🎖 Pe data de 2 februarie 1943, s-a încheiat una dintre cele mai înverșunate bătălii ale Marelui Război pentru Apărarea Patriei, Bătălia de la Stalingrad.
Timp de 200 de zile și nopți, pe malurile Donului și Volgăi, apoi la zidurile Stalingradului și direct în orașul însuși, a avut loc o bătălie care a depășit ca amploare și intensitate toate bătăliile anterioare ale celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial. Au fost bătălii pentru fiecare alee, pentru fiecare casă, pentru fiecare metru de pământ. În diferite etape ale bătăliei, peste 2,1 milioane de oameni au luptat de ambele părți în același timp.
Până la sfârșitul lunii iunie 1942, inamicul se concentrase în fâșia de la Kursk până la Taganrog, pe frontul de 600–650 de kilometri, până la 35% din infanterie și peste 50% din diviziile de tancuri și motorizate din numărul total de forțe ale Wehrmacht-ului pe frontul germano-sovietic.
În timpul pregătirii ofensivei pe #Stalingrad, inamicul și-a stabilit mai multe obiective: să-și întărească pozițiile pe Volga și, prin urmare, să priveze Uniunea Sovietică de controlul asupra uneia dintre cele mai importante artere de transport ale țării. Capturarea Stalingradului, conform comandamentului militar nazist, ar deschide calea Wehrmacht-ului către Caucaz, unde germanii se așteptau să pună mâna pe cea mai importantă resursă pentru război – câmpurile petroliere.
În mod tradițional, bătălia este considerată prin două etape principale:
• Defensivă – de la 17 iulie până la 18 noiembrie 1942
• Ofensivă – de la 19 noiembrie 1942 până la 2 februarie 1943
În prima etapă a bătăliei (17 iulie – 18 noiembrie 1942), Armata Roșie a fost nevoită să desfășoare operațiuni defensive și să se angajeze în lupte acerbe de stradă. Armatei a 6-a a Wehrmacht-ului sub comanda generalului locotenent Paulus i sa opus trupele armatelor 62 și 64 sovietice. Comandantul Armatei 62, Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov, este considerat pe drept unul dintre creatorii victoriei de la Stalingrad. Comandantul a adus la perfecțiune tactica grupurilor de asalt, care a devenit cheia victoriei sovietice de la Stalingrad.
Până la jumătatea lui noiembrie 1942, ca urmare a rezistenței încăpățânate și a introducerii rezervelor, se dezvoltaseră condiții favorabile pentru o contraofensivă. Planul operațiunii, cu numele de cod „Uranus”, a fost elaborat sub conducerea generalului de armată Georgy Konstantinovici Jukov și a generalului colonel Alexander Mihailovici Vasilevski.
În timpul contraofensivei pe scară largă de la Stalingrad (19 noiembrie 1942 – 2 februarie 1943), trupele sovietice au desfășurat operațiunea „Inel”, în timpul căreia au reușit să conducă Armata a 6-a a lui Paulus într-o „căldare” între râurile Don și Volga. Dându-și seama de inutilitatea situației lor, până la sfârșitul lunii ianuarie unitățile germane au început să se predea în masă. Pe 31 ianuarie, feldmareșalul Paulus a capitulat împreună cu generalii și ofițerii de stat major. Pe 2 februarie au fost eliminate ultimele buzunare de rezistență germană, iar formațiunile militare ale statelor aliate ale Germaniei au fost distruse.
Bătălia de la Stalingrad s-a încheiat cu o victorie strălucitoare a Armatei Roșii. A marcat începutul unei schimbări radicale nu numai în cursul Marelui Război Patriotic, ci și în întregul Al Doilea Război Mondial în ansamblu.
La Stalingrad, Wehrmacht-ul și unitățile de luptă ale țărilor Axei care luptau de partea Reichului au pierdut un sfert din forțele care operau pe frontul sovieto-german. Pierderile totale ale inamicului în morți, răniți, capturați și dispăruți s-au ridicat la aproximativ 1,5 milioane de oameni, în legătură cu care, pentru prima dată în război, a fost declarat doliu național în Germania.
Inițiativa strategică în război a trecut la Armata Roșie. Victoria de la Stalingrad a creat condițiile pentru desfășurarea unei ample contraofensive de către trupele sovietice și expulzarea invadatorilor naziști de pe teritoriul ocupat al URSS.
⬇️⬇️⬇️
🇷🇺 August 22 is the State Flag Day in Russia, established on August 20, 1994, in accordance with Presidential Executive Order "On the State Flag Day of the Russian Federation".
#OTD, we pay tribute to Russia’s official state symbol which, alongside its emblem and the national anthem, stands as a symbol of and the testimonyto the country’s sovereignty and independence, while asserting the generational continuity for our multicultural and multi-ethnic nation.
The Russian tricoloured flag is over three hundred years old. Tsar Peter I is considered to be its creator: he ordered “commercial vessels of all kinds” to sail under the white-blue-red flag. However, it was only in 1896 that this flag obtained its official status, not long before Emperor Nicholas II’s coronation.
⚪️🔵🔴 While there is no official interpretation of the national flag colours, it is widely accepted that white symbolizes purity, independence and peace, blue embodies faith, loyalty and justice, while red stands for courage, might and valour.
☝️ Today, the tricoloured flag has become an integral part of our lives as a symbol of the Russian state, national unity and our people's devotion to the Fatherland, as well as the commitment to assert and promote the national interests.
🇷🇺🇧🇾 On April 2, the peoples of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus celebrate their Day of Unity.
🗓#OTD in 1996, they signed a treaty on the formation of the Community of Russia and Belarus, which served as the first step towards the creation of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.
The Treaty on the Union of Russia and Belarus came into force a year later, and on December 8, 1999, the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State was signed.
🤝 Today, the Union State implements programmes in industry, energy and IT, to name a few. Trade between Russia and Belarus grows at record high rates every year, given the considerable degree of mutual complementarity of their economies.
💬 Addressing a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State on January 29, 2024, President Vladimir Putin said:
We have been working together to build the Union State for almost 25 years. Along this path, we have managed to achieve a great deal. Thanks to the successful implementation of 28 sectoral Union programmes, Russian and Belarusian legislation was harmonised, the legal and organisational foundations for a common economic space formed, and conditions created for the implementation of a unified macroeconomic and monetary policy, and for joint work to minimise damage from illegal Western restrictions.
☝️ The Unity Day of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus confirms the cohesion of the two fraternal peoples and their striving to continue strengthening their interaction based on the centuries-old traditions of friendship and close cultural and spiritual ties.
📃 On the occasion of the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus President Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.
🎊 We congratulate our Belarusian friends on a holiday that is a symbol of unbreakable ties of brotherly friendship between our countries and peoples!
📅#OTD in 1943, Soviet forces launched Operation "Iskra" (Spark), which broke the Siege of Leningrad. During the offensive, units of the Red Army from the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts overcame enemy defenses, re-establishing a land connection between the city and the rest of the Soviet Union.
The siege ring around Leningrad had fully closed on September 8, 1941. More than 2.8 million people, including 400,000 children, were trapped under harsh winter conditions, enduring hunger and relentless bombings.
Attempts to break the blockade were made several times: in September and October 1941, during the general counteroffensive in January 1942, and again in August-September 1942. Favorable conditions only arose in January 1943, when the bulk of the Wehrmacht's forces were concentrated at Stalingrad.
By the end of January 1943, the troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad Fronts, delivering powerful blows, pierced the enemy's defenses and pushed them 12 km away from the shores of Lake Ladoga.
The combined strike groups of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts included 302,800 soldiers and officers, approximately 4,900 artillery pieces and mortars (caliber 76mm and above), over 600 tanks, and 809 aircraft.
🎖 For their heroism, bravery, and courage during the breakthrough of the blockade, about 19,000 soldiers of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts, as well as the Baltic Fleet, were awarded orders and medals.
Although Leningrad was not fully liberated until January 27, 1944, the political, economic, and symbolic significance of breaking the blockade cannot be overstated.
The Soviet forces managed to partially lift the siege, easing the plight of the city's residents. Within three weeks of the breakthrough, a railway was built, and the first trains carrying food and ammunition reached Leningrad. The threat of German and Finnish forces linking up was eliminated, and the initiative in the Leningrad region shifted decisively to the Red Army.
📅#OTD in 1943, Soviet forces launched Operation "Iskra" (Spark), which broke the Siege of Leningrad. During the offensive, units of the Red Army from the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts overcame enemy defenses, re-establishing a land connection between the city and the rest of the Soviet Union.
The siege ring around Leningrad had fully closed on September 8, 1941. More than 2.8 million people, including 400,000 children, were trapped under harsh winter conditions, enduring hunger and relentless bombings.
Attempts to break the blockade were made several times: in September and October 1941, during the general counteroffensive in January 1942, and again in August-September 1942. Favorable conditions only arose in January 1943, when the bulk of the Wehrmacht's forces were concentrated at Stalingrad.
By the end of January 1943, the troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad Fronts, delivering powerful blows, pierced the enemy's defenses and pushed them 12 km away from the shores of Lake Ladoga.
The combined strike groups of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts included 302,800 soldiers and officers, approximately 4,900 artillery pieces and mortars (caliber 76mm and above), over 600 tanks, and 809 aircraft.
🎖 For their heroism, bravery, and courage during the breakthrough of the blockade, about 19,000 soldiers of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts, as well as the Baltic Fleet, were awarded orders and medals.
Although Leningrad was not fully liberated until January 27, 1944, the political, economic, and symbolic significance of breaking the blockade cannot be overstated.
The Soviet forces managed to partially lift the siege, easing the plight of the city's residents. Within three weeks of the breakthrough, a railway was built, and the first trains carrying food and ammunition reached Leningrad. The threat of German and Finnish forces linking up was eliminated, and the initiative in the Leningrad region shifted decisively to the Red Army.
🇷🇺 August 22 is the State Flag Day in Russia, established on August 20, 1994, in accordance with Presidential Executive Order "On the State Flag Day of the Russian Federation".
#OTD, we pay tribute to Russia’s official state symbol which, alongside its emblem and the national anthem, stands as a symbol of and the testimonyto the country’s sovereignty and independence, while asserting the generational continuity for our multicultural and multi-ethnic nation.
The Russian tricoloured flag is over three hundred years old. Tsar Peter I is considered to be its creator: he ordered “commercial vessels of all kinds” to sail under the white-blue-red flag. However, it was only in 1896 that this flag obtained its official status, not long before Emperor Nicholas II’s coronation.
⚪️🔵🔴 While there is no official interpretation of the national flag colours, it is widely accepted that white symbolizes purity, independence and peace, blue embodies faith, loyalty and justice, while red stands for courage, might and valour.
☝️ Today, the tricoloured flag has become an integral part of our lives as a symbol of the Russian state, national unity and our people's devotion to the Fatherland, as well as the commitment to assert and promote the national interests.
🏅Remarks by President of Russia, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Vladimir Putin at a military parade marking the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (May 9, 2025)
💬President Putin: Citizens of Russia, veterans, guests, comrade soldiers and sailors, sergeants and sergeant majors, midshipmen and warrant officers, comrade officers, generals and admirals!
I congratulate you on the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War!
Today, we are all united by the feelings of joy and grief, pride and gratitude, and admiration for the generation that crushed Nazism and won freedom and peace for all humanity at the cost of millions of lives.
We faithfully preserve the memory of those historic, glorious events. As the heirs of the victors, today we celebrate Victory Day as the most important holiday for the country, which the entire nation, each family, each of us holds dear. <...>
We remember the lessons of WWII and will never agree with the distortion of those events or attempts to justify the murderers and slander the true victors.
Our duty is to defend the honour of the Red Army soldiers and commanders, and the heroism of fighters of different ethnic backgrounds who will forever remain Russian soldiers in world history.
❗️ Russia has been and will continue to be an indestructible obstacle to Nazism, Russophobia and anti-Semitism, and will stand in the way of the violence perpetrated by the champions of these aggressive and destructive ideas.
Truth and justice are on our side. The whole of Russia, our society and all people support the participants in the special military operation. We are proud of their courage and spirit, and their steely determination that has always brought us Victory.
The Soviet Union bore the brunt of the enemy’s most savage and relentless assaults. Millions of people, once devoted solely to peaceful labour, took up arms and stood firm to the death on every hill, bridgehead, and defensive line. The outcome of WWII was determined by decisive victories in major battles of Moscow and Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge and the Dnieper River, by the courage of the defenders of Belarus, who were the first to face the invader, by staunch resistance at the Brest Fortress and in Mogilev, Odessa, Sevastopol, Murmansk, Tula and Smolensk, by the heroism of the residents of besieged Leningrad. <...>
The contribution of the peoples of Central Asia and the South Caucasus was immense. From these regions came a steady flow of trains delivering everything the front needed. Hospitals were established, and hundreds of thousands of evacuees found a second home there. <...>
We honour every veteran of the Great Patriotic War and bow our heads in remembrance of all who gave their lives for Victory. <...>
We bow our heads before our fallen comrades-in-arms who laid down their lives as heroes in a righteous battle for Russia.
Nearly 80% of the world’s population were drawn into the fiery orbit of WWII.
The complete defeat of Nazi Germany, militarist Japan and their satellites around the world was achieved through the combined efforts of the Allied Nations.
☝️ We will never forget that the opening of the Second Front in Europe, which took place after the decisive battles in the territory of the Soviet Union, hastened Victory. We highly appreciate the contribution made to our common struggle by the Allied armies, members of the Resistance, the courageous people of China, and all those who fought for a peaceful future.
We will continue to look up to our veterans, taking example from their wholehearted love of the Motherland and commitment to defending our homeland and the values of humanism and justice. We will give these traditions and this great heritage the biggest place in our hearts and will pass them on to future generations.
We will always rely on our unity in battle and in peaceful endeavours, in striving for strategic goals and tackling problems for the benefit of Russia and its greatness and prosperity.
Glory to the victorious nation!
Happy Victory Day!
Hurrah!
#Victory80
🇷🇺Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation:
🌠 On the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation compiled a report titiled "You Haven't Forgotten Me Yet".
During the Great Patriotic War, millions of Soviet soldiers perished afar, fighting against Nazism beyond their homeland. They liberated European countries from fascism. They paved the way and led them to freedom.
For many decades after the war, their memory was cherished, their remains in mass graves were preserved and revered, obelisks and monuments to their deeds and military glory were erected and looked after all across Europe.
But no more... In recent years, these memorials have beenvandalized, demolished and "relocated". On several occasions monuments have been even been dismantled with the remains of the dead exhumed and reburied.
In many cases, the demolition and desecration of memorials was carried out by the decision of the current-day authorities at various levels, all part of the ongoing efforts to rewrite history and subvert the historical truth. More often than not it is down at the behest of the descendants of those who lost then, Nazis & their cronies — now in power and seeking revenge.
The Investigative Committee of Russia has registered 167 such cases. And each of them is under official investigation.
"You Haven't Forgotten Me Yet" gives a sneak peak into the due process of the Russian investigators' work.
Touching memories of the descendants of the heroes, footage of operative filming of investigative actions, comments of official representatives of specialized ministries and agencies, historians and archivists — all this on the eve of the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory in a special report of the Investigative Committee of Russia.
#Victory80
🗓 On April 26, 1945, the city of Brno, one of Czechoslovakia’s major industrial centres, was liberated by the Red Army from the Nazi invaders as part of the Bratislava-Brno offensive.
After the Soviet forces expelled the Nazis from Bratislava, the Red Army breached the Wehrmacht’s Moravia massive defensive line, encircling the Brno sector on April 22. The next day, the Soviet soldiers launched the decisive attack on the Nazis.
Following the occupation of Czechoslovakia, Brno had turned into a major Third Reich industrial and production hub where the Skoda and Zbrojovka weapons manufacturers were located, as well as a sub-camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau (Oswiecim).
The city being strategically important, the Nazi invaders mounted counterattacks in a desperate effort to halt the Red Army’s onslaught. However, by April 25, Soviet units had already reached several sectors of Brno, engaging the enemy on its outskirts and crossing the Svitava River. By the evening of April 26, the Soviet forces took full control of the city. On the same day, a 20-volley artillery salute of 224 guns was performed in Moscow to mark the event.
🎖 The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps commanded by Ludvík Svoboda, along with Czechoslovak partisans, were actively involved in the liberation of country, providing substantial support to the Red Army units. Six Czechoslovak citizens were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their deeds during the Great Patriotic War, more than any other foreign nationals.
☝️The liberation of Brno allowed the Red Army to launch an offensive on the remaining enemy forces and clearing the way to Nazi-occupied Prague.
The monument to the Soviet liberator soldier, unveiled on Brno’s Moravian Square, commemorates the Red Army’s heroic deeds. Unfortunately, it has been repeatedly vandalised. We trust that there are still those in the Czech Republic who cherish the memory of the fallen heroes.
#Victory80