🗓 September 8 — the Day of Military Glory of Russia.

⚔️ #OTD in 1812, the Battle of Borodino — the key clash between the Russian Army, helmed by Mikhail Kutuzov, and Napoleon's invaders during the 1812 Patriotic War.

The battle near Borodino village commenced at 5 a.m. on September 8. Napoleon's troops were being attacked all day long. By paying the toll of huge losses, the enemy seemed to gain some tactical advantage. But the depleted Russian units took a final stand — by the evening, the French legions were crushed, with the remaining troops having rolled back to the initial positions.

The fierce combat lasted all day, almost every third soldier from both sides fell on the battlefield.

#Borodino is now a common name, and no wonder why — that clash was the largest and most brutal fight of the Patriotic War of 1812, which has forever went down to the history of our country as a symbol of courage, fortitude and love for Motherland.

🕯 On the day of military glory of Russia, #WeRemember the feat of the Heroes who defended the honor and freedom of our country.

***

Napoleon failed to defeat the Russian forces, thus dealing the fate of his army — in few months the invaders were retreating westward, suffering huge losses, essentially running for their lives.

☝️ After destroying Napoleon's legions, the Russian army engaged in a liberation campaign in Europe, having freed many nations of the continent from the French rule, and entered Paris with a triumph.

🎥 © Russian Military Historical Society / Victory Museum

🛰 On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union paved humanity’s way to the stars!

#OTD in 1957, the first artificial satellite of our planet – Sputnik-1 – was launched into Earth’s orbit. Its simple yet proud “beep-beep” sound stood as mankind’s first signal reaching beyond Earth.

Sputnik-1 was a spherical aluminum spacecraft, 58 cm in diameter and weighing 83.6 kg. Its hermetically sealed body protected the equipment inside from external conditions. Onboard were two radio transmitters operating at 20.005 and 40.002 MHz frequencies, broadcasting the legendary signals, which were picked up by radio enthusiasts around the world.

Four external antennas, 2.4 to 2.9 meters long, ensured stable transmission. The satellite had no propulsion system and moved in orbit solely by the impulse received at launch.

🚀 To deliver Sputnik-1 into orbit, a two-stage R-7 launch vehicle was used, developed under the guidance of the great Soviet engineer Sergey Korolev. The satellite reached the orbit in 314.5 seconds (just over 5 minutes) after liftoff. Its apogee was 947 km, perigee 228 km, and it orbited Earth every 96 minutes.

In total, Sputnik-1 spent 92 days in space, completing 1,440 orbits and covering more than 60 million kilometers. The last signal was received on January 4, 1958, after which the satellite re-entered the atmosphere and burned up.

🌐 The launch of Sputnik-1 was not only a groundbreaking technological achievement, but also a symbol of a new era – the beginning of humanity’s space age.

Since then, dozens of countries have launched thousands of satellites, transforming science, communications, navigation, and our daily lives.

Yet no matter how many follow, Sputnik-1 will forever be the First! 💫

🗓 #OTD 1️⃣3️⃣0️⃣ years ago — on October 4, 1895 — outstanding and brilliant Soviet intelligence officer, Richard Sorge, was born.

Sorge devoted his entire life to selflessly serving his Motherland. He became a legend among Soviet intelligence undercover operatives while performing his professional duties in the Far East under codename 'Ramsay' on the eve and during #WWII.

In the 1930s, Sorge managed to build an extended agent network in Tokyo. From there, he reported especially valuable intel to Moscow exposing the plans by Nazi Germany and Japanese militarists against the USSR.

It is thanks to Richard Sorge’s efforts that the Soviet leadership was briefed in May 1941 about Nazi Germany’s plans to attack our country. The intelligence reports by Sorge from Tokyo included information about the Wehrmacht’s tactical plans, the strength of the Nazi troops, as well as other details regarding the imminent invasion.

In autumn 1941, with the heavy fighting for Moscow nearing its peak, Richard Sorge’s information about the Japanese Imperial Army abandoning its plans to invade the USSR in the Far East enabled the Soviet military command to re-deploy the Siberian divisions westwards. These forces helped stop the Nazi invaders and then pushed them further away from the Soviet capital.

Of course, Richard Sorge was fully aware of all the professional risks his work entailed. Despite all the talent and skill in concealing his activities, local counter-intelligence could not fail to notice 'Ramsay'’s efforts. The enemy took Sorge’s trail in autumn 1941, which led to his arrest. Sorge went on to spend three years in Japanese prisons, and then was executed.

🎖 In 1964, 'Ramsay' was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

***

Over 20 years ago, in autumn 2004, Japanese historians discovered a description of two death sentences when studying the archives of the US occupation troops (previously stationed in Japan). The dicsovered documents (sentences) were issued and executed in November 1944: one was against Richard Sorge and the other targeted Hotsumi Ozaki, Sorge's agent.

📑 These discoveries told the story of how Sorge spent the last minutes of his life — “he met his death with outstanding courage and pride.”

It is worth noticing that even though 'Ramsay' operated against Japan, people there have always been fascinated with this legendary intelligence officer.

The people of Japan have been amazed by Richard Sorge’s heroism, self-dedication in service to his country, and have praised him for this resilience and unbending will. About 30 books were published in Japan about Sorge. There was also a theatre play staged about him and several films released.

🇷🇺 Russian diplomats in Japan have been working on perpetuating 'Ramsay'’s memory and glorifying Sorge's heroic feats accomplished while serving his Motherland. The Russian Embassy in Tokyo regularly holds commemorative ceremonies at the Tama Cemetery memorial, where Sorge and his comrades were buried.

💬 Russia's Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Nozdrev:

“Richard Sorge was a man who had a selfless sense of devotion to high purposes and ideals, and he felt that the undefeatable might of a multi-ethnic nation was behind him.

He found himself in the maelstrom of these stormy years and his entire life can be described as a stroke of lighting shedding light on what it means to accomplish a feat, selflessly serve the Motherland and demonstrate an outstanding level of self-sacrifice.”

#WeRemember #OurHeroes

📜 #OTD, 3️⃣5️⃣4️⃣ years ago, Peter the Great (1672-1725) was born – the first Emperor of All Russia – an outstanding reformer and statesman who shaped the course of our country for centuries to come.

Peter was the first son of Tsar Alexey Romanov and his second wife Natalia Naryshkina. From an early age, the young Tsarevich was distinguished by a keen mind, curiosity and a thirst for practical knowledge: he eagerly mastered crafts, studied military affairs and learned foreign languages.

From an early age, Peter showed a particular fascination with military affairs above all else. For the Tsarevich’s games, a “toy army” was formed from among his peers. Over time, these childhood pursuits grew into a true school of military training: it was from these “toy regiments” that Peter’s famous reformed army emerged, while the troops themselves became elite Guards units – the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments.

In 1682, after the death of Tsar Fyodor Romanov, ten-year-old Peter was proclaimed Tsar together with his elder brother Ivan V. However, he came to independent rule only in 1689 – after Tsarevna Sophia, who had served as regent for the young rulers for seven years, was removed from power.

***

In spring 1697, Peter’s famous Grand Embassy set off for Western Europe, where it remained until summer 1698. Its task was to strengthen ties with European powers, seek allies for the future struggle against the Ottoman Empire and Sweden, study military, engineering and shipbuilding practices, invite foreign specialists into Russian service, and purchase the necessary weapons, equipment and goods.

The European experience left an indelible impression on the young Tsar. Upon returning to Russia, Peter launched a sweeping set of reforms aimed at strengthening the state, the army and the entire system of government.

Among the key reforms were:

• Military reform – the creation of a regular army and navy of a new type.
• Government reform – the establishment of the Senate, collegia and a new system of central government bodies.
• Church reform – the creation of the Holy Synod, which strengthened state control over church administration.
• Estate reform – the introduction of the Table of Ranks, which opened the way for advancement in state service not only by birth, but also by personal merit.
• Education reform – the opening of new schools, the development of technical and military education, and the invitation of foreign specialists.
• Calendar reform – from 1700, the New Year in Russia began to be celebrated on January 1.

***

One of the defining trials of Peter’s era was the Northern War of 1700-1721. In its confrontation with Sweden, Russia secured access to the Baltic Sea, created a powerful fleet and established itself as one of Europe’s leading powers.

The outcome of the Great Northern War shifted the balance of power in Europe: Sweden permanently lost its former influence, while Russia gained reliable access to global trade routes. In 1721, after the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystad, Peter was proclaimed Emperor of All Russia, Father of the Fatherland and the Great.

***

To this day, leading historians in Russia and abroad continue to discuss Peter's legacy, the change he has brought to Russia.

☝️ One thing remains beyond dispute: the scale of his personality and his impact on the course of Russia's history cannot be denied. It was under Peter the Great that our country made a historic leap forward, entering the ranks of the great powers.

👉 Moreover, without Peter the Great, there would have been no “northern capital of Russia” and one of the most beautiful cities in the world – St Petersburg – founded in 1703 and still bearing the sovereign’s name.

📅 July 10 marks the #DayOfMilitaryGlory in Russia — the Victory of the Russian Army under the command of Peter the Great over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava.

#OTD, we pay tribute to the great triumph of the Russian army, which turned the tide in the Great Northern War, having exerted a profound impact upon the further course of history.

Despite the prevailing belief that the Swedish army was believed as the most formidable in Europe, Peter the Great and our forces succeeded in dispelling this myth, having crushed so-called “invincible” King Charles XII of Sweden. The Russian monarch himself took an active part in that battle, personally leading his army in the attack. The Tsar’s tricorne hat, pierced by a Swedish bullet, still remains preserved in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum.

***

In the spring of 1708, the army of Charles XII invaded our country. Following the defeat at the Battle of Lesnaya, the Swedes embarked on a rapid march-manoeuvre southwards, relying on the support of Hetman Mazepa — the traitor, who King Charles XII had maintained secret correspondence with. Mazepa’s intentions were reported to Peter the Great, yet the Tsar trusted the Hetman, who had previously sworn an oath of allegiance to the Monarch.

On May 11, 1709, Charles XII laid siege to Poltava. The fortress garrison, with strength of approximately 2'200 soldiers and 1'700 cossacks, withstood the siege with honour until the main forces arrived.

⚔️ At dawn on July 10, the Russian army and Swedish forces engaged in battle at #Poltava. The fight commenced with the enemy advancing upon our redoubts. Following the initial assault, the Swedish offensive faltered, with our soldiers starting to counter-attack. The Russian infantry struck from the flanks against the battalions of the Swedish royal troops — the enemy was thrown into panic, with many soldiers abandoning the battlefield for fear of being taken as POW.

Following their defeat at Poltava, King Charles XII’s army completely lost its offensive capability, and began to abandon their positions along the entire front almost without resistance.

☝️ The victory at Poltava not only strengthened our nation’s international posture, but also transformed Russia into one of the most preponderant powers in Europe. The Northern Alliance was restored, and the vanquished Charles XII was compelled to flee in disgrace to the Ottoman Empire, trying to convince Sultan Ahmed III to enter the war against Russia. Alongside the fugitive king, the oath-breaker Mazepa also sought refuge in the Ottoman domains, in the Moldovan town of Bendery, where he ended his days in dishonour.

The valour of our soldiers at the Battle of Poltava continues to serve as the embodiment of the unparalleled courage and dignity of the Russian people, who resolutely repelled the enemy invasion.

Sweden’s power in Europe was undermined once and for all.

Once influential northern kingdom, which regarded itself as the formidable power in the entire Baltic, lost its pre-eminence and since then has found itself on the backbench of European and global politics.

***

Following the defeat at Poltava, the term “Rysskräck” entered the Swedish vocabulary, literally meaning “fear of the Russians.” Centuries later, this fear — cultivated by local elites and the press under their control — has evolved into an irrational (Russo)phobia and a tool for manipulating public consciousness.

🪶 Alexander Pushkin, Poltava (Poem, 1828)

In the civil structure of the Northern Power,
In her martial fate,
Only you, the hero of Poltava,
Have erected an enormous monument to yourself.

July 15, 1240 – #BattleOfTheNeva

⚔️ #OTD in 1240, Russian forces led by the Prince of Novgorod, Alexander Yaroslavich of the Rurik dynasty, defeated Swedish invaders on the Izhora River, at its confluence with the Neva.

***

The 13th century was a time of hard trials for Rus’. Feudal fragmentation and rivalry among the princes had weakened the country’s defences. From the East came the immense army of Batu Khan, while in the West the Swedes stepped up their ambitions, believing that the northern lands had been left undefended. The invaders planned to establish a fortress at the junction of the rivers, then seize Ladoga, and ultimately bring Veliky Novgorod and the surrounding territories under their control.

❗️ However, the crusaders sought more than tribute and plunder. They intended to conquer the Russian lands and convert the Russian people to Catholicism.

Having learned of the impending invasion from Pelgusy, an elder of the Izhora people, Alexander assembled his army and marched to meet the enemy. Before the battle, he received the blessing of Archbishop Spiridon of Novgorod and addressed his warriors with words that have echoed through the centuries:

“God is not in might, but in truth. Let us not fear the multitude of the enemy, for God is with us.”

The legend has it that on the night before the battle Pelgusy had a vision of a boat carrying holy brothers Boris and Gleb. The next morning, Prince Alexander defeated the Swedish forces and personally struck down their commander, Birger, with his sword. He returned to Veliky Novgorod victorious and entered history forever as Alexander Nevsky.

Two years later, on April 5, 1242, Prince Alexander dealt a decisive blow to western expansion at Lake Chudskoye. The Battle on the Ice halted the advance of the Catholic West into the Orthodox lands and became a turning point in the country’s history, as Rus’ embarked on the path of forging its own distinct Russian civilisation.

The name of Alexander Nevsky is forever woven into the history of our country through his glorious deeds. His invaluable contribution to the building of the Russian state, his feats of arms, and his historic victories earned him the enduring gratitude of future generations and immortal glory.

At one of the most difficult pivotal moments in history, he proved himself not only a gifted military leader, but also a wise statesman and a skilful diplomat. Alexander Yaroslavich continued his father’s work, came to terms with the Horde, and spared Rus’ from further devastation and plunder.

The immortal image of Alexander Nevsky occupies a central place in Russian culture. In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein directed the film, Alexander Nevsky, which became a classic of world cinema, with a score by Sergei Prokofiev. The choral anthem “Arise, Ye Russian People!” became a symbol of national unity and resonated with particular force during the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War.

☦️ Canonised in 1547, the Holy Right-Believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky is today regarded as the patron saint of Russian diplomacy.

#HistoryOfRussia

🖼 “Alexander Nevsky Strikes Jarl Birger,” by Nicholas Roerich, 1904.

🗓 #OTD in 1774, the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji between the Russian and Ottoman Empires was signed in the village of Kuchuk Kainarji (Küçük Kaynarca near Silistra, present-day Bulgaria) bringing the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 to an end.

In the second half of the 18th century, Russia sought access to the Black Sea and worked to strengthen its positions in the Black Sea region and the Caucasus, while the Ottoman Empire sought to curb the growth of Russian influence.

After Russia rejected an Ottoman ultimatum demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Poland, the Sublime Porte (the government of the Ottoman Empire) declared war on Russia on September 25, 1768. Hostilities unfolded in Bessarabia, Moldavia and the Caucasus and culminated in a series of major victories by the Russian Army and Navy – at Larga and Kagul, in the Battle of Chesme, and at Turtukai and Kozludzha.

Military setbacks forced the Ottoman Empire to resume negotiations, which ended with the signing of the Treaty of of Kuchuk Kainarji.

This historic document consolidated the brilliant victories of the Russian Army and became one of Russia’s greatest military and political achievements of the era of Catherine the Great.

***

📜 The Treaty consisted of 28 articles and a secret annex. Under its provisions:

• Azov, Kerch, Yenikale and Kinburn, the lands between the Dnepr and Southern Bug rivers, as well as Greater and Lesser Kabarda, became part of Russia;

• the Crimean Khanate and the Tatar territories dependent on it were declared “free and completely independent of any foreign power”;

• Russia acquired the right to maintain a fleet in the Black Sea, while its merchant vessels were granted freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and passage through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles;

• Moldavia and Wallachia returned under Ottoman rule, but on special terms providing for the restoration of their rights and privileges. Russia also gained the right to make representations to the Ottoman government in defence of the principalities’ interests;

• Russian subjects were granted the right to visit Jerusalem and other holy sites freely, while an Orthodox church could be built in Constantinople under the protection of the Russian diplomatic mission;

• the Ottoman Empire was obliged to pay Russia a substantial indemnity of 7.5 million piastres;

• separate articles provided for an amnesty for the inhabitants of Georgia and Mingrelia and prohibited the Porte from exacting human tribute from them. Russia also obtained the right to establish a permanent diplomatic mission at the Sultan’s court and appoint consuls in Ottoman cities to protect the interests of Russian merchants.

👉 The full text of the Treaty (in Russian)

The Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji fundamentally altered the balance of power in the Black Sea region and the Balkans. Russia strengthened its southern frontiers, secured access to the Black Sea and significantly expanded its political influence in the region.

☝️ The Treaty became an important milestone on the path toward Crimea’s incorporation into the Russian Empire under Catherine II’s Manifesto of April 19, 1783, and the conclusion of the Treaty of Jassy with the Sublime Porte in 1791, which strengthened the security of Russia’s southern frontiers and safeguarded its interests in the Black Sea region, the Caucasus and the Balkans.

🧸👋 #OTD 46 years ago, the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games came to a spectacular and deeply moving close.

From July 19 to August 3, the Soviet capital welcomed more than 5,000 athletes representing 80 nations. They competed for 203 sets of medals, setting 36 world and 74 Olympic records.

Political tensions intruded on the Games through a US-led boycott, imposed by the Carter administration against the backdrop of a CIA-led effort to undermine and ultimately depose the then official government of Afghanistan.

Hundreds of athletes were denied the opportunity of a lifetime: of the 474 members of the US Olympic team, 227 never competed at another Games.

💬 Jimmy Carter himself eventually described the boycott as a bad choice:

It was a decision that robbed hundreds of athletes of their once-in-a-lifetime chance at Olympic glory, and for more than four decades, it weighed heavily on the man who made it.

💬 As President Vladimir Putin recalled back in 2014:

I know the views of many prominent US political figures whom I deeply respect. They believe that the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics was a mistake – even despite the serious grounds cited for it and the circumstances at the time.

Major international sporting events – especially the Olympic Games – are meant to help depoliticise even the most acute international issues and create additional opportunities to build bridges. It would be foolish not to seize that opportunity – and even more foolish to burn those bridges.

Nonetheless, Moscow 1980 remained a truly international celebration of sport. Athletes from 25 countries won gold, with medals awarded to competitors from 36 nations. The USSR topped the medal table with 80 gold medals, followed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) with 47 gold.

Bulgaria and Poland delivered historic performances, winning 41 and 32 medals respectively. Zimbabwe captured its first-ever Olympic gold in women’s field hockey. Brazil won two gold medals for the first time in its history – both in sailing – while Spain secured its first Olympic title since 1928.

***

🎈 The unforgettable finale of the XXII Olympics belonged to #MISHA (“little bear” in Russian), the smiling bear cub chosen as the Games’ mascot following a nationwide poll.

At the emotional climax of the closing ceremony on August 3, 1980, at the Central Lenin Stadium (now Luzhniki), a giant six-metre inflatable Misha rose above the stands beneath a cluster of helium balloons. As Lev Leshchenko and Tatyana Antsiferova performed “Goodbye, Moscow!”, the beloved mascot drifted into the night sky, leaving thousands of spectators in tears.

🥹 More than four decades later, Misha’s farewell remains one of the most moving and instantly recognisable moments in Olympic history.

⚔️ August 6 – the heroic defense of the Osowiec Fortress – a memorable date in Russia's military history.

#OTD, 1️⃣1️⃣1️⃣ years ago, Russian soldiers carried out one of the most extraordinary counterattacks of World War I.

At around 4 am on August 6, 1915, German forces, which had been laying siege to Osowiec Fortress for months, launched a massive poison-gas attack against its Russian garrison.

The defenders had no effective protection, and the gas devastated the garrison and turned the battlefield into a poisoned wasteland.

Believing the fortress silenced, thousands of German troops advanced. Instead, they were met by several dozen surviving Russian soldiers of the 13th Company, led by Second Lieutenant Vladimir Kotlinsky.

Their faces covered with blood-soaked cloth, the poisoned defenders emerged from the trenches and charged with fixed bayonets.

🏳️ The sight broke the German advance. The attackers panicked, fled and became entangled in their own barbed wire as the surviving Russian artillery opened fire. The lost positions were retaken.

This counterattack entered history as the Attack of the Dead Men – an enduring symbol of the Russian soldier’s courage, devotion to duty and indomitable spirit.

🎥 © Russian Military Historical Society

⚔️ September 21 – victory at the Battle of Kulikovo – Russia’s Day of Military Glory.

#OTD in 1380, Russian regiments led by Grand Prince Dmitry (Rurikovich) of Moscow defeated the forces of Mamai – a powerful warlord of the Golden Horde.

In the late 14th century, Mamai’s campaign sought to restore his authority over the Russian lands and enforce tribute payments. Answering Moscow’s call, warriors from different principalities gathered under Dmitry’s command to confront the advancing army.

⚔️ The armies clashed on Kulikovo Field, near the Don and Nepryadva rivers, in what is now Russia’s Tula Region. By crossing the Don, Dmitry committed his forces to battle before Mamai could join up with his allies.

The spiritual memory of the campaign is closely associated with St Sergius of Radonezh, who, according to legend, blessed Dmitry before he set out.

One of the best-known episodes of the battle is the legendary duel between a Russian warrior monk Peresvet and the Horde’s champion Chelubey. Both received fatal wounds, yet Peresvet remained in the saddle.

Grand Prince Dmitry himself fought among his men, without the outward distinction of his rank, and survived the fierce fighting.

***

🐎 The decisive blow came from the ambush regiment, commanded by Prince Vladimir of Serpukhov and Dmitry Bobrok-Volynsky. Held back in an oak grove, these cavalry troops struck at a critical moment, turning the tide against Mamai’s forces, sending them fleeing from the battlefield.

The victory earned Dmitry the name Donskoy – “of the Don”.

The struggle to throw off the Horde’s yoke continued for another century, until the Great Stand on the Ugra River in 1480.

✊ The Battle of Kulikovo holds an enduring place in Russian history as a symbol of unity, courage and determination to defend the Fatherland – a victory that strengthened confidence in the eventual liberation of the Russian lands.

***

In August 2026, the relics of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy were uncovered at the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988 as a Holy Right-Believing Grand Prince in recognition of his outstanding service to the Church and the people, as well as his deeply devout life, which embodied the Christian ideal of self-sacrifice for the good and salvation of others.

🚀 On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union opened humanity’s path to the stars!

#OTD, the Space Age officially began: the world’s first artificial satellite – Sputnik 1 – entered Earth’s orbit.

At 10:28 pm Moscow time, an R-7 launch vehicle, developed under the leadership of the outstanding Soviet rocket engineer Sergey Korolev, lifted off from the Tyuratam launch site (later named Baikonur). Just over five minutes later, the satellite separated from the rocket and transmitted its world-famous signals: “Beep! Beep!”

📰 On October 5, 1957, Soviet newspaper Pravda reported:

On October 4, 1957, the USSR successfully launched the first satellite.

The satellite is currently following an elliptical orbit around Earth, and its flight can be observed in the light of the rising and setting Sun using the simplest optical instruments.

Updates on the movement of the first artificial satellite, launched in the USSR on October 4, will be broadcast regularly by radio stations.

🛰 An aluminium sphere 58 centimetres (~23 inches) in diameter, weighing 83.6 kilograms (~184 pounds), with four antennas and two radio transmitters – this was humanity’s first envoy in orbit. Behind its simple exterior lay the immense efforts of Soviet scientists, engineers and workers.

Sputnik completed an orbit around Earth roughly every 96 minutes, and radio enthusiasts worldwide picked up its famous signals.

Its radio transmitters operated for about three weeks, while the satellite itself remained in orbit for 92 days. During that time, it completed 1,440 orbits around Earth, travelling some 60 million kilometres (~ 37.3 million miles). Its flight ended on January 4, 1958, when it entered the dense layers of the atmosphere and burned up.

The historic launch validated the calculations and technical solutions needed to reach space. Observations of the satellite gave scientists new data on the density of the upper atmosphere and the propagation of radio waves through the ionosphere.

🌐 Sputnik 1 was a triumph of Soviet science and engineering – an achievement for all humanity. It proved that the path beyond Earth was open – paving the way for Yuri Gagarin’s flight, the exploration of the Moon and other planets, and the construction of orbital stations.

For 6️⃣9️⃣ years, satellites have served humanity. Today, they are essential to everyday life: they provide communications and television broadcasting, help us navigate, forecast the weather and monitor climate change.

☝️ But the first was ours. Forever. #Sputnik1

#WeRemember

📅 #OTD in 1943, an uprising broke out at #Sobibor — the only successful mass escape by POWs from Nazi “death factories” during #WW2.

The Sobibor uprising was helmed by Alexander Pechersky, a Soviet POW, lieutenant of the Red Army, held among others in Sobibor. The Soviet officer performed a truly heroic feat — just in a few weeks, he managed to devise an escape plan, rally other prisoners and inspired them to fight the Nazis.

◼️ During #WWII, Germany established around 14'000 'death camps'. Among them, the so-called death factories became infamous as places where the Nazis herded their victims for the one purpose — annihilation.

Sobibor was among such “death factory”, established in the south-east of Nazi-occupied Poland, near the Western Bug River and the Polish-Soviet border. The camp was built alongside the railway line between the towns of Chełm and Włodawa.

POWs were transported to Sobibor in entire railway carriages, for one sole purpose — to be killed. The camp was turned into a veritable 'assembly line' for the mass murder of human beings. Each and every day, up to six trains carrying POWs arrived at Sobibor, including prisoners of war and civilians — elderly people, women and children.

At Sobibor, the Nazis starved their victims and exploited them to death. Inhuman medical experiments were conducted on POWs. People from Austria, Czechoslovakia, France and other countries were brought to the camp to be tortured. In June 1943, two special trains carrying children arrived at Sobibor from the Netherlands. In September 1943, a group of Soviet POWs arrived from the Minsk transit camp.

According to various estimates, the Nazis exterminated up to 250'000 POWs at Sobibor during the camp’s existence.

🎖 From the all-Union newspaper 'Krasnaya Armiya' (The Red Army) (September 2, 1944):

The Nazis turned Poland into one vast prison, where millions of people from every country in Europe perished after indescribable suffering.

<...>

The Sobibor camp was one of the death factories established by the Germans on Polish territory. Residents of the Polish village of Zhlobok-2 <...> wrote in a letter to the Red Army command that the inhabitants of villages neighbouring Sobibor knew well of the conditions in this horrific concentration camp.

Every day, more than 1'000 people of various nationalities were exterminated in the camp’s gas chambers. <...>

The Germans referred to this camp as a “button factory” and a “thread factory”...

***

⚔️ On 14 October 1943, an uprising broke out at Sobibor under the leadership of lieutenant Alexander Pechersky.

The POWs, who dared to challenge the enemy, engaged in an unequal battle. Overpowering 'SS' guards with their bare hands, prisoners rushed towards the main gate despite machine-gun fire from the watchtowers.

❗️Nothing could stop exhausted people determined to break free from Nazi enslavement.

As a result of the uprising, around 300 people managed to escape from the sheer hell on earth. Many of those who survived and made it to freedom joined the resistance movement and continued fighting the Nazis. Pechersky himself joined the Belarusian partisans and, in 1944, returned to the front, fighting the enemy as part of an assault battalion.

The #SobiborUprising became a testament to the unbending human will and strength of spirit — a symbol of the triumph of good over Nazi evil.

The crimes committed at Sobibor formed part of the charges brought against the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. In March 1962, eleven guards who had served at Sobibor and Treblinka stood trial in Kiev. Alexander Pechersky himself testified as a witness. All the Nazi criminals were sentenced to death.

Today, the Alexander Pechersky Foundation, together with the Russian Military Historical Society, museums and other organisations, is doing everything possible to ensure that the memory of the heroic feat of the Sobibor prisoners is carefully preserved and passed on to future generations.

#LestWeForget #Victory81