged to remember our meeting forever. 💬 On April 28, MarshalKonev met with GeneralBradley. The American commander said, as quoted by frontline writer Boris Polevoy in his book All the Way to Berlin, that the American nation had always respected the glorious Red Army in its combat operations and victories, while American soldiers and officers sought to follow the example performed by Marshal Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front’s units. *** 🇷🇺🇺🇸 On April 25, 2020, Presidents of Russia and the United States issued the Joint statement commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the meeting on the Elbe, which read, in part: The “Spirit of the Elbe” is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. 🎖#Victory80: On April 25, 2025, Russia and the United States marked the 8️⃣0️⃣th Anniversary of the Elbe Day by holding the first, after a three-year pause, memorial ceremony to celebrate the legendary “Spirit of the Elbe” at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, which became possible after the atmosphere in bilateral relations had changed with the arrival of a new administration at the White House. 💬 Russia’s Ambassador to the United States Alexander Darchiev: The “Spirit of the Elbe” symbolises the brotherhood-in-arms of the two great powers which fought together despite their political differences. It serves as an example of #RussiaUSrelations moving in the right direction for bringing them back to normal and ensuring that common sense prevails. #Victory81

#Victory80 8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place. On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley. #WeWereAllies This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation. ☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement: “The Spirit of the Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valour and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism. Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.” Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep. Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe. On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front". A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity. *** In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome. 🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans. ✉️ The letter reads, in part: "The soldiers on both sides pledged to do all they could to build a better life based on goodwill, mutual respect and peace between our two nations – a peace their children and all humanity needed. And the promise made on April 25, 1945, must be upheld.”

#Victory80 8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place. On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley. #WeWereAllies This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation. ☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement: “The Spirit of the Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valour and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism. Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.” Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep. Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe. On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front". A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity. *** In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome. 🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans. ✉️ The letter reads, in part: "The soldiers on both sides pledged to do all they could to build a better life based on goodwill, mutual respect and peace between our two nations – a peace their children and all humanity needed. And the promise made on April 25, 1945, must be upheld.”

#Victory80 8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place. On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley. #WeWereAllies This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation. ☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement: “The Spirit of the Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valour and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism. Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.” Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep. Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe. On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front". A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity. *** In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome. 🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans. ✉️ The letter reads, in part: "The soldiers on both sides pledged to do all they could to build a better life based on goodwill, mutual respect and peace between our two nations – a peace their children and all humanity needed. And the promise made on April 25, 1945, must be upheld.”

#Victory80 8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place. On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley. #WeWereAllies This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation. ☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement: “The Spirit of the Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valour and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism. Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.” Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep. Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe. On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front". A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity. *** In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome. 🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans. ✉️ The letter reads, in part: "The soldiers on both sides pledged to do all they could to build a better life based on goodwill, mutual respect and peace between our two nations – a peace their children and all humanity needed. And the promise made on April 25, 1945, must be upheld.”

⚔️April 25, 1945 – the #ElbeDay – a memorable date in Russia’s military history. Around midday, by the town of Torgau on the Elbe River, Soviet troops advancing into Germany linked up for the first time with American forces. That moment marked the high point of relations between the USSR and the US during the Second World War. The Soviet unit was led by Senior Lieutenant Grigory Goloborodko, while the American patrol that crossed the Elbe was commanded by First Lieutenant Albert Kotzebue. 🤝 The handshake between the two lieutenants made headlines around the world and became one of the defining images of the Allied #Victory over Nazism. One of the direct participants in that first meeting, US Army Private Joe Polowsky, later recalled: “There were tears in our eyes. It was a moment of joy, but also, perhaps, a moment in which some already sensed that the future would not be without difficulties”. The soldiers embraced and vowed never to forget that meeting. It came to symbolise what would later be known as the Spirit of the Elbe. 🎥©Russian Military Historical Society #Victory81#WeWereAllies

🗓 Today we commemorate #ElbeDay, dedicated to the historic encounter between Soviet and American forces on the banks of the Elbe River. On April 25, 1945, the two allied armies met for the first time near Torgau in Germany. This contact marked an important step toward the end of World War II in Europe, heralding the final downfall of the Nazi regime. Watch the documentary "Encounters at the Elbe: Springtime Before the Cold War" to explore and take a close look at the full story and key details of that landmark event imbued by the spirit of the soldier's brotherhood and hope for a lasting and happy peace. #WeWereAllies

🗓 Today we commemorate #ElbeDay, dedicated to the historic encounter between Soviet and American forces on the banks of the Elbe River. On April 25, 1945, the two allied armies met for the first time near Torgau in Germany. This contact marked an important step toward the end of World War II in Europe, heralding the final downfall of the Nazi regime. Watch the documentary "Encounters at the Elbe: Springtime Before the Cold War" to explore and take a close look at the full story and key details of that landmark event imbued by the spirit of the soldier's brotherhood and hope for a lasting and happy peace. #WeWereAllies

#Victory81 🌟 On May 9, 1945, at 0:43 am Moscow time (May 8, 22:43 CET), the Instrument of UnconditionalSurrender of the Nazi Germanywas signed in Karlshorst, Berlin. That document heralded the #GreatVictory of the Soviet people over the Nazi Reich, marking the final end of #WWII on European ToO, and the ultimate collapse of Hitler's fascism. The surrender was accepted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov on behalf of the Soviet Union and Deputy Commander of the Allied forces Marshal Arthur Tedder on behalf of the Western Allies. From the German side, the Instrument was signed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Colonel General Hans-Jurgen Stumpff, & Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg. 🎙 At 2:30 am of May 9, in Moscow, newscaster YuryLevitan announced the text of the German Instrument of Surrender to the people of the Soviet Union, proclaiming May 9 as Victory Day: The Great Patriotic War, which the Soviet people waged against the Nazi invaders, has been victoriously concluded. Fascist Germany has been crushed. Eternal glory to the Heroes who fell fighting for the freedom and independence of our Motherland. <...> 🖋 From the memoirs by military correspondent Konstantin Simonov: Zhukov stands up and says: The German delegation may leave the hall. The Germans stand up. Keitel… turns on his heel and leaves. And instantaneously, all tension in the room relaxes, and everybody exhales in unison. The act of surrender has been signed, and the war is over. *** Nazi Germany’s final & unconditional surrender to the Allies in Karlshorst was preceded by several local capitulations of the Nazi troops along various frontlines. Moreover, in April 1945, certain Nazi military leaders, who were aware that the Third Reich’s collapse was imminent, fearing justice for their crimes, sought secret talks with US-UK command, trying to divide the Allied anti-Hitler coalition. Desperate to surrender to the Western allies, on May 5, the Nazi delegation arrived in the French city of Reims, where the headquarters of the Allied command was located. There, on May 7, the Act of Military Surrender was signed. However, article 4 of the document did not rule out the signing of another, definitive act: “This act of military surrender… will be superseded by any general instrument of surrender… applicable to Germany and the German troops as a whole.” Due to that, the Soviet leadership deemed the Reims document only as a preliminary document, believing that the official surrender of the Nazis had to be ensured in Berlin — the city where the Nazi aggression originated from. At the Soviet government’s request, the main and final ceremony of surrender took place. On the night of May 9, the German Instrument of Surrender was signed in Karlshorst. The Nazi government was dissolved. The defeated German troops laid down arms. #WW2 in Europe was finally over. It ended with the greatest triumph of the Soviet people. Nazism was defeated. The Reich was no more. 💬 Russian MFA Spokeswoman MariaZakharova(excerpt from a briefing, May 7, 2026): This May 9 marks the 81st Anniversary of defeating Nazi Germany. This day is a celebration of triumph of life, freedom, and independence for all the peoples of the post-Soviet countries. <...> None of us was meant to survive. But we did survive because our forefathers prevailed. The cost of our common Victory — 27 million lives of our compatriots, representatives of all the peoples and republics of the Soviet Union, who died defending our Motherland <...> Twenty-seven million lives lost. Those who died in captivity, in ghettos, were taken into slavery, died of starvation, or fell victim to other acts of genocide. We remember them all. And we will keep their memory alive.

#Victory81 ⚔️ April 13 – a memorable date in Russia’s military history. #OTD in 1945, the Red Army liberated Vienna. Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin, who had already helped liberate Belgrade and Budapest, now stood at the gates of the Austrian capital. 💬Addressing the people of Vienna, the Soviet commander declared: “The Red Army brings Austria liberation from German domination” 🏅Yet the battle for Vienna was fierce. German forces had heavily fortified the city and resisted stubbornly. Even so, MarshalTolbukhin ordered that heavy artillery and aerial bombing are not to be used, in order to preserve one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This was a difficult decision. The assault started on April 5th without decisive success. The Soviet command had to revise its plans and adjust the directions of attack. 🌟 Tolbukhin then made what was likely the only possible decision at that moment – to launch a simultaneous assault on the city from multiple directions. The German forces could not withstand the pressure. At midday on April 13, Vienna was liberated from German troops. 🎥©Russian Military Historical Society

⁨📷⁩ ⁨#OTD в 1908 году родился Ян Флеминг, создатель бессмертногоДжеймса Бонда. Знаете ли вы, что он служил офицером ⚓ военно-морской разведки, и что именно этот опыт послужил основой для его книг? На фотографии - изображено здание Старого Адмиралтейства на Уайтхолл, в Лондонe, где Флеминг работал во время #WWII. За время работы в военно-морской разведке Флеминг не только составил проект операции «Безжалостный», чтобы получить доступ к образцу немецкой «Энигмe», но и руководил распределением разведывательных 📁 данных во время подготовки к высадке союзных войск в Нормандии. Флеминг еще во время войны упомянул друзьям, что хотел бы написать 🕵️‍♂️ шпионский роман, и сделал это в 1952 г., когда появился первый роман о Бонде — «Казино Рояль». За основу героев своих романов Флеминг взял людей, с которыми познакомился во время службы. Он признавался, что Бонд «был соединением всех секретных агентов и коммандос, которых я встретил во время войны». Какой роман или фильм «бондианы» вам нравится больше всего❓⁩

#Victory81 🌟 On February 2, 1943, the #BattleOfStalingrad — one of the most brutal battles of the Great Patriotic War and #WW2, which turned the tide of that terrible and bloody conflict — concluded with the total and complete defeat of the Nazi forces. The fight for Stalingrad lasted for2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ days and nights, surpassing all previous battles in world history both in scale and intensity. The combat to the death took place in Stalingrad for each and every alley, every house, every inch of the ground. During that battle, more than 2.1 million people were involved on both sides. The Nazi invaders, obsessed with the illusion of their superiority and strive to enslave the Soviet people, failed in Stalingrad — never ever had the Germans managed to break the spirit or morale of the defenders of our Motherland. The Red Army soldiers, showing unparalleled courage,braveryandheroism, stood their ground with steadfastness and achieved a great victory that would eventually define the outcome of the entire #WWII. The Nazi war machine suffered a crushing and catastrophic defeat, which, as history would show, was fatal for Germany. ☝️ At Stalingrad, the Red Army showed that the Third Reich and Nazism are beatable, that they can and will be destroyedonce and for all. *** In the summer of 1942, the Nazi troops launched another major offensive on the southern flank of the Soviet–German front. At that time, the target was #Stalingrad— a key industrial and transport hub on the Volga river. Had the Nazis succeeded, Hitler’s barbarians would have severed crucial supply lines, seized the rich agricultural regions of Kuban and Stavropol, and broken through to the Caucasus, where they hoped to capture abundant oilfields. The entire power of the Nazi war machine fell on Stalingrad on July 17 — the city’s heroic defence commenced. The enemy committed up to 80 Wehrmacht divisions to that attack, followed by savage combat for the city raging almost all around the clock days and nights. The Soviet defenders fought firmly, leaving not a single inch of our Motherland. The Wehrmacht troops, commanded by infamous Nazi General Friedrich Paulus (it was him who devised operation 'Barbarossa' plan — Germany’s treacherous attack on the Soviet Union) were confronted by the Soviet 62nd and 64th armies. Vasily Chuikov, the commander of the 62nd Army, is rightly considered to be one of the architects of the victory at Stalingrad — the brilliant tactician, he refined and put into practice assault-group strategy that became key to our triumph in Stalingrad. By mid-November 1942, after fierce and lasting resistance and regrouping of forces, the Red Army created favourable conditions to launch counter-offensive near Stalingrad👉 from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943, the Soviet forces brilliantly executed the operation 'Ring', having successfully encircled Nazis 6th Army in “cauldron” between the Don and Volga rivers. OnJanuary 31, Field Marshal Paulus and his staff unconditionally surrendered. On February 2, the last pockets of Nazis' resistance were eliminated, with Germany’s 'axis' troopscompletely destroyed. 🎖 The Battle of Stalingrad ended in aRed Army's brilliant military triumph. The Nazis lost up to 1/4 of all the personnel and equipment deployed on the entire Eastern Front. Since then,the word “Stalingrad” has echoed, and will forever echo, in the hearts and collective memory of our people as an enduring reminder of the Great Heroic Feat performed by the defenders of our Motherland. *** On November 29, 1943, during the Tehran Conference, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill presented Joseph Stalin with a sword specially forged by the order of King George VI in tribute to the courage and resilience of Stalingrad defenders. Inscribed on the blade were the words: TO THE STEEL-HEARTED CITIZENS OF STALINGRAD • THE GIFT OF KING GEORGE VI • IN TOKEN OF THE HOMAGE OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE The sword became an iconic commemorative relic, symbolising the Anglo-American allies’ eternal tribute to the Heroic Soviet victorious generation.