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“I did everything possible to fulfill my duty...” 🏅 On December 1, 1896, Georgy Zhukov was born – the legendary Marshal of Victory and four-time Hero of the Soviet Union, who played a pivotal role in the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany. Born into a peasant family, he joined the army in 1915 and fought in the First World War. He served in the Red Army from 1918, rising from platoon commander to Army General, and during the Great Patriotic War, in 1943, was awarded the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. He won his first major victory in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in 1939. Thanks to Zhukov’s decisive actions, the Japanese army was encircled and destroyed, that became a key factor in Japan’s decision to abandon plans for a large-scale invasion of the USSR. Zhukov’s strategic talent was displayed in full during the Great Patriotic War (World War II). He commanded the forces that defended Leningrad and Moscow, fought in the Battle of Kursk, crossed the Dnieper River, participated in the Byelorussian and Vistula-Oder offensives, and stormed Berlin. It was he who commanded the 1st Byelorussian Front during the final assault on Berlin, accepted Germany’s surrender, and took the first historic Victory Parade. 🎖 Marshal of the Soviet Union since 1943, three times Hero of the USSR, and two times Cavalier of the Order of Victory. In the postwar period, Georgy Zhukov was First Deputy Minister of Defence and later USSR Minister of Defence; he carried out sweeping reforms in the Soviet Army. ✍️ From Georgy Zhukov's memoirs: “The main thing for me was to serve my Motherland and my people. And I can say with clean conscience: I did everything possible to fulfill my duty… I was living my life with awareness that I worked for the benefit of my people, and this is the principal thing for any life.” #Victory80#WeRemember

🏅 May 6 marks 8️⃣0️⃣ years since the start of the Prague Offensive — the final major battle of the Great Patriotic War. On May 5, 1945, with Berlin already fallen, a popular uprising erupted in Nazi-occupied Prague. In a brutal attempt to crush the resistance, Nazi forces used civilians as human shields. In the early hours of May 6, Czech fighters broadcast a radio plea to Soviet command. Responding to the call, the Red Army launched the offensive a day earlier than planned, before completing redeployment. The operation was led by forces under Marshal Ivan Konev, Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, and Army General Andrey Yeryomenko. ⚔️ On May 7, Soviet forces approached the slopes of the Ore Mountains; on May 8, they liberated Olomouc, the heart of Moravia. On the night of May 9, with the support from the local population, Soviet forces liberated Prague from Nazi occupation. On May 10, the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, formed in the USSR from Czech volunteers, rolled into the capital aboard Soviet tanks. On May 11, the Prague Offensive concluded. Nearly the entire German Army Group “Centre” was surrounded and captured — 860'000 fascist soldiers and officers in total. 🕯 The Red Army fought for 246 days to liberate Czechoslovakia. Approximately 140'000 Soviet soldiers sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the Czech and Slovak peoples. #Victory80

#Victory80 🌟 On May 2, 1945, units and formations of the Red Army under the command of Georgy Zhukov and Ivan Konev completely took control of Berlin. After desperate resistance, the capital of the fascist Reich fell under the victorious blows of Soviet forces. The Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation was conducted from April 16 to May 8, 1945. On April 20, Konev and Zhukov issued nearly identical orders to their front-line troops: to be the first to break into Berlin. Every street and every building had to be taken by storm. On April 29, the battle for the Reichstag began. Before the assault, the military council of the 3rd Shock Army presented its divisions with nine red banners, specially made in the style of the Soviet state flag. One of these red banners, known as No. 5 and referred to as the “Victory Banner,” was given to the 150th Rifle Division. <...> It was raised by scouts Mikhail Yegorov and Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantaria, accompanied by Alexey Berest and submachine gunners from the company of Senior Sergeant Ilya Syanov. 🕓 On May 2, the Nazi resistance in Berlin ceased. On that day, the Reichstag appeared red from the multitude of small flags, red banners, and flags. 🎥©Russian Military Historical Society

#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.”

🗓 The Volunteers of Victory, together with the "United Russia" party, have opened (a while back actually) the registration for the fifth edition of the historical intellectual game'1418'! 1418 stands for the exact number of days that the Great Patriotic War lasted. 🌐 This year, the game has gained international status and will be held in an online format, giving participants from around the world the opportunity to challenge their knowledge, logic, and quick thinking. Anyone can join, but only players who meet the following criteria will be eligible to compete for prizes: ✅ Age: 14—18 (pun intended😉); ✅ Managed to assemble a team of 3 to 10 members; ✅ Demonstrate speed, wit and erudition. The international historical game '1418' will take place on March 20, 2025. Don't miss out — register, play, discover new insights! 👉More details and game schedule 👉Register to participate #VolunteersOfVictory#Victory80

🏅 February 2 marks the anniversary of the Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad — one of the largest and greatest battles of all time. It was #OTD in 1943, that the Red Army defeated the Nazi hordes comprising Germans and their Axis cronies in the Battle of Stalingrad. In people's eye the battle became a symbol of the indestructibility, steadfastness and selflessness of the Soviet people. Against all odds for 200 days the defenders of Stalingrad fought off enemy waves, finally getting the upper hand and destroying Third Reich's best troops. It was here that the largest and fiercest battles in history, which radically changed the course of World War II, took place. This victory in Stalingrad, where the largest group of Nazi Germany troops and its satellites was defeated, was the beginning of the end for the Axis, as well as created conditions enabling Soviet forces to mount a large-scale counteroffensive aimed at expelling the invaders from the Motherland. Beside strategic and tactical superiority of the Red Army, to the surprise of the Wehrmacht and their Nazi ideologues who deemed themselves better than everyone else, a key factor in the Victory was the will of the Soviet fighters who clang on to every street, nook and cranny. The story of the famous Pavlov's House has become legend, but it's based on a feat of glory, unlike any other, beyond human capability. ✊ The city and its defenders did not surrender to the enemy. Thanks to the incredible will to live, fortitude and courage of the Soviet people — the Nazis suffered a crushing defeat. 🎥©Russian Military Historical Society #Stalingrad#Victory80

🗓 On January 27, Russia marks the Day of Military Glory — the day of the lifting of the Siege of Leningrad (1944). 🕯 The blockade of Leningrad was one of the darkest moments in human history. It began on September 8, 1941, when Nazi troops isolated the city from the rest of the country by land. For 872 days, despite the cold, hunger and horrors of war, the people selflessly defended their city from total destruction, and even in these dire circumstances continued producing goods and various machinery to supply the war effort against the Nazis. ❗️The incredibleresilience and bravery of Leningrad residents shattered the plans and ambitions of the Nazi invaders. On January 18, 1943, a land corridor was established with the rest of the country as a result of the offensive operation "Iskra" (Spark) conducted from January 12 to 30, the encirclement was broken. A year after the breakthrough, Soviet forces managed to finally lift the siege of the city on January 27, 1944. By that time there were no more than 800'000 inhabitants left in the Northern Capital out of the three million who had lived in Leningrad and its suburbs before the siege. ⚔️ The Soviet forces pushed the Nazis back 220-280 kilometers from Leningrad. The city was finally freed from the enemy blockade. The Red Army undermined the positions of the Hitlerites in Finland and other Scandinavian countries, significantly bringing closer the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. 🎖 The courage and heroism of Leningrad defenders were highly appreciated. Many units and formations were awarded the honourable title of “Guards”, orders and the honorary title of “Leningrad”. In 2022, the Saint Petersburg City Court recognised the Siege of Leningrad as an act of genocide against the Soviet people committed by the Nazi Germany and its accomplices. According to recent statistics, at least 1'093'842 people diedduring the blockade. 🎥©Russian Military Historical Society #Victory80#WeRemember

Merr pjesë në Olimpiadën Botërore të Nxënësve! Olimpiada “Fitorja e Madhe” është mundësia jote për të demonstruar njohuritë e tua për Luftën e Madhe Patriotike. Olimpiada fillon më 25 shkurt, por mund të regjistrohesh tani! • Vizito faqen e internetit • Lexo rregullat e Olimpiadës. • Regjistrohu si pjesëmarrës. • Bëhu fitues dhe fito çmimin kryesor – një vizitë në Paradën e Fitores në Sheshin e Kuq! #Victory80 ___ Прими участие во Всемирной школьной олимпиаде! Олимпиада «Великая Победа» – это твоя возможность продемонстрировать свои знания о Великой Отечественной войне. Олимпиада стартует 25 февраля, но зарегистрироваться можно уже сейчас! • Зайди на сайт • Ознакомься с правилами проведения олимпиады. • Зарегистрируйся в качестве участника. • Стань победителем и выиграй главный приз – посещение Парада Победы на Красной площади! #Победа80