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April 11 marks the International Day of Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camps.
This date was established by #UNESCO in 1952 in memory of the uprising of prisoners in #Buchenwald (April 11, 1945) — one of the largest concentration camps in Nazi Germany.
The Day of Liberation symbolizes solidarity and resistance against all forms of violence, discrimination, and genocide, and calls on to remember history and prevent the recurrence of the terrible tragedy of #WW2.
In Nazi Germany and on the territories occupied by the Reich, a system of organised extermination of people was created — a vast network of concentration camps and so-called “death factories.” Millions of prisoners from the USSR and European countries were held there under terrible and inhumane conditions, many of whom were brutally murdered by Nazi criminals. During the years of the war, more than 20 million people from 30 countries passed through concentration camps.
The system of Hitler’s concentration camps was destroyed as a result of the Victory over Nazism and the defeat of the Third Reich. The first Nazi “death factory”, whose prisoners were saved from by the Red Army, was the #Majdanek concentration camp (Poland) in July 1944. Later, prisoners of #Belzec, #Sobibor, #Treblinka, #AuschwitzBirkenau, #Stutthof, #Sachsenhausen, #Ravensbrück, and others were also liberated.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
◼️ As in Europe, after the invasion of the USSR, the Nazi criminals created a network of concentration camps with the only purpose — to systematically exterminate the population of our country regardless of ethnicity, race, or religion.
According to the criminal plans of the leadership of the Third Reich, Soviet citizens, irrespective of their ethnicity, race, or religion, were to be killed or subjected to “Germanization” in Nazi slavery.
One such camp on the territory of our Motherland was the so-called #BryanskBuchenwald—“Dulag-142,” where in just two years (!) more than 40’000 Soviet civilians perished (👉 by comparison, approximately the same number of people were killed over the entire nine years of operation of the SS Buchenwald camp in Thuringia).
◼️ Approximately 13.7 million Soviet people fell victims of the ruthless policy of exterminating those deemed “inferior” by Nazi Germans.
Due to the inhumane conditions of forced labor and inhumane treatment in Nazi concentration camps in the USSR, more than 2 million prisoners died in suffering, including tens of thousands of children and adolescents.
It is documentally established that at least 7.4 million Soviet civilians were deliberately killed by Nazi occupants — shot dead, burned, or buried alive.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in cooperation with the Investigative Committee, other competent agencies, as well as the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation and the Russian Military Historical Society, is systematically working to establish the legal classification of the crimes of Nazi invaders as genocide of the peoples of the Soviet Union. Joint efforts are taken to systematise knowledge about the genocide.
#ArchivesSpeak
❗️ As part of efforts to
preserve the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Soviet people, documentary and multimedia materials have been prepared, recording numerous crimes committed by the Nazis during the occupation of our country and other nations.
👉 Learn more
This date was established by #UNESCO in 1952 in memory of the uprising of prisoners in #Buchenwald (April 11, 1945) — one of the largest concentration camps in Nazi Germany.
The Day of Liberation symbolizes solidarity and resistance against all forms of violence, discrimination, and genocide, and calls on to remember history and prevent the recurrence of the terrible tragedy of #WW2.
In Nazi Germany and on the territories occupied by the Reich, a system of organised extermination of people was created — a vast network of concentration camps and so-called “death factories.” Millions of prisoners from the USSR and European countries were held there under terrible and inhumane conditions, many of whom were brutally murdered by Nazi criminals. During the years of the war, more than 20 million people from 30 countries passed through concentration camps.
The system of Hitler’s concentration camps was destroyed as a result of the Victory over Nazism and the defeat of the Third Reich. The first Nazi “death factory”, whose prisoners were saved from by the Red Army, was the #Majdanek concentration camp (Poland) in July 1944. Later, prisoners of #Belzec, #Sobibor, #Treblinka, #AuschwitzBirkenau, #Stutthof, #Sachsenhausen, #Ravensbrück, and others were also liberated.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
◼️ As in Europe, after the invasion of the USSR, the Nazi criminals created a network of concentration camps with the only purpose — to systematically exterminate the population of our country regardless of ethnicity, race, or religion.
According to the criminal plans of the leadership of the Third Reich, Soviet citizens, irrespective of their ethnicity, race, or religion, were to be killed or subjected to “Germanization” in Nazi slavery.
One such camp on the territory of our Motherland was the so-called #BryanskBuchenwald—“Dulag-142,” where in just two years (!) more than 40’000 Soviet civilians perished (👉 by comparison, approximately the same number of people were killed over the entire nine years of operation of the SS Buchenwald camp in Thuringia).
◼️ Approximately 13.7 million Soviet people fell victims of the ruthless policy of exterminating those deemed “inferior” by Nazi Germans.
Due to the inhumane conditions of forced labor and inhumane treatment in Nazi concentration camps in the USSR, more than 2 million prisoners died in suffering, including tens of thousands of children and adolescents.
It is documentally established that at least 7.4 million Soviet civilians were deliberately killed by Nazi occupants — shot dead, burned, or buried alive.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in cooperation with the Investigative Committee, other competent agencies, as well as the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation and the Russian Military Historical Society, is systematically working to establish the legal classification of the crimes of Nazi invaders as genocide of the peoples of the Soviet Union. Joint efforts are taken to systematise knowledge about the genocide.
#ArchivesSpeak
❗️ As part of efforts to
preserve the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Soviet people, documentary and multimedia materials have been prepared, recording numerous crimes committed by the Nazis during the occupation of our country and other nations.
👉 Learn more
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#Victory81
🌟 On April 22, 1945, the Red Army liberated the prisoners of the Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen during #WW2.
The forces of the 1st Belorussian Front, which had been advancing towards the Reich's capital from the north during the Berlin offensive operation, drove the Nazi troops out of Oranienburg and reached Sachsenhausen, having rescued around 3'000 surviving POWs.
#Sachsenhausen was considered as one of the most terrifying Nazi 'death factories'. Over nine years of its existence, about 200'000 people of various nationalities — citizens of European countries which had suffered from Nazi aggression, including the USSR — passed through that camp. Each month, up to 150 people were brought there. By 1944, citizens of the Soviet Union and Poland made up more than 90% of all Sachsenhausen prisoners.
Sachsenhausen held the most serious political opponents of Hitler, prominent state figures from many European countries defeated by the Nazis, such as France, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and the Netherlands, including their heads of government and ministers.
◼️ According to various historical estimates, more than 100'000 prisoners were killed in Sachsenhausen over the time the camp was in operation.
From August to November 1941 alone, at least 10'000 Soviet POWs were killed in Sachsenhausen, and another 3'000 died there from starvation and from conditions that were barbaric, unprecedentedly violent, and, in fact, inhumane.
On the personal orders of Himmler and other top leaders of the Third Reich, classified operations to exterminate people were carried out in Sachsenhausen.
Nazi's military doctors carried out macabre, horrific medical experiments on Sachsenhausen prisoners, including tests with mustard gas — yprite. Test subjects were deliberately mutilated and then exposed to mustard gas. People were forced to inhale the gas, consume it in liquid form, or receive it via injection. Open wounds were intentionally inflicted on prisoners’ hands, after which the gas was applied. In most cases, the victims’ limbs swelled severely, causing excruciating pain.
When the Red Army were rapidly advancing to Sachsenhausen during the Battle of Berlin, the Nazis began hastily covering up the traces of their heinous crimes. The camp administration decided to kill all remaining prisoners — with 45'000 inmates remaining in the camp.
The Nazis killed some of the prisoners in the crematoria of Sachsenhausen, and forced the rest on a 'death march' towards the Baltic Sea where they planned to drown their victims. However, thanks to the successful and rapid advance of the Red Army, these monstrous Nazi plans were thwarted, and the surviving prisoners of Sachsenhausen were rescued.
In aftermath of #WWII, Sachsenhausen was converted into a prison for Nazi criminals, including members of the Nazi NSDAP party, SS troops, and Wehrmacht officers. In November 1947, a trial of the Sachsenhausen administration was held in Berlin.
📑 Excerpt from a report “Reactions of the German population to the trial of criminals from Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp” (Berlin, November 5, 1947; prepared by the 7th Department of the Main Political Directorate of the Red Army):
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
The forces of the 1st Belorussian Front, which had been advancing towards the Reich's capital from the north during the Berlin offensive operation, drove the Nazi troops out of Oranienburg and reached Sachsenhausen, having rescued around 3'000 surviving POWs.
#Sachsenhausen was considered as one of the most terrifying Nazi 'death factories'. Over nine years of its existence, about 200'000 people of various nationalities — citizens of European countries which had suffered from Nazi aggression, including the USSR — passed through that camp. Each month, up to 150 people were brought there. By 1944, citizens of the Soviet Union and Poland made up more than 90% of all Sachsenhausen prisoners.
Sachsenhausen held the most serious political opponents of Hitler, prominent state figures from many European countries defeated by the Nazis, such as France, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and the Netherlands, including their heads of government and ministers.
◼️ According to various historical estimates, more than 100'000 prisoners were killed in Sachsenhausen over the time the camp was in operation.
From August to November 1941 alone, at least 10'000 Soviet POWs were killed in Sachsenhausen, and another 3'000 died there from starvation and from conditions that were barbaric, unprecedentedly violent, and, in fact, inhumane.
On the personal orders of Himmler and other top leaders of the Third Reich, classified operations to exterminate people were carried out in Sachsenhausen.
Nazi's military doctors carried out macabre, horrific medical experiments on Sachsenhausen prisoners, including tests with mustard gas — yprite. Test subjects were deliberately mutilated and then exposed to mustard gas. People were forced to inhale the gas, consume it in liquid form, or receive it via injection. Open wounds were intentionally inflicted on prisoners’ hands, after which the gas was applied. In most cases, the victims’ limbs swelled severely, causing excruciating pain.
When the Red Army were rapidly advancing to Sachsenhausen during the Battle of Berlin, the Nazis began hastily covering up the traces of their heinous crimes. The camp administration decided to kill all remaining prisoners — with 45'000 inmates remaining in the camp.
The Nazis killed some of the prisoners in the crematoria of Sachsenhausen, and forced the rest on a 'death march' towards the Baltic Sea where they planned to drown their victims. However, thanks to the successful and rapid advance of the Red Army, these monstrous Nazi plans were thwarted, and the surviving prisoners of Sachsenhausen were rescued.
In aftermath of #WWII, Sachsenhausen was converted into a prison for Nazi criminals, including members of the Nazi NSDAP party, SS troops, and Wehrmacht officers. In November 1947, a trial of the Sachsenhausen administration was held in Berlin.
📑 Excerpt from a report “Reactions of the German population to the trial of criminals from Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp” (Berlin, November 5, 1947; prepared by the 7th Department of the Main Political Directorate of the Red Army):
<...> The trial of the Sachsenhausen criminals elicited a significant response among the German population... In the comments about the trial, a sense of outrage at the scale of the heinous crimes committed was most often expressed.
It was noted that the Nazis' actions had covered the German people in disgrace.
“We find it incomprehensible how those people could sink lower than beasts. For us, Germans, who culturally considered ourselves almost a head above the Russians, it is a disgrace that these criminals are Germans” (Potsdam).
“The [Sachsenhausen] trial is a terrible disgrace for the German people... <...> It is inconceivable that humans could commit such atrocities. It’s a pity that in the western [occupation] zones such criminals are still walking free.”
“Nazi criminals have nailed an entire generation of Germans to the pillory.”
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
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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…
🌟 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…
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#FacesOfVictory
🌟 On April 30, 1945, just ten days before Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender, soldiers of the 674th Rifle Regiment of the 150th Rifle Division of the 1st Byelorussian Front, Grigory Bulatov and Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev, raised the first Red Banner on the facade of the Reichstag during the battle for the key Nazi citadel.
The distance between Himmler’s house, where Bulatov and Koshkarbayev had been braking through to the Reichstag, was less than 500 metres. The fighting was so intense and fierce that it took our forces seven hours to reach the Reichstag walls. The Red Army soldiers pushed the Nazis back under barrage fire — they had to overcome numerous trenches and anti-tank fortifications.
💬 Excerpt from private Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev’s account of the battle for the Reichstag:
🖋 The 150th Division’s military report:
The red flag installed by Bulatov and Koshkarbayev — the legendary makeshift flagpole — was the first of the banners raised on the Reichstag building by Soviet soldiers-liberators, marking the long-awaited and upcoming Victory in #WW2.
🎖 For their courage and heroism during the battle of the Reichstag, Grigory Bulatov and Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Subsequently, the memorials were dedicated to the Heroes in their home regions: to Gigory Bulatov in Kirov and to Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan and in the Republic’s capital, Astana.
#Victory81 #OurHeroes #WeAreProud
The distance between Himmler’s house, where Bulatov and Koshkarbayev had been braking through to the Reichstag, was less than 500 metres. The fighting was so intense and fierce that it took our forces seven hours to reach the Reichstag walls. The Red Army soldiers pushed the Nazis back under barrage fire — they had to overcome numerous trenches and anti-tank fortifications.
💬 Excerpt from private Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev’s account of the battle for the Reichstag:
Preliminary shelling commenced. As the first shots were fired, Bulatov and I ran to the Reichstag.
I hoisted Bulatov up, supporting his legs, and we installed a flag right there, at the first-floor level.
🖋 The 150th Division’s military report:
On April 30, 1945, at 2:25 pm, Koshkarbayev and Bulatov crawled to the building lobby and attached a red flag to the main staircase.
The red flag installed by Bulatov and Koshkarbayev — the legendary makeshift flagpole — was the first of the banners raised on the Reichstag building by Soviet soldiers-liberators, marking the long-awaited and upcoming Victory in #WW2.
🎖 For their courage and heroism during the battle of the Reichstag, Grigory Bulatov and Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Subsequently, the memorials were dedicated to the Heroes in their home regions: to Gigory Bulatov in Kirov and to Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan and in the Republic’s capital, Astana.
#Victory81 #OurHeroes #WeAreProud
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#Victory81
🌟 On May 6, 1945, the Prague offensive of the Red Army commenced, marking the end of the final battle of the Great Patriotic War on the European ToO during #WW2.
As a result of the operation, Nazi army groups 'Center' and 'Austria' — the last of the remaining fascists' combat-capable troops (around one million Wehrmacht and SS soldiers and officers) — were crushed and ultimately destroyed once and for all.
Czechoslovakia, torn apart by Hitler with the principle consent of Prague's key Western allies — Britain and France — was finally liberated. Following the six years of Nazi occupation, the Czechoslovak peoples finally regained independence paid by blood and enormous sacrifice of the Red Army soldiers-liberators.
📕 From the memoirs of Marshal Ivan Konev (“Forty-Fifth”):
🎖 As the Soviet forces approached the borders of Czechoslovakia, a popular uprising broke out in Prague, which was brutally suppressed by SS-units (more than three thousand Praguers were killed). The Czechoslovak government appealed to the Soviet command for support for the anti-fascist resistance movement.
On May 6, the forward group of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev advanced to Prague, along with forces of the 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts, supported by the Czechoslovak resistance army and local partisans. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with their brothers-in-arms — the Red Army soldiers — they finally cleared their Motherland, Czechoslovakia, of Nazi troops. From 1939 to 1945, the fascists exterminated all who opposed the occupation regime. Thousands of Slovaks and Czechs were forcibly deported to the Reich and enslaved there.
💬 Commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal Ivan Konev:
On the night of May 8-9, tank units of the 1st Ukrainian Front engaged in rapid 80-kilometer forced march and, overcoming fierce SS-troops' resistance, entered Prague.
By 10 a.m. on May 9, Soviet forces, with active support from the Czechoslovak people, completely cleared Prague of the Nazis.
In the meanwhile, the enemy’s retreat routes to the west and southwest were cut off. On May 10-11, the remaining combat-capable Nazi troops, their collaborators and henchmen outside Prague began to surrender. Over the following three days, the main forces of the 1st and 4th Ukrainian Fronts fully destroyed the remnants of German armies eastward of the Czechoslovak capital.
💬 Commander of the 4th Ukrainian Front, Marshal Andrey Yeremenko:
💬 Soviet tank crews' member, who liberated Prague, Vassily Moskalenko:
🕯 #WeRemember: 140'000 of our soldiers and officers gave their lives for the freedom of Czechoslovakia. In honour of this landmark victory, the medal “For the Liberation of Prague” was established.
#Victory81
As a result of the operation, Nazi army groups 'Center' and 'Austria' — the last of the remaining fascists' combat-capable troops (around one million Wehrmacht and SS soldiers and officers) — were crushed and ultimately destroyed once and for all.
Czechoslovakia, torn apart by Hitler with the principle consent of Prague's key Western allies — Britain and France — was finally liberated. Following the six years of Nazi occupation, the Czechoslovak peoples finally regained independence paid by blood and enormous sacrifice of the Red Army soldiers-liberators.
📕 From the memoirs of Marshal Ivan Konev (“Forty-Fifth”):
The war was essentially over, yet these men died here, on the outskirts of Prague, when our entire country was already celebrating Victory.
They fell in the final battle with the enemy, fearlessly bringing the mission to its end.
🎖 As the Soviet forces approached the borders of Czechoslovakia, a popular uprising broke out in Prague, which was brutally suppressed by SS-units (more than three thousand Praguers were killed). The Czechoslovak government appealed to the Soviet command for support for the anti-fascist resistance movement.
On May 6, the forward group of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev advanced to Prague, along with forces of the 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts, supported by the Czechoslovak resistance army and local partisans. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with their brothers-in-arms — the Red Army soldiers — they finally cleared their Motherland, Czechoslovakia, of Nazi troops. From 1939 to 1945, the fascists exterminated all who opposed the occupation regime. Thousands of Slovaks and Czechs were forcibly deported to the Reich and enslaved there.
💬 Commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal Ivan Konev:
Despite the exhaustion after the Berlin operation, on the eve of the offensive on Prague that slogan was everywhere:
To Prague! We shall save it!
We won't allow Prague to be destroyed by fascist barbarians!
On the night of May 8-9, tank units of the 1st Ukrainian Front engaged in rapid 80-kilometer forced march and, overcoming fierce SS-troops' resistance, entered Prague.
By 10 a.m. on May 9, Soviet forces, with active support from the Czechoslovak people, completely cleared Prague of the Nazis.
In the meanwhile, the enemy’s retreat routes to the west and southwest were cut off. On May 10-11, the remaining combat-capable Nazi troops, their collaborators and henchmen outside Prague began to surrender. Over the following three days, the main forces of the 1st and 4th Ukrainian Fronts fully destroyed the remnants of German armies eastward of the Czechoslovak capital.
💬 Commander of the 4th Ukrainian Front, Marshal Andrey Yeremenko:
It is difficult to put into words…
The Czechoslovak people had suffered greatly at the hands of fascist barbarians.
💬 Soviet tank crews' member, who liberated Prague, Vassily Moskalenko:
Local boys ran up to our tanks <…> carrying buckets of cold water. After the march, it was like honey to us.
People of all ages cried out with joy, grasped our hands, embraced us.
🕯 #WeRemember: 140'000 of our soldiers and officers gave their lives for the freedom of Czechoslovakia. In honour of this landmark victory, the medal “For the Liberation of Prague” was established.
#Victory81
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#Victory81
🌟 On May 8, 1949, the iconic monument in the Soviet War Memorial in #TreptowerPark in Berlin — aka the Soldier-Liberator — was unveiled, right there, at the sacred site of the mass grave of 7'000 Red Army soldiers and officers who perished in the fierce Battle of Berlin in April-May 1945.
This iconic #WW2-era memorial is one of the most worldwide recognizable symbol of the Soviet people’s Great Victory over Nazism. The bronze statue of a Soviet soldier, carefully holding a rescued German girl to his chest and breaking the Nazi swastika with his sword, embodies the noble mission of the Red Army, which liberated Europe from the shackles of Hitler's occupation and put #WWII to its final end.
Inside the foundation of the #LiberatorSoldier monument, there is a memorial hall crowned with images of the Order of Victory. Adorning the wall, there is an inscription:
***
The architectural design of the memorial in Treptower Park commemorates the heroic deed of Red Army soldier Nikolay Masalov. On April 30, 1945, during the fierce street combat in Berlin, the Red Army soldier risked his life to rescue a three-year-old German girl from Nazi gunfire.
The memorial complex took three years to build, from 1946 to 1949. The project was coordinated by famous Soviet monumental sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, architect Yakov Belopolsky and artist Anatoly Gorpenko.
The very site for the future monument in Berlin was chosen for a particular reason. Treptower Park, located along the Spree River, had been a cherished public park for Berliners. The architects envisioned the memorial as an enduring testament to remind to future generations of who had truly defeated the Third Reich and brought back freedom to the German people and all European nations.
The historical importance of the memorial in preserving the memory of the Soviet soldiers’ heroism can be seen in the architects' note for the initial sketches for the Soviet monuments in Berlin. The note reads, in part:
German sculptors also contributed to its creation, while the choice of building material — the granite taken from the ruins of the defeated Hitler's Reichskanzlei — was imbued with powerful symbolism.
🎖 The monument was officially unveiled on May 8, 1949. During the ceremony, Berlin’s military commandant, Major General Alexander Kotikov, delivered his famous address:
***
Each and every year on May 9, despite the authorities’ ongoing efforts to stifle our sacred #VictoryDay commemorations, thousands of compassionate citizens — our compatriots, and Germans alike — gather at Treptower Park to cherish the memory of Liberators who saved the world from Nazism.
💬 Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (excerpt from briefing of April 24, 2026):
#WeRemember
This iconic #WW2-era memorial is one of the most worldwide recognizable symbol of the Soviet people’s Great Victory over Nazism. The bronze statue of a Soviet soldier, carefully holding a rescued German girl to his chest and breaking the Nazi swastika with his sword, embodies the noble mission of the Red Army, which liberated Europe from the shackles of Hitler's occupation and put #WWII to its final end.
Inside the foundation of the #LiberatorSoldier monument, there is a memorial hall crowned with images of the Order of Victory. Adorning the wall, there is an inscription:
Today, it is globally acknowledged that, through their selfless struggle, the Soviet people saved European civilisation from annihilation by fascists.
This stands as the Soviet peoples' historic feat for humanity.
***
The architectural design of the memorial in Treptower Park commemorates the heroic deed of Red Army soldier Nikolay Masalov. On April 30, 1945, during the fierce street combat in Berlin, the Red Army soldier risked his life to rescue a three-year-old German girl from Nazi gunfire.
The memorial complex took three years to build, from 1946 to 1949. The project was coordinated by famous Soviet monumental sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, architect Yakov Belopolsky and artist Anatoly Gorpenko.
The very site for the future monument in Berlin was chosen for a particular reason. Treptower Park, located along the Spree River, had been a cherished public park for Berliners. The architects envisioned the memorial as an enduring testament to remind to future generations of who had truly defeated the Third Reich and brought back freedom to the German people and all European nations.
The historical importance of the memorial in preserving the memory of the Soviet soldiers’ heroism can be seen in the architects' note for the initial sketches for the Soviet monuments in Berlin. The note reads, in part:
When designing the projects, the objective must be to create enduring, monumental structures that embody the idea of commemorating the glorious memory of the Soviet Army’s liberating mission, for which these soldiers gave their lives…
The TREPTOWER monument must be especially grand.
German sculptors also contributed to its creation, while the choice of building material — the granite taken from the ruins of the defeated Hitler's Reichskanzlei — was imbued with powerful symbolism.
🎖 The monument was officially unveiled on May 8, 1949. During the ceremony, Berlin’s military commandant, Major General Alexander Kotikov, delivered his famous address:
This monument in the heart of Europe, in Berlin, will forever remind the peoples of the world when, how, and at what cost Victory was achieved, our Motherland was saved and the present and future generations of humanity were preserved.
***
Each and every year on May 9, despite the authorities’ ongoing efforts to stifle our sacred #VictoryDay commemorations, thousands of compassionate citizens — our compatriots, and Germans alike — gather at Treptower Park to cherish the memory of Liberators who saved the world from Nazism.
💬 Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (excerpt from briefing of April 24, 2026):
This memorial features the statue of a Soviet soldier holding a German girl.
Not a Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Tajik, Armenian, Azerbaijani, or Jewish girl, but a German girl.
This, I believe, represents the highest expression of humanism: a Soviet soldier is portrayed as a liberator, first and foremost, of the German people from Nazism, even though his own family had been destroyed, his home obliterated, and Soviet towns and villages burned down.
Yet he protects a German girl.
#WeRemember
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🌟 On May 9, 1945, at 0:43 am Moscow time (May 8, 22:43 CET), the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of the Nazi Germany was 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 Yury Levitan announced the text of the German Instrument of Surrender to the people of the Soviet Union, proclaiming May 9 as Victory Day:
🖋 From the memoirs by military correspondent Konstantin Simonov:
***
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 Maria Zakharova (excerpt from a briefing, May 7, 2026):
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 Yury Levitan 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 Maria Zakharova (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.
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#FacesOfVictory
🌟 On May 23, 1921, Soviet #WW2-era underground partisan fighter and scout, Hero of the Soviet Union Anna Morozova was born. She is regarded as one of the most successful leaders of the Soviet underground resistance movement units operating in the Nazi rear.
In the aftermath of Nazi Germany’s treacherous invasion of our Motherland, Anna Morozova, like many of her peers, volunteered for the fight against the enemy at the age of just 20. In the settlement of Seshcha (present-day Bryansk Region), where Anna and her family had moved before the war, the Nazis deployed the 2nd Luftwaffe fleet at the local airbase. Right from there, German aircraft carried out bombing against Moscow, as well as Yaroslavl, Gorky, Saratov, and other Soviet cities.
Anna Morozova and her family found themselves in the Nazi occupation within the five-kilometre “dead zone” around the settlement, established by the enemy in order to secure the strategic airfield — in the deep rear. Together with several local young women, Anna Morozova became involved in the Komsomol youth underground organisation, which was coordinated by the Bryansk partisan headquarters.
Operating under extraordinarily difficult conditions deep in the enemy rear, Anna Morozova and her comrades successfully performed their tasks over a period of two years, inflicting substantial damage on the enemy. Their clandestine partisan activities included numerous acts of successful sabotage directed against Nazi aircraft, railway echelons, and ammunition depots belonging to the German fascist invaders.
In 1944, Anna Morozova was sent to East Prussia and Poland as a member of the scout group codenamed "Jack". The unit uncovered a secret Luftwaffe airfield and gathered strategically significant intelligence on the Nazi garrisons in the region.
At the end of December 1944, a member of the “Jack” group was captured by the enemy and, under torture, disclosed his comrades' temporary dislocation, thereby exposing the entire unit to Germans. SS units subsequently located the Soviet scouts and launched a large-scale manhunt.
Engaged in unequal fight with the superior Nazi troops, Anna Morozova was heavily wounded.
Polish partisans concealed her in a willow thicket, but the Nazis eventually discovered her safe haven. Morozova kept fighting until expending her final cartridge and, in order to avoid capture, detonated a grenade, killing herself together with the advancing SS punitive detachment.
🎖 In 1965, Anna Morozova was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously) “for exceptional service, courage, and heroism performed in the struggle against the German fascist invaders during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.”
***
To mark the 20th Anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the multi-part motion picture Calling Fire Upon Ourselves was produced by Mosfilm, based on the novella by Ovidy Gorchakov.
The film depicts real events that occurred in 1942–1943 in the Nazi rear in the Bryansk region, specifically in Seshcha. The role of Anna Morozova was portrayed by Lyudmila Kasatkina.
#OurHeroes #WeRemember #Victory81
In the aftermath of Nazi Germany’s treacherous invasion of our Motherland, Anna Morozova, like many of her peers, volunteered for the fight against the enemy at the age of just 20. In the settlement of Seshcha (present-day Bryansk Region), where Anna and her family had moved before the war, the Nazis deployed the 2nd Luftwaffe fleet at the local airbase. Right from there, German aircraft carried out bombing against Moscow, as well as Yaroslavl, Gorky, Saratov, and other Soviet cities.
Anna Morozova and her family found themselves in the Nazi occupation within the five-kilometre “dead zone” around the settlement, established by the enemy in order to secure the strategic airfield — in the deep rear. Together with several local young women, Anna Morozova became involved in the Komsomol youth underground organisation, which was coordinated by the Bryansk partisan headquarters.
Operating under extraordinarily difficult conditions deep in the enemy rear, Anna Morozova and her comrades successfully performed their tasks over a period of two years, inflicting substantial damage on the enemy. Their clandestine partisan activities included numerous acts of successful sabotage directed against Nazi aircraft, railway echelons, and ammunition depots belonging to the German fascist invaders.
In 1944, Anna Morozova was sent to East Prussia and Poland as a member of the scout group codenamed "Jack". The unit uncovered a secret Luftwaffe airfield and gathered strategically significant intelligence on the Nazi garrisons in the region.
At the end of December 1944, a member of the “Jack” group was captured by the enemy and, under torture, disclosed his comrades' temporary dislocation, thereby exposing the entire unit to Germans. SS units subsequently located the Soviet scouts and launched a large-scale manhunt.
Engaged in unequal fight with the superior Nazi troops, Anna Morozova was heavily wounded.
Polish partisans concealed her in a willow thicket, but the Nazis eventually discovered her safe haven. Morozova kept fighting until expending her final cartridge and, in order to avoid capture, detonated a grenade, killing herself together with the advancing SS punitive detachment.
🎖 In 1965, Anna Morozova was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously) “for exceptional service, courage, and heroism performed in the struggle against the German fascist invaders during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.”
***
To mark the 20th Anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the multi-part motion picture Calling Fire Upon Ourselves was produced by Mosfilm, based on the novella by Ovidy Gorchakov.
The film depicts real events that occurred in 1942–1943 in the Nazi rear in the Bryansk region, specifically in Seshcha. The role of Anna Morozova was portrayed by Lyudmila Kasatkina.
#OurHeroes #WeRemember #Victory81
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6️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on July 1, 1966, French President, General Charles de Gaulle concluded his state visit to the Soviet Union.
The French Leader’s visit to our country became a landmark event in relations between the USSR and the West during the Cold War, clearly proving Paris’s independent and pragmatic course. Under President de Gaulle, France was seeking mutually beneficial relations with Moscow on the principles of equality, constructive cooperation, trust and respect cemented by the experience of allied fight against Nazism during #WW2.
The talks held in Moscow between the Soviet leadership and the President of France — one of the major European powers — contributed significantly to easing tensions amid growing escalation of the Cold War 1960-s. The Soviet-French Joint Declaration on the principles of relations, signed in Moscow on June 30, 1966, was subsequently reflected in the key document of the pan-European process, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975.
During his visit to the Soviet Union, the French leader visited Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Volgograd, Novosibirsk as well as the Baikonur Space Centre. Charles de Gaulle finished each and every address to the Soviet people with a final phrase spoken in Russian to pay respect for our country, its great history and the entire Soviet nation.
📸 The photo exhibition of the most remarkable moments from General de Gaulle’s visit to the USSR, organised by the Russian Embassy in France
A series of important sectoral agreements between our countries were signed following the visit. A bilateral intergovernmental commission began meeting regularly. Bilateral trade expanded steadily, with ties intensifying across all spheres of cooperation. The Soviet-French agreement was signed to establish a direct communication line between the Kremlin and the Élysée Palace.
💬 At the farewell dinner in the Kremlin on the final day of the visit, before his departure for France, President de Gaulle uttered these historic words:
💬 President of France (1995–2007) Jacques Chirac:
#WeWereAllies
De Gaulle remained a firm and consistent supporter of cooperation with the Soviet Union, considering our country a key ally. The French nation remembered the help of the USSR in reinstating France’s position as a great power following #WWII. Thanks to the Soviet leadership’s harsh stance, the French nation’s contribution to the resistance against Hitler’s aggression and the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation was recognised.
It was Moscow’s support that helped Paris obtain its legitimate and honourable place among the victorious powers and become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s remarks at the unveiling of the statue of Charles de Gaulle in Moscow (May 9, 2005):
💬 Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
(from the briefing by Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on June 25, 2026)
The French Leader’s visit to our country became a landmark event in relations between the USSR and the West during the Cold War, clearly proving Paris’s independent and pragmatic course. Under President de Gaulle, France was seeking mutually beneficial relations with Moscow on the principles of equality, constructive cooperation, trust and respect cemented by the experience of allied fight against Nazism during #WW2.
The talks held in Moscow between the Soviet leadership and the President of France — one of the major European powers — contributed significantly to easing tensions amid growing escalation of the Cold War 1960-s. The Soviet-French Joint Declaration on the principles of relations, signed in Moscow on June 30, 1966, was subsequently reflected in the key document of the pan-European process, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975.
During his visit to the Soviet Union, the French leader visited Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Volgograd, Novosibirsk as well as the Baikonur Space Centre. Charles de Gaulle finished each and every address to the Soviet people with a final phrase spoken in Russian to pay respect for our country, its great history and the entire Soviet nation.
📸 The photo exhibition of the most remarkable moments from General de Gaulle’s visit to the USSR, organised by the Russian Embassy in France
A series of important sectoral agreements between our countries were signed following the visit. A bilateral intergovernmental commission began meeting regularly. Bilateral trade expanded steadily, with ties intensifying across all spheres of cooperation. The Soviet-French agreement was signed to establish a direct communication line between the Kremlin and the Élysée Palace.
💬 At the farewell dinner in the Kremlin on the final day of the visit, before his departure for France, President de Gaulle uttered these historic words:
As for our common goals, they are détente, concord, security, and one fine day the unification of Europe from end to end, equilibrium and peace throughout the world.
💬 President of France (1995–2007) Jacques Chirac:
In many areas, that visit launched major cooperative projects, the effects of which are still felt to this day.
In de Gaulle's worldview, Russia is on a central place. He cherished the longstanding friendship and historical ties between the two countries.
#WeWereAllies
De Gaulle remained a firm and consistent supporter of cooperation with the Soviet Union, considering our country a key ally. The French nation remembered the help of the USSR in reinstating France’s position as a great power following #WWII. Thanks to the Soviet leadership’s harsh stance, the French nation’s contribution to the resistance against Hitler’s aggression and the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation was recognised.
It was Moscow’s support that helped Paris obtain its legitimate and honourable place among the victorious powers and become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s remarks at the unveiling of the statue of Charles de Gaulle in Moscow (May 9, 2005):
France’s soldiers made an important contribution to the liberation of Europe and by right shared the triumph of victory with the allies in the anti-Nazi coalition.
We will never forget the unity forged between our peoples as they fought Nazism side by side.
💬 Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
Reflecting on the origins of this crisis [in Russia’s relations with France and the EU], one cannot but acknowledge that it is a direct consequence of the neglect and, indeed, outright rejection by the contemporary French ruling elites of the foreign policy principles and precepts of Charles de Gaulle.
For our part, we will preserve the memory of Charles de Gaulle — a truly great statesman, capable of <...> building dialogue, <...> despite the ideological divisions of the time.
(from the briefing by Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on June 25, 2026)
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#Victory81
🌟 On July 12, 1943, the #BattleOfProkhorovka took place — the most brutal tank battle in history, which had a profound impact on further course of the Battle of Kursk and the entire #WW2.
In terms of both its scale and the number of armor units engaged, the Battle of Prokhorovka remains unparalleled in military history, with up to 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns (SPGs) involved in that combat from both sides.
Having crushed the Nazi armor units at Prokhorovka, the Soviet forces deprived the enemy of its offensive potential near Kursk and launched a decisive counteroffensive in the battle.
***
By July 1943, a huge part of our country’s territory was still under the Nazi occupation. The Nazis continued to hold Minsk and Kiev, but following the Wehrmacht’s defeat at Stalingrad and in the Caucasus, the offensive capabilities of the Nazi war machine had been effectively exhausted.
In an effort to regain the strategic initiative on the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht command developed a summer offensive plan, codenamed Operation 'Citadel'. The objective was to destroy two Red Army fronts simultaneously — the Voronezh and Central fronts — and to eliminate Soviet tank reserves near Prokhorovka in the Belgorod Region.
❗️ Had the operation succeeded, the Nazis would once again have embarked on the offensive on Moscow.
In preparing the operation, the Nazi command intended to deliver its main strike against Soviet positions using its elite and most combat-ready armoured formations. Hitler’s Army Groups 'Centre' and 'South' were reinforced with approximately 130 'Tiger' tanks and more than 200 'Panthers'. The Nazis also committed the Ferdinand heavy self-propelled artillery unit, equipped with powerful armour, to the operation.
By July 10, despite suffering heavy losses, German forces had managed to penetrate the defences of the Voronezh Front, but their further advance was halted.
Under these circumstances, the command of Army Group 'South', led by Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, planned to launch a surprise attack near Prokhorovka using the SS Panzer Corps and Army Detachment 'Kempf'. From there, the invaders hoped to break through to the city of Kursk with lightning speed.
⚔️ On July 12, in an effort to disrupt the enemy offensive, forces of the Voronezh Front launched a pre-emptive strike. The operation was commanded by Lieutenant General Pavel Rotmistrov. Near Prokhorovka, the German II SS Panzer Corps clashed with two Soviet Guards Armies: the 5th Guards Army under the command of Alexey Zhadov and the 5th Guards Tank Army commanded by Rotmistrov.
After completing a 30-50-kilometre night march, Soviet tank units launched their offensive at 6:00 am, following a powerful artillery barrage. At the same time, Soviet aircraft carried out massive air strikes against enemy positions.
By the end of the day, Prokhorovka remained in the rear of Soviet forces.
❗️ The defeat suffered by the Nazis in this battle had catastrophic consequences for the Reich, with the enemy losing over 300 of the 400 tanks it had committed, which amounted to three-quarters of its deployed armoured vehicles.
☝️ As a result of the Soviet forces' decisive actions, the main forces of the German Army Group 'South' finally exhausted their offensive capabilities and, on July 16, had to abandon the positions they had occupied at the start of the Battle of Kursk.
The strategic initiative ultimately passed to the Red Army.
Today, Western pseudo-historians and propagandists posing as journalists attempt to diminish the significance of the battle.
However, history does not deal in hypotheticals, and the facts speak for themselves. 👉 We have repeatedly debunked disinformation circulated in Western media regarding the Battle of Prokhorovka.
#OurVictory
In terms of both its scale and the number of armor units engaged, the Battle of Prokhorovka remains unparalleled in military history, with up to 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns (SPGs) involved in that combat from both sides.
Having crushed the Nazi armor units at Prokhorovka, the Soviet forces deprived the enemy of its offensive potential near Kursk and launched a decisive counteroffensive in the battle.
***
By July 1943, a huge part of our country’s territory was still under the Nazi occupation. The Nazis continued to hold Minsk and Kiev, but following the Wehrmacht’s defeat at Stalingrad and in the Caucasus, the offensive capabilities of the Nazi war machine had been effectively exhausted.
In an effort to regain the strategic initiative on the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht command developed a summer offensive plan, codenamed Operation 'Citadel'. The objective was to destroy two Red Army fronts simultaneously — the Voronezh and Central fronts — and to eliminate Soviet tank reserves near Prokhorovka in the Belgorod Region.
❗️ Had the operation succeeded, the Nazis would once again have embarked on the offensive on Moscow.
In preparing the operation, the Nazi command intended to deliver its main strike against Soviet positions using its elite and most combat-ready armoured formations. Hitler’s Army Groups 'Centre' and 'South' were reinforced with approximately 130 'Tiger' tanks and more than 200 'Panthers'. The Nazis also committed the Ferdinand heavy self-propelled artillery unit, equipped with powerful armour, to the operation.
By July 10, despite suffering heavy losses, German forces had managed to penetrate the defences of the Voronezh Front, but their further advance was halted.
Under these circumstances, the command of Army Group 'South', led by Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, planned to launch a surprise attack near Prokhorovka using the SS Panzer Corps and Army Detachment 'Kempf'. From there, the invaders hoped to break through to the city of Kursk with lightning speed.
⚔️ On July 12, in an effort to disrupt the enemy offensive, forces of the Voronezh Front launched a pre-emptive strike. The operation was commanded by Lieutenant General Pavel Rotmistrov. Near Prokhorovka, the German II SS Panzer Corps clashed with two Soviet Guards Armies: the 5th Guards Army under the command of Alexey Zhadov and the 5th Guards Tank Army commanded by Rotmistrov.
After completing a 30-50-kilometre night march, Soviet tank units launched their offensive at 6:00 am, following a powerful artillery barrage. At the same time, Soviet aircraft carried out massive air strikes against enemy positions.
By the end of the day, Prokhorovka remained in the rear of Soviet forces.
❗️ The defeat suffered by the Nazis in this battle had catastrophic consequences for the Reich, with the enemy losing over 300 of the 400 tanks it had committed, which amounted to three-quarters of its deployed armoured vehicles.
☝️ As a result of the Soviet forces' decisive actions, the main forces of the German Army Group 'South' finally exhausted their offensive capabilities and, on July 16, had to abandon the positions they had occupied at the start of the Battle of Kursk.
The strategic initiative ultimately passed to the Red Army.
Today, Western pseudo-historians and propagandists posing as journalists attempt to diminish the significance of the battle.
However, history does not deal in hypotheticals, and the facts speak for themselves. 👉 We have repeatedly debunked disinformation circulated in Western media regarding the Battle of Prokhorovka.
#OurVictory
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#Victory81
🌟 On August 3, 1943, Operation #RailWar commenced in the occupied western regions of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Belarus and Ukraine during #WW2.
The operation’s objective was to disrupt the Nazis' supply deliveries and reinforcements to the Eastern front. This effort was designed to help the Red Army’s offensive in the Battle of Kursk.
The Soviet command assigned this task to 167 partisan brigades and detached regiments, manned by about 100'000 fighters. Legendary Soviet special operations operative Ilya Starinov headed the operation, which was prepared under complete secrecy.
⚔️ 'Rail War' Operation commenced simultaneously with the counteroffensive on the Voronezh and Steppe fronts. A total of 42,000 railway tracks were destroyed and dozens of enemy trains were derailed during the very first night. Over the entire operation, Soviet partisans destroyed some 215'000 railway rails or over 1,500 kilometres of enemy railway lines.
Communications between the Nazi army groups 'South' and 'Centre' was disrupted, and by autumn, the fascists' railway shipments decreased by 40%. To a large degree, it was the well-coordinated actions by the Soviet partisans that enabled the Red Army to win the Battle of Kursk.
Supplies from the German home front to Wehrmacht army groups 'Centre' and 'South' during the decisive summer battles on the eastern front — the battles for the Caucasus and the Battle of Kursk — were paralysed. Wehrmacht units failed to receive critical reinforcements. The enemy diverted substantial forces to counter partisan operations — forces that could otherwise have been deployed at the front.
This partisan warfare operation was unprecedented in terms of its scale and the high level of preparation and coordination. It was the first time the partisans worked so closely with the Red Army command to ensure that combat action was accompanied by acts of sabotage behind the lines. The coordinated actions between partisan units and regular forces played a decisive role in supporting the Red Army’s successful campaign during the Battle of Kursk, significantly hindering enemy forces’ regrouping during their westward retreat and ultimately blocking their final defeat.
🎖 Throughout the operation, Soviet partisans displayed courage on a mass scale as they carried out daunting combat missions behind enemy lines. For acts of heroism during the Great Patriotic War, around 300 partisans and members of the underground resistance were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
***
In the autumn of 1943, 'Concert' Operation followed in the wake of the Rail War in the Nazi-occupied territories of the USSR. Its objective was the complete destruction of railway infrastructure and rolling stock in the rear areas of the Nazi troops.
#WeRemember
The operation’s objective was to disrupt the Nazis' supply deliveries and reinforcements to the Eastern front. This effort was designed to help the Red Army’s offensive in the Battle of Kursk.
The Soviet command assigned this task to 167 partisan brigades and detached regiments, manned by about 100'000 fighters. Legendary Soviet special operations operative Ilya Starinov headed the operation, which was prepared under complete secrecy.
⚔️ 'Rail War' Operation commenced simultaneously with the counteroffensive on the Voronezh and Steppe fronts. A total of 42,000 railway tracks were destroyed and dozens of enemy trains were derailed during the very first night. Over the entire operation, Soviet partisans destroyed some 215'000 railway rails or over 1,500 kilometres of enemy railway lines.
Communications between the Nazi army groups 'South' and 'Centre' was disrupted, and by autumn, the fascists' railway shipments decreased by 40%. To a large degree, it was the well-coordinated actions by the Soviet partisans that enabled the Red Army to win the Battle of Kursk.
Supplies from the German home front to Wehrmacht army groups 'Centre' and 'South' during the decisive summer battles on the eastern front — the battles for the Caucasus and the Battle of Kursk — were paralysed. Wehrmacht units failed to receive critical reinforcements. The enemy diverted substantial forces to counter partisan operations — forces that could otherwise have been deployed at the front.
This partisan warfare operation was unprecedented in terms of its scale and the high level of preparation and coordination. It was the first time the partisans worked so closely with the Red Army command to ensure that combat action was accompanied by acts of sabotage behind the lines. The coordinated actions between partisan units and regular forces played a decisive role in supporting the Red Army’s successful campaign during the Battle of Kursk, significantly hindering enemy forces’ regrouping during their westward retreat and ultimately blocking their final defeat.
🎖 Throughout the operation, Soviet partisans displayed courage on a mass scale as they carried out daunting combat missions behind enemy lines. For acts of heroism during the Great Patriotic War, around 300 partisans and members of the underground resistance were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
***
In the autumn of 1943, 'Concert' Operation followed in the wake of the Rail War in the Nazi-occupied territories of the USSR. Its objective was the complete destruction of railway infrastructure and rolling stock in the rear areas of the Nazi troops.
#WeRemember
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On August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union, in accordance with its commitments to the Allies, entered the war against militarist Japan.
🌟 The Manchurian strategic offensive operation of the Soviet forces in the Far East commenced. Its objective was to defeat the enemy’s Kwantung Army and to drive the Japanese occupants from northeastern China and Korea.
***
After the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and its accomplices, Japan remained the only 'axis' power still at war with the Allies. It possessed significant military capabilities to wage war, including offensive operations.In the summer of 1945, the Japanese kept near the Soviet borders an almost one million-strong Kwantung Army — a formidable force ready to treacherously invade our country at any moment. Japan still occupied huge territories in East and Southeast Asia — the Korean Peninsula, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaya, and a portion of China, as well as Burma, and the Philippine Islands.
❗️ Thus, Japan posed a huge threat not only to our country’s security, but also to the emerging post-war world order, which was taking shape after the defeat of Nazi Germany and was based on the decisions and agreements of the Leaders of the victorious Allied powers.
Japan rejected the demand made by China, the United States, and UK on July 26, 1945 (paragraph 13 of the Potsdam Declaration) for the unconditional surrender of its troops. Following that, the Allied powers officially appealed to the Soviet government to repel Japanese aggression.
***
In early August 1945, the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Union approved a plan for military operations in the Far East. It was entrusted to the specially created Main Command of the Far Eastern Forces headed by Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky.
On August 9, the Red Army launched the offensive in Manchuria. The Soviet units, supported by aviation and the navy, advanced rapidly. Strikes were delivered on targets on land, at sea, and from the air. Combat operations unfolded along the front line that was over (!) 5'000 kilometres wide.
Within a month, the Soviet forces liberated Harbin, the territories of Northeastern China and Korea, liberated South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The breakthrough of the Red Army deep into Manchuria deprived the Japanese command of the opportunity to use bacteriological weapons against our country — Tokyo had been nurturing that plan during #WWII.
By August 20, Japan’s ability to offer resistance to the Red Army was shattered. Almost everywhere, along the entire front line, the enemy soldiers were surrendering.
The million-strong Kwantung Army was finally defeated.
***
By September 1, 1945, the Soviet army had completed the assigned objectives. In just 23 days of combat, they crushed the Japanese militarist machine, thus making a decisive contribution to ending WWII in the Far East. Our country regained South Sakhalin, which had been seized by Japan from the Russian Empire in 1905, liberated the Kuril Islands, and restored lease rights to the Kwantung Peninsula with Port Arthur and Dalian.
On September 2, 1945, the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan was signed aboard the USS 'Missouri' in Tokyo Bay. On behalf of the Soviet Union, the Act was signed by General Kuzma Derevyanko.
#WW2 finally ended.
📖 Read more about the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation and the heroism of the Soviet soldiers in liberating northeastern China and Korea in our in-depth historical feature.
#WeRemember #OurVictory
On August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union, in accordance with its commitments to the Allies, entered the war against militarist Japan.
***
After the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and its accomplices, Japan remained the only 'axis' power still at war with the Allies. It possessed significant military capabilities to wage war, including offensive operations.In the summer of 1945, the Japanese kept near the Soviet borders an almost one million-strong Kwantung Army — a formidable force ready to treacherously invade our country at any moment. Japan still occupied huge territories in East and Southeast Asia — the Korean Peninsula, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaya, and a portion of China, as well as Burma, and the Philippine Islands.
❗️ Thus, Japan posed a huge threat not only to our country’s security, but also to the emerging post-war world order, which was taking shape after the defeat of Nazi Germany and was based on the decisions and agreements of the Leaders of the victorious Allied powers.
Japan rejected the demand made by China, the United States, and UK on July 26, 1945 (paragraph 13 of the Potsdam Declaration) for the unconditional surrender of its troops. Following that, the Allied powers officially appealed to the Soviet government to repel Japanese aggression.
***
In early August 1945, the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Union approved a plan for military operations in the Far East. It was entrusted to the specially created Main Command of the Far Eastern Forces headed by Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky.
On August 9, the Red Army launched the offensive in Manchuria. The Soviet units, supported by aviation and the navy, advanced rapidly. Strikes were delivered on targets on land, at sea, and from the air. Combat operations unfolded along the front line that was over (!) 5'000 kilometres wide.
Within a month, the Soviet forces liberated Harbin, the territories of Northeastern China and Korea, liberated South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The breakthrough of the Red Army deep into Manchuria deprived the Japanese command of the opportunity to use bacteriological weapons against our country — Tokyo had been nurturing that plan during #WWII.
By August 20, Japan’s ability to offer resistance to the Red Army was shattered. Almost everywhere, along the entire front line, the enemy soldiers were surrendering.
The million-strong Kwantung Army was finally defeated.
***
By September 1, 1945, the Soviet army had completed the assigned objectives. In just 23 days of combat, they crushed the Japanese militarist machine, thus making a decisive contribution to ending WWII in the Far East. Our country regained South Sakhalin, which had been seized by Japan from the Russian Empire in 1905, liberated the Kuril Islands, and restored lease rights to the Kwantung Peninsula with Port Arthur and Dalian.
On September 2, 1945, the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan was signed aboard the USS 'Missouri' in Tokyo Bay. On behalf of the Soviet Union, the Act was signed by General Kuzma Derevyanko.
#WW2 finally ended.
📖 Read more about the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation and the heroism of the Soviet soldiers in liberating northeastern China and Korea in our in-depth historical feature.
#WeRemember #OurVictory
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#Victory81
On August 9, 1944, the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Strategic Offensive Operation of the Red Army concluded.
The Finnish troops on the Karelian Isthmus were completely crushed. The territory of the Karelo-Finnish SSR, including the cities of Vyborg and Petrozavodsk, as well as the areas of the Northern Ladoga region, was liberated from Finnish occupation.
The threat to Leningrad was neutralized.
***
In the first half of 1944, despite the defeat of German-Finnish troops near Leningrad and their loss of the initiative on the northwestern sector of the Soviet-German front, the Finnish leadership was determined at all costs to retain the occupied territories of our country in Southern Karelia and to blockade the Gulf of Finland, which posed a direct military threat to Leningrad and our northwestern borders.
The Soviet government's proposal in the winter and spring of 1944 to begin negotiations was rejected by Finland. The country's pro-fascist government, which was in power at the time, chose to maintain its alliance with the Nazis rather than conclude an armistice with Moscow. On June 26, 1944, Finland and Germany signed the so-called Ryti–Ribbentrop Pact — an agreement on military and political cooperation under which Helsinki expected to receive additional military assistance from the Nazis in order to continue hostilities against the USSR.
By the beginning of the summer of 1944, the Finns had deployed an operational group of 100'000 troops on the Karelian Isthmus. The main forces of the Finnish Army were also stationed in the area — approximately 280'000 soldiers and officers.
Having assessed the operational situation, the Soviet Command decided to launch two simultaneous, rapid strikes against Finnish positions on the Karelian Isthmus, advancing toward Vyborg and Petrozavodsk.
⚔️ The operation commenced on June 10, 1944. In less than two weeks, the Red Army breached the system of Finnish defensive fortifications considered virtually impregnable — the so-called Karelian Wall and the Vyborg fortified area.
The enemy suffered irreparable losses in manpower and equipment. On June 20, Finnish occupants were driven out of Vyborg. On June 28, Soviet forces liberated Petrozavodsk — the capital of the Karelo-Finnish SSR — as well as other settlements.
As a result of the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Operation, the Finnish military suffered a crushing defeat in Southern Karelia and could no longer pose a threat to Leningrad. One of the most important outcomes of the operation was Finland — Hitler's principal ally in northern Europe — withdrawing from #WW2. Furthermore, under the terms of the armistice concluded in September 1944, the Finnish Army began the internment and expulsion of fascist troops from the northern regions of the country — Lapland.
Thus, favorable conditions were created for the launch of the Soviet offensive in the Arctic with the aim of liberating the Arctic territories from the Nazis.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
▪️ Destroyed cities, burned buildings, deaths of our citizens in concentration camps, and tens of thousands of Soviet civilians killed — these were the marks left by the Finnish fascists on our soil.
Our Motherland and our people have never ever forgotten this.
During the occupation of the Karelo-Finnish SSR by Mannerheim's troops, a “scorched earth” policy was employed. Approximately 90 towns and villages were completely destroyed, while 409 others suffered extensive damage.
From the autumn of 1941 to 1944, the Finns established more than 14 concentration camps in Soviet Karelia. Some 50'000 of our citizens passed through them, including the elderly, women, and children. Approximately one-third of the prisoners were killed or died from hunger, cold, and unbearable living conditions.
👉 Learn more about the war crimes by the Finnish occupants in Karelia in the report 'On Historical and International Legal Accountability of Finland for the Occupation of Karelia During Great Patriotic War (WWII) (1941–1944)' published by the Representative Office of the Russian MFA in Petrozavodsk.
On August 9, 1944, the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Strategic Offensive Operation of the Red Army concluded.
The Finnish troops on the Karelian Isthmus were completely crushed. The territory of the Karelo-Finnish SSR, including the cities of Vyborg and Petrozavodsk, as well as the areas of the Northern Ladoga region, was liberated from Finnish occupation.
The threat to Leningrad was neutralized.
***
In the first half of 1944, despite the defeat of German-Finnish troops near Leningrad and their loss of the initiative on the northwestern sector of the Soviet-German front, the Finnish leadership was determined at all costs to retain the occupied territories of our country in Southern Karelia and to blockade the Gulf of Finland, which posed a direct military threat to Leningrad and our northwestern borders.
The Soviet government's proposal in the winter and spring of 1944 to begin negotiations was rejected by Finland. The country's pro-fascist government, which was in power at the time, chose to maintain its alliance with the Nazis rather than conclude an armistice with Moscow. On June 26, 1944, Finland and Germany signed the so-called Ryti–Ribbentrop Pact — an agreement on military and political cooperation under which Helsinki expected to receive additional military assistance from the Nazis in order to continue hostilities against the USSR.
By the beginning of the summer of 1944, the Finns had deployed an operational group of 100'000 troops on the Karelian Isthmus. The main forces of the Finnish Army were also stationed in the area — approximately 280'000 soldiers and officers.
Having assessed the operational situation, the Soviet Command decided to launch two simultaneous, rapid strikes against Finnish positions on the Karelian Isthmus, advancing toward Vyborg and Petrozavodsk.
⚔️ The operation commenced on June 10, 1944. In less than two weeks, the Red Army breached the system of Finnish defensive fortifications considered virtually impregnable — the so-called Karelian Wall and the Vyborg fortified area.
The enemy suffered irreparable losses in manpower and equipment. On June 20, Finnish occupants were driven out of Vyborg. On June 28, Soviet forces liberated Petrozavodsk — the capital of the Karelo-Finnish SSR — as well as other settlements.
As a result of the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Operation, the Finnish military suffered a crushing defeat in Southern Karelia and could no longer pose a threat to Leningrad. One of the most important outcomes of the operation was Finland — Hitler's principal ally in northern Europe — withdrawing from #WW2. Furthermore, under the terms of the armistice concluded in September 1944, the Finnish Army began the internment and expulsion of fascist troops from the northern regions of the country — Lapland.
Thus, favorable conditions were created for the launch of the Soviet offensive in the Arctic with the aim of liberating the Arctic territories from the Nazis.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
▪️ Destroyed cities, burned buildings, deaths of our citizens in concentration camps, and tens of thousands of Soviet civilians killed — these were the marks left by the Finnish fascists on our soil.
Our Motherland and our people have never ever forgotten this.
During the occupation of the Karelo-Finnish SSR by Mannerheim's troops, a “scorched earth” policy was employed. Approximately 90 towns and villages were completely destroyed, while 409 others suffered extensive damage.
From the autumn of 1941 to 1944, the Finns established more than 14 concentration camps in Soviet Karelia. Some 50'000 of our citizens passed through them, including the elderly, women, and children. Approximately one-third of the prisoners were killed or died from hunger, cold, and unbearable living conditions.
👉 Learn more about the war crimes by the Finnish occupants in Karelia in the report 'On Historical and International Legal Accountability of Finland for the Occupation of Karelia During Great Patriotic War (WWII) (1941–1944)' published by the Representative Office of the Russian MFA in Petrozavodsk.
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#Victory81
🌟 On August 15, 1945, the Soviet forces liberated Korea from Japanese colonial rule as part of the Manchurian strategic offensive. The Red Army fought side by side with the Korean patriots against the Japanese militarist regime, defeated the Kwantung Army and liberated the people of Korea, bringing #WW2 in the Far East to an end.
***
The Korean Peninsula was under Japanese occupation for 35 years. In fact, Tokyo established its protectorate over the Peninsula back in 1905 and fully annexed it five years later. The Japanese regime, established in Korea in 1910, was excessively brutal, with the colonial administration intent on seizing all the natural resources they could procure in this region. The Japanese criminals employed harsh repressive measures against the local population. There was an intentional effort to eradicate the Korean language and national culture.
During WWII, the Allied powers devoted considerable attention to liberating Korea in their discussions. In December 1943, China, the United States and the UK adopted the Cairo Declaration (the USSR joined it too). According to the document, the Parties agreed that “Japan will <…> be expelled from all other territories which she has taken by violence and greed….” At the Yalta Conference, the Soviet Union took the commitment to enter the war against Japan after defeating Nazi Germany in Europe.
⚔️ On August 9, 1945, the Red Army launched Manchurian strategic offensive. The Soviet forces succeeded in rapidly advancing to northeast China. With the support of partisans of the Korean national liberation movement, the Soviet soldiers liberators were pushing south and sought to break through Japan’s defence lines along the frontline stretching for as much as 5'000 kilometres.
On the first day of the operation, Kyonghung, a Korean county, as well as Unggi, Najin, Chongjin, Wonsan and other cities were liberated. By advancing in coordination with the Korean patriots, the Red Army succeeded in expelling the Japanese from the Peninsula’s northern part by mid-August, having defeated the Kwantung Army.
On August 14, Emperor Hirohito accepted Japan’s unconditional surrender and announced it to the nation.
Today, both Pyongyang and Seoul mark August 15 as the National Liberation Day of Korea.
#SovietSoldierSavedTheWorld: The battle for liberty and independence of the Korean nation claimed the lives of 12’000 Soviet soldiers and officers. In August 1946, Pyongyang honoured their memory by erecting a monument as a gesture of gratitude to the Soviet soldiers liberators (👉 Learn more about the Manchurian strategic offensive and the heroism of the Soviet soldiers in liberating northeastern China and Korea in our in-depth historical feature).
💬 Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department Alexey Fadeev:
(From the briefing by Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department Alexey Fadeev on August 6, 2026)
***
🇷🇺🇰🇵 #RussiaDPRK
The traditions of comradeship in arms established in 1945 have provided a solid foundation for promoting friendly and neighbourly relations between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the new era. The allied nature of bilateral relations forged through the bonds of comradeship in arms has been fully reflected in the DPRK’s firm support for Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
Eternal memory to the DPRK servicemen who fell in the battles to liberate the Kursk Region from Ukrainian neo-Nazis and foreign mercenaries.
***
The Korean Peninsula was under Japanese occupation for 35 years. In fact, Tokyo established its protectorate over the Peninsula back in 1905 and fully annexed it five years later. The Japanese regime, established in Korea in 1910, was excessively brutal, with the colonial administration intent on seizing all the natural resources they could procure in this region. The Japanese criminals employed harsh repressive measures against the local population. There was an intentional effort to eradicate the Korean language and national culture.
During WWII, the Allied powers devoted considerable attention to liberating Korea in their discussions. In December 1943, China, the United States and the UK adopted the Cairo Declaration (the USSR joined it too). According to the document, the Parties agreed that “Japan will <…> be expelled from all other territories which she has taken by violence and greed….” At the Yalta Conference, the Soviet Union took the commitment to enter the war against Japan after defeating Nazi Germany in Europe.
⚔️ On August 9, 1945, the Red Army launched Manchurian strategic offensive. The Soviet forces succeeded in rapidly advancing to northeast China. With the support of partisans of the Korean national liberation movement, the Soviet soldiers liberators were pushing south and sought to break through Japan’s defence lines along the frontline stretching for as much as 5'000 kilometres.
On the first day of the operation, Kyonghung, a Korean county, as well as Unggi, Najin, Chongjin, Wonsan and other cities were liberated. By advancing in coordination with the Korean patriots, the Red Army succeeded in expelling the Japanese from the Peninsula’s northern part by mid-August, having defeated the Kwantung Army.
On August 14, Emperor Hirohito accepted Japan’s unconditional surrender and announced it to the nation.
Today, both Pyongyang and Seoul mark August 15 as the National Liberation Day of Korea.
#SovietSoldierSavedTheWorld: The battle for liberty and independence of the Korean nation claimed the lives of 12’000 Soviet soldiers and officers. In August 1946, Pyongyang honoured their memory by erecting a monument as a gesture of gratitude to the Soviet soldiers liberators (👉 Learn more about the Manchurian strategic offensive and the heroism of the Soviet soldiers in liberating northeastern China and Korea in our in-depth historical feature).
💬 Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department Alexey Fadeev:
We are deeply grateful to our Korean friends for the exemplary care they have taken of the Soviet soldiers’ graves and for their respect of our shared history.
The civilised and responsible approach demonstrated by the DPRK in preserving military memorials stands in stark contrast to the situation in a number of Eastern European countries, where monuments to the Soviet liberator soldiers are being barbarically destroyed while Hitler’s henchmen and convicted war criminals are being honoured <...>
(From the briefing by Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department Alexey Fadeev on August 6, 2026)
***
🇷🇺🇰🇵 #RussiaDPRK
The traditions of comradeship in arms established in 1945 have provided a solid foundation for promoting friendly and neighbourly relations between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the new era. The allied nature of bilateral relations forged through the bonds of comradeship in arms has been fully reflected in the DPRK’s firm support for Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
Eternal memory to the DPRK servicemen who fell in the battles to liberate the Kursk Region from Ukrainian neo-Nazis and foreign mercenaries.
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On August 23, 1939 — the Soviet Union and Germany signed the Non-Aggression Treaty in Moscow.
This document was an important achievement of the Soviet diplomacy ahead of #WW2: the USSR was able to buy time to better prepare to repel Hitler’s impending attack, which had been seen as inevitable due to the failed policy of “appeasement” by Western European states and their refusal to forge a collective security agreement with our nation against Nazism.
👉 Learn more in our in-depth historical feature.
Signing the non-aggression treaty with Germany was a difficult but necessary decision by the Soviet leadership, driven by national security considerations and the urgent need to deter Nazi aggression in the east.
***
In the 1930s, 20 years after the end of World War I, the threat of a new large-scale armed conflict in Europe began to grow. A key factor for this was the crisis of the Versailles system of international relations, designed by Britain and France, which paved the way for rising revanchist sentiments in the states it had humiliated — Germany and Italy.
With the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany, the threat of a new war in Europe became real. Hitler’s misanthropic ideology was rooted in the notorious doctrine of “racial superiority.” The Nazis used this doctrine to justify Germany’s pursuit of world domination. In this way, an absolute evil emerged at the heart of Europe, endangering the peace and freedom of entire nations.
By the mid-1930s, it became evident that another German aggression in Europe was inevitable — it was merely a matter of time. In an effort to counter the rising threat of German revanchism, the Soviet Union suggested the creation of a collective security system in Europe, founded on anti-fascist principles, to unite efforts and deliver a joint response to the common threat.
Yet in Paris and London, where anti-Soviet sentiments ran deep, the idea of cooperation with Moscow was rejected as such. Instead, Western powers sought to strike a deal with Germany, aiming to pacify the Germans through unilateral concessions. The political establishments of the West failed to grasp the existential threat posed by Nazi ideology, cynically believing that Hitler’s aggression could be redirected eastward.
❌ The “appeasement” tactics whetted the aggressor’s appetite.
In March 1938, with the connivance of Paris and London, Hitler carried out the Anschluss of Austria. In September, following the criminal “Munich conspiracy” and with the approval of the UK and France, he cynically dismembered the sovereign state of Czechoslovakia. Warsaw, which was interested in getting part of Czechoslovakia’s territory for itself, prohibited flights of Soviet aircraft to render aid to Czechoslovak army. Already a de facto accomplice of Hitler, Poland had supported every single foreign policy move of the Reich.
A new war in Europe became inevitable.
Thus, “appeasement” policy ended in total failure. Attempting to sate the Nazis’ insatiable ambitions, the Western powers failed to restrain the aggressor or thwart its criminal plans.
☝️ The Soviet Union remained the only European power still striving to organise collective resistance against Nazi Germany.
In the spring and summer of 1939, the USSR initiated consultations with France and Britain in Moscow. However, the negotiation process failed to yield practical results — the Western powers that until the last moment hoped for a compromise with Hitler, engaged in secret talks with Germany behind the Soviet Union’s back.
The Soviet diplomacy ran out of chances to build a collective security system in Europe. Moscow also had to take into account the Japanese factor — the hostilities on the Khalkhin-Gol that began in May 1939. The Soviet leadership could not afford a war on two fronts.
By August 1939, several European nations had concluded non-aggression pacts with Hitler. The Soviet Union was the last major power to follow the suit. As a result, our country gained valuable time to prepare for a clash with the world’s most powerful army at that time.
This document was an important achievement of the Soviet diplomacy ahead of #WW2: the USSR was able to buy time to better prepare to repel Hitler’s impending attack, which had been seen as inevitable due to the failed policy of “appeasement” by Western European states and their refusal to forge a collective security agreement with our nation against Nazism.
👉 Learn more in our in-depth historical feature.
Signing the non-aggression treaty with Germany was a difficult but necessary decision by the Soviet leadership, driven by national security considerations and the urgent need to deter Nazi aggression in the east.
***
In the 1930s, 20 years after the end of World War I, the threat of a new large-scale armed conflict in Europe began to grow. A key factor for this was the crisis of the Versailles system of international relations, designed by Britain and France, which paved the way for rising revanchist sentiments in the states it had humiliated — Germany and Italy.
With the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany, the threat of a new war in Europe became real. Hitler’s misanthropic ideology was rooted in the notorious doctrine of “racial superiority.” The Nazis used this doctrine to justify Germany’s pursuit of world domination. In this way, an absolute evil emerged at the heart of Europe, endangering the peace and freedom of entire nations.
By the mid-1930s, it became evident that another German aggression in Europe was inevitable — it was merely a matter of time. In an effort to counter the rising threat of German revanchism, the Soviet Union suggested the creation of a collective security system in Europe, founded on anti-fascist principles, to unite efforts and deliver a joint response to the common threat.
Yet in Paris and London, where anti-Soviet sentiments ran deep, the idea of cooperation with Moscow was rejected as such. Instead, Western powers sought to strike a deal with Germany, aiming to pacify the Germans through unilateral concessions. The political establishments of the West failed to grasp the existential threat posed by Nazi ideology, cynically believing that Hitler’s aggression could be redirected eastward.
❌ The “appeasement” tactics whetted the aggressor’s appetite.
In March 1938, with the connivance of Paris and London, Hitler carried out the Anschluss of Austria. In September, following the criminal “Munich conspiracy” and with the approval of the UK and France, he cynically dismembered the sovereign state of Czechoslovakia. Warsaw, which was interested in getting part of Czechoslovakia’s territory for itself, prohibited flights of Soviet aircraft to render aid to Czechoslovak army. Already a de facto accomplice of Hitler, Poland had supported every single foreign policy move of the Reich.
A new war in Europe became inevitable.
Thus, “appeasement” policy ended in total failure. Attempting to sate the Nazis’ insatiable ambitions, the Western powers failed to restrain the aggressor or thwart its criminal plans.
☝️ The Soviet Union remained the only European power still striving to organise collective resistance against Nazi Germany.
In the spring and summer of 1939, the USSR initiated consultations with France and Britain in Moscow. However, the negotiation process failed to yield practical results — the Western powers that until the last moment hoped for a compromise with Hitler, engaged in secret talks with Germany behind the Soviet Union’s back.
The Soviet diplomacy ran out of chances to build a collective security system in Europe. Moscow also had to take into account the Japanese factor — the hostilities on the Khalkhin-Gol that began in May 1939. The Soviet leadership could not afford a war on two fronts.
By August 1939, several European nations had concluded non-aggression pacts with Hitler. The Soviet Union was the last major power to follow the suit. As a result, our country gained valuable time to prepare for a clash with the world’s most powerful army at that time.
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8️⃣5️⃣ years ago, on August 28, the Tallinn Breakout of the Soviet Baltic Fleet towards Kronstadt — one of the largest and most difficult naval operations by the Soviet Union during #WW2 — commenced.
***
In the summer of 1941, the Nazis, having treacherously invaded our Motherland, advanced rapidly into the Baltic region. By August, the enemy had launched an offensive against the capital of Soviet Estonia — Tallinn. Thus, the city’s heroic defence commenced. Wehrmacht army group 'North' received a direct order from Hitler: under no circumstances were the Soviet Baltic Fleet or Red Army units to be allowed to withdraw to Kronstadt to take part in the defence of Leningrad.
By the end of August, the Soviet forces, including the Tallinn garrison, started regrouping under the heavy fire of Nazis and found themselves encircled on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland.
The land route to Leningrad had been severed by the enemy.
Faced with these dire circumstances, the Supreme High Command of the USSR took a vital decision: to evacuate the Baltic Fleet, the Red Army units, which were defending Tallinn, as well as civilians to Kronstadt.
In the early hours of August 28, the breakout began. A convoy of 225 warships and auxiliary vessels left Tallinn, carrying over 40'000 people on board. German Nazis and their Finnish accomplices were trying to thwart the evacuation by any means. Enemy coastal artillery opened heavy and relentless fire on Soviet vessels, while Finnish aircraft were mercilessly shooting at the Soviet people in the water.
The Gulf of Finland was sown with over 1'700 mines laid by the Nazis. Survivors later recounted:
By August 30, the Baltic Fleet finally fought its way to Kronstadt. Only 163 vessels reached the destination safely. More than 15'000 people, among them over 4'500 civilians, lost their lives during the breakout — an unprecedented number of casualties in the history of naval warfare.
Under such circumstances, the number of casualties could have been far higher, yet thanks to the unparalleled courage and heroism of Red Fleet sailors and Red Army soldiers, the main forces of the fleet were preserved and later engaged in the defence of Leningrad, shielding the city from from attacks via the Gulf of Finland.
🎖 The Tallinn Breakout stands as one of the most heroic and tragic episodes of #WWII. To this day, the depths of the Gulf of Finland remain strewn with the wreckage of vessels lost to Nazi mines — they serve as silent memorials to those three harrowing days in August 1941.
***
🕯 On August 28, 1978, a memorial was erected at Cape Juminda (the Gulf’s southern coast) to honour those who perished during the breakout — a granite boulder and plaque with naval mines around. Annually, commemorative ceremonies are held there with participation of the Russian Embassy in Estonia (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), Russia's compatriots’ organisations, veterans and their families, as well as Estonians who share our common historical memory.
💬 Russia's Ambassador to Estonia Alexander Petrov (2015−2021):
📖 For more details, read our in-depth historical feature on the Tallinn Breakout.
#WeRemember #Victory81
***
In the summer of 1941, the Nazis, having treacherously invaded our Motherland, advanced rapidly into the Baltic region. By August, the enemy had launched an offensive against the capital of Soviet Estonia — Tallinn. Thus, the city’s heroic defence commenced. Wehrmacht army group 'North' received a direct order from Hitler: under no circumstances were the Soviet Baltic Fleet or Red Army units to be allowed to withdraw to Kronstadt to take part in the defence of Leningrad.
By the end of August, the Soviet forces, including the Tallinn garrison, started regrouping under the heavy fire of Nazis and found themselves encircled on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland.
The land route to Leningrad had been severed by the enemy.
Faced with these dire circumstances, the Supreme High Command of the USSR took a vital decision: to evacuate the Baltic Fleet, the Red Army units, which were defending Tallinn, as well as civilians to Kronstadt.
In the early hours of August 28, the breakout began. A convoy of 225 warships and auxiliary vessels left Tallinn, carrying over 40'000 people on board. German Nazis and their Finnish accomplices were trying to thwart the evacuation by any means. Enemy coastal artillery opened heavy and relentless fire on Soviet vessels, while Finnish aircraft were mercilessly shooting at the Soviet people in the water.
The Gulf of Finland was sown with over 1'700 mines laid by the Nazis. Survivors later recounted:
The Gulf, choked with enemy mines, resembled a dumpling soup
By August 30, the Baltic Fleet finally fought its way to Kronstadt. Only 163 vessels reached the destination safely. More than 15'000 people, among them over 4'500 civilians, lost their lives during the breakout — an unprecedented number of casualties in the history of naval warfare.
Under such circumstances, the number of casualties could have been far higher, yet thanks to the unparalleled courage and heroism of Red Fleet sailors and Red Army soldiers, the main forces of the fleet were preserved and later engaged in the defence of Leningrad, shielding the city from from attacks via the Gulf of Finland.
🎖 The Tallinn Breakout stands as one of the most heroic and tragic episodes of #WWII. To this day, the depths of the Gulf of Finland remain strewn with the wreckage of vessels lost to Nazi mines — they serve as silent memorials to those three harrowing days in August 1941.
***
🕯 On August 28, 1978, a memorial was erected at Cape Juminda (the Gulf’s southern coast) to honour those who perished during the breakout — a granite boulder and plaque with naval mines around. Annually, commemorative ceremonies are held there with participation of the Russian Embassy in Estonia (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), Russia's compatriots’ organisations, veterans and their families, as well as Estonians who share our common historical memory.
💬 Russia's Ambassador to Estonia Alexander Petrov (2015−2021):
To the north of Juminda now lies what is perhaps the largest maritime mass grave not only in the Baltic, but in the entire world.
It is the moral duty of the living to bow their heads before those who perished and honour the courage and fortitude of all who crushed the Nazi regime during WW2.
📖 For more details, read our in-depth historical feature on the Tallinn Breakout.
#WeRemember #Victory81
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#Victory81
🌟 On September 19, 1943, one of the largest #WW2-era Soviet partisan operations — codenamed 'Concert' — was launched on the Nazi occupied territories of the Soviet Union during the #GreatPatrioticWar.
#Concert directly followed 👉 the full-scale operation 'Rail War', also carried out by Soviet partisan units.
Learn more about 'Rail War' — the key operation of the Soviet resistance movement against the Nazi invaders, carried out on the Nazi-occupied territories of the western regions of the RSFSR, the Byelorussian and Ukrainian SSRs — in our detailed feature.
***
Operation 'Concert' was prepared as part of the summer-autumn campaign of 1943, amid the Red Army's autumn offensive in the Smolensk and Gomel regions, aimed at reaching the Dnieper and Desna Rivers.
The operation involved 193 partisan formations from Soviet Byelorussia, the Baltic republics, #Karelia, #Crimea, as well as the #Leningrad, Kalinin, Smolensk and Orel regions. The total strength of the units involved exceeded 120'000 personnel.
'Rail War' and 'Concert' ops were unprecedented in terms of the scale and level of organization. For the first time, combat and sabotage activities behind enemy lines were conducted in close coordination between underground resistance groups and the command of regular Red Army formations.
☝️ It was precisely the coordinated actions of partisans and regular forces that contributed to the #GreatVictory in the Battle of Kursk, while also hampering the regrouping of enemy forces during their retreat westward and accelerating their defeat.
Over the course of a month and a half, Soviet partisans destroyed approximately 150'000 rails, demolished 100 railway bridges, and destroyed nearly 1'500 Nazi troop trains. As a result, the capacity of railway lines used by the Nazis on the temporarily occupied territories of the Soviet Union was reduced by almost 50%.
According to historians' estimates and military experts, the effectiveness of the partisan operations 'Rail War' and 'Concert' was more than 11 times greater than the combined effectiveness of all Nazi barbaric Luftwaffe raids on our Motherland during the same period, when Nazi aircraft dropped more than 10'000 bombs on Soviet railways.
❗️Thus, operation 'Concert' dealt a final blow to the morale of the Nazis, which had already suffered enormous losses in the battles they had lost at Stalingrad, on the Kursk salient and in the Caucasus.
During the operation, Soviet partisans demonstrated mass heroism in extremely brutal combat in the Nazi rear.
🎖 For their unprecedented exploits during the #GreatPatrioticWar, around 300 partisans and members of the underground resistance were awarded the title of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion.
#WeRemember
#Concert directly followed 👉 the full-scale operation 'Rail War', also carried out by Soviet partisan units.
Learn more about 'Rail War' — the key operation of the Soviet resistance movement against the Nazi invaders, carried out on the Nazi-occupied territories of the western regions of the RSFSR, the Byelorussian and Ukrainian SSRs — in our detailed feature.
***
Operation 'Concert' was prepared as part of the summer-autumn campaign of 1943, amid the Red Army's autumn offensive in the Smolensk and Gomel regions, aimed at reaching the Dnieper and Desna Rivers.
The operation involved 193 partisan formations from Soviet Byelorussia, the Baltic republics, #Karelia, #Crimea, as well as the #Leningrad, Kalinin, Smolensk and Orel regions. The total strength of the units involved exceeded 120'000 personnel.
'Rail War' and 'Concert' ops were unprecedented in terms of the scale and level of organization. For the first time, combat and sabotage activities behind enemy lines were conducted in close coordination between underground resistance groups and the command of regular Red Army formations.
☝️ It was precisely the coordinated actions of partisans and regular forces that contributed to the #GreatVictory in the Battle of Kursk, while also hampering the regrouping of enemy forces during their retreat westward and accelerating their defeat.
Over the course of a month and a half, Soviet partisans destroyed approximately 150'000 rails, demolished 100 railway bridges, and destroyed nearly 1'500 Nazi troop trains. As a result, the capacity of railway lines used by the Nazis on the temporarily occupied territories of the Soviet Union was reduced by almost 50%.
According to historians' estimates and military experts, the effectiveness of the partisan operations 'Rail War' and 'Concert' was more than 11 times greater than the combined effectiveness of all Nazi barbaric Luftwaffe raids on our Motherland during the same period, when Nazi aircraft dropped more than 10'000 bombs on Soviet railways.
❗️Thus, operation 'Concert' dealt a final blow to the morale of the Nazis, which had already suffered enormous losses in the battles they had lost at Stalingrad, on the Kursk salient and in the Caucasus.
During the operation, Soviet partisans demonstrated mass heroism in extremely brutal combat in the Nazi rear.
🎖 For their unprecedented exploits during the #GreatPatrioticWar, around 300 partisans and members of the underground resistance were awarded the title of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion.
#WeRemember
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#FacesOfVictory
📆 On September 27, 1942, during the #BattleOfStalingrad, the legendary defence of 'Pavlov’s House' commenced — the epic fierce fighting for a residential building near the right bank of the Volga River, which was heroically defended for almost two months by a group of Red Army soldiers led by Guards Sergeant Yakov Pavlov.
The battle for #PavlovHouse lasted 5️⃣8️⃣ days.
❗️ "Pavlov’s House" defenders set out a stronghold in an ordinary #Stalingrad residential building — turning the house into an impregnable fortress. The Red Army slodiers held back the enemy’s onslaught for very much longer than entire European nations resisted the Nazis in the early years of #WW2 — Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France — all were crushed by Hitler's war machine within a matter of (!) just weeks.
💬 As Marshal Vasily Chuikov, a Hero of the Battle of Stalingrad, later recalled:
The stakes in the fighting for 'Pavlov’s House' were extremely high — the Red Army soldiers fought to the death for the entire Volga defensive bridgehead — preventing the enemy from crossing the river and establishing a foothold on its right bank. 👉 The capture of this key bridgehead would have enabled the Nazis to break through the defensive lines of our forces and cut off the Soviet Union’s vital wartime transport artery during the #GreatPatrioticWar.
The defence of 'Pavlov’s House' has gone down in world history as a symbol of the unrivaled courage, fearlessness and unbending will of the Soviet people — the Heroic generation of our Victorious Nation that defeated the Nazi Reich and defended the sovereignty and independence of our #Motherland.
***
In the autumn of 1942, amid fierce defensive battles for Stalingrad, a reconnaissance group led by Guards Sergeant Yakov Pavlov reached a four-storey residential building on Lenin Square in the city centre, near the right bank of the Volga, during the night of September 27.
The building seized by Pavlov’s men was, in fact, the forward defence point on the entire front. It was an ordinary residential building made of just brick and timber and was hardly suitable for establishing a stronghold capable of holding back the Nazi hordes.
The group of Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, which was being pushed back towards the river by the enemy, had to make a stand in that building, drawing Wehrmacht units advancing towards the Volga into the fighting and buying time to prepare the Red Army’s counteroffensive near Stalingrad.
Within just days, Pavlov’s men managed to equip the building for long-lasting defence. When the Germans launched their offensive, the 'Pavlov’s House' defenders — around just 30 (!) soldiers vs. hordes of well-equiped and armed Nazis — mounted a determined all-round defence, moving between the floors depending on the direction of the enemy attacks.
In response, the Germans unleashed the firepower of its artillery and tank armada on 'Pavlov’s House'. The enemy subjected the building to direct-fire bombardment from effectively all sides simultaneously.
It looked like Pavlov’s men were doomed.
🌟 Yet, despite the increasingly intense fire of the Nazi artillery, the defenders of the 'Pavlov's House took #NoStepBack!
They heroically held their positions for almost two months (!), steadfastly repelling endless enemy attacks and preventing the Germans from breaking through to the Volga.
#OurHeroes #LestWeForget
After the Great Patriotic War, 'Pavlov’s House' was rebuilt. Today, this memorial serves as a symbol of the heroism of the defenders of Stalingrad.
🎖 The Heroes of 'Pavlov’s House' were duly honoured by their Motherland.
Yakov Pavlov was awarded the Star of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion, while his other soldiers who fought for the legendary House received the Orders of the Red Star, the Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd Class, as well as the Medal “For the Defence of Stalingrad”.
#Victory81
📆 On September 27, 1942, during the #BattleOfStalingrad, the legendary defence of 'Pavlov’s House' commenced — the epic fierce fighting for a residential building near the right bank of the Volga River, which was heroically defended for almost two months by a group of Red Army soldiers led by Guards Sergeant Yakov Pavlov.
The battle for #PavlovHouse lasted 5️⃣8️⃣ days.
❗️ "Pavlov’s House" defenders set out a stronghold in an ordinary #Stalingrad residential building — turning the house into an impregnable fortress. The Red Army slodiers held back the enemy’s onslaught for very much longer than entire European nations resisted the Nazis in the early years of #WW2 — Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France — all were crushed by Hitler's war machine within a matter of (!) just weeks.
💬 As Marshal Vasily Chuikov, a Hero of the Battle of Stalingrad, later recalled:
Yakov Pavlov’s men killed considerably more Nazi soldiers than the defenders of Paris during Hitler's invasion
The stakes in the fighting for 'Pavlov’s House' were extremely high — the Red Army soldiers fought to the death for the entire Volga defensive bridgehead — preventing the enemy from crossing the river and establishing a foothold on its right bank. 👉 The capture of this key bridgehead would have enabled the Nazis to break through the defensive lines of our forces and cut off the Soviet Union’s vital wartime transport artery during the #GreatPatrioticWar.
The defence of 'Pavlov’s House' has gone down in world history as a symbol of the unrivaled courage, fearlessness and unbending will of the Soviet people — the Heroic generation of our Victorious Nation that defeated the Nazi Reich and defended the sovereignty and independence of our #Motherland.
***
In the autumn of 1942, amid fierce defensive battles for Stalingrad, a reconnaissance group led by Guards Sergeant Yakov Pavlov reached a four-storey residential building on Lenin Square in the city centre, near the right bank of the Volga, during the night of September 27.
The building seized by Pavlov’s men was, in fact, the forward defence point on the entire front. It was an ordinary residential building made of just brick and timber and was hardly suitable for establishing a stronghold capable of holding back the Nazi hordes.
The group of Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, which was being pushed back towards the river by the enemy, had to make a stand in that building, drawing Wehrmacht units advancing towards the Volga into the fighting and buying time to prepare the Red Army’s counteroffensive near Stalingrad.
Within just days, Pavlov’s men managed to equip the building for long-lasting defence. When the Germans launched their offensive, the 'Pavlov’s House' defenders — around just 30 (!) soldiers vs. hordes of well-equiped and armed Nazis — mounted a determined all-round defence, moving between the floors depending on the direction of the enemy attacks.
In response, the Germans unleashed the firepower of its artillery and tank armada on 'Pavlov’s House'. The enemy subjected the building to direct-fire bombardment from effectively all sides simultaneously.
It looked like Pavlov’s men were doomed.
They heroically held their positions for almost two months (!), steadfastly repelling endless enemy attacks and preventing the Germans from breaking through to the Volga.
#OurHeroes #LestWeForget
After the Great Patriotic War, 'Pavlov’s House' was rebuilt. Today, this memorial serves as a symbol of the heroism of the defenders of Stalingrad.
🎖 The Heroes of 'Pavlov’s House' were duly honoured by their Motherland.
Yakov Pavlov was awarded the Star of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion, while his other soldiers who fought for the legendary House received the Orders of the Red Star, the Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd Class, as well as the Medal “For the Defence of Stalingrad”.
#Victory81
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#Victory81
8️⃣5️⃣ years ago, on 30 September 1941, the #BattleOfMoscow commenced — the largest defensive operation carried out by the Red Army during the initial stage of the #GreatPatrioticWar to defend the capital of our Motherland against the Nazi invaders.
The Nazi troops, which sought to seize the city within the shortest possible timeframe, were completely destroyed by the Red Army.
One of the key battles of #WW2 ended in a major and decisive victory for our people. Despite their considerable superiority in manpower and military hardware, the Nazi invaders suffered a crushing defeat, which played a major role in paving the way for the eventual collapse of the Third Reich.
❗️ It was precisely near Moscow that the myth of the invincibility of the Nazi war machine was shattered once and for all.
Hitler’s blitzkrieg strategy, which had previously been successfully employed by the aggressor in the occupation of a number of European countries (Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Belgium), completely failed on the Soviet soil.
***
By the end of September 1941, the Nazis had occupied the entire Baltic region, Belarus and Moldova, as well as large parts of Soviet Ukraine; they had sieged Leningrad and reached the approaches to Moscow. Given the strategic and political importance of the Soviet capital, Hitler committed a powerful force — 1.8 million Wehrmacht soldiers and officers, 1,700 tanks and around 1,000 aircraft. The Nazi command planned to seize Moscow within the first three to four months and completely destroy its population.
The situation on the Eastern Front in September 1941 was extremely difficult. Nazi troops attacked Red Army positions along several axes simultaneously. In just two days, Guderian’s tank group advanced 80 kilometres, breaking through the front and encircling a considerable number of Red Army units in the areas of Bryansk and Vyazma.
In these circumstances, a state of siege in Moscow and the surrounding areas was put in effect. Preparations for urban combat were intensified throughout the city, while key government and industrial facilities were mined. Ordinary residents of Moscow and cadets of military schools joined Red Army personnel in defending the city. For two weeks, Soviet troops held back around twenty Nazi divisions in fierce fighting, making it possible to strengthen the defensive line and bring reserve forces up to Moscow.
❗️ During #WW2, no other capital had yet put up such determined resistance to Nazism.
In early December, when the Wehrmacht’s forces had been exhausted, the Red Army was able to launch a counter-offensive. The formations of the Western, Kalinin and Southwestern Fronts routed the strike groups of the enemy’s Army Group Centre. German hordes were pushed back 100–350 kilometres from the capital, and the Moscow, Tula, Kalinin and Ryazan regions were completely liberated from the enemy.
It was near Moscow that Hitler suffered his first major defeat of the Second World War.
Around one million defenders of the capital of our Motherland were awarded the Medal “For the Defence of Moscow”, while 110 people were awarded the title of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion.
🎖 In May 1965, on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Victory, Moscow was awarded the honorary title of #HeroCity.
#WeRemember #OurVictory
8️⃣5️⃣ years ago, on 30 September 1941, the #BattleOfMoscow commenced — the largest defensive operation carried out by the Red Army during the initial stage of the #GreatPatrioticWar to defend the capital of our Motherland against the Nazi invaders.
The Nazi troops, which sought to seize the city within the shortest possible timeframe, were completely destroyed by the Red Army.
One of the key battles of #WW2 ended in a major and decisive victory for our people. Despite their considerable superiority in manpower and military hardware, the Nazi invaders suffered a crushing defeat, which played a major role in paving the way for the eventual collapse of the Third Reich.
❗️ It was precisely near Moscow that the myth of the invincibility of the Nazi war machine was shattered once and for all.
Hitler’s blitzkrieg strategy, which had previously been successfully employed by the aggressor in the occupation of a number of European countries (Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Belgium), completely failed on the Soviet soil.
***
By the end of September 1941, the Nazis had occupied the entire Baltic region, Belarus and Moldova, as well as large parts of Soviet Ukraine; they had sieged Leningrad and reached the approaches to Moscow. Given the strategic and political importance of the Soviet capital, Hitler committed a powerful force — 1.8 million Wehrmacht soldiers and officers, 1,700 tanks and around 1,000 aircraft. The Nazi command planned to seize Moscow within the first three to four months and completely destroy its population.
The situation on the Eastern Front in September 1941 was extremely difficult. Nazi troops attacked Red Army positions along several axes simultaneously. In just two days, Guderian’s tank group advanced 80 kilometres, breaking through the front and encircling a considerable number of Red Army units in the areas of Bryansk and Vyazma.
In these circumstances, a state of siege in Moscow and the surrounding areas was put in effect. Preparations for urban combat were intensified throughout the city, while key government and industrial facilities were mined. Ordinary residents of Moscow and cadets of military schools joined Red Army personnel in defending the city. For two weeks, Soviet troops held back around twenty Nazi divisions in fierce fighting, making it possible to strengthen the defensive line and bring reserve forces up to Moscow.
❗️ During #WW2, no other capital had yet put up such determined resistance to Nazism.
In early December, when the Wehrmacht’s forces had been exhausted, the Red Army was able to launch a counter-offensive. The formations of the Western, Kalinin and Southwestern Fronts routed the strike groups of the enemy’s Army Group Centre. German hordes were pushed back 100–350 kilometres from the capital, and the Moscow, Tula, Kalinin and Ryazan regions were completely liberated from the enemy.
It was near Moscow that Hitler suffered his first major defeat of the Second World War.
Around one million defenders of the capital of our Motherland were awarded the Medal “For the Defence of Moscow”, while 110 people were awarded the title of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion.
🎖 In May 1965, on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Victory, Moscow was awarded the honorary title of #HeroCity.
#WeRemember #OurVictory
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#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):
***
⚔️ 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
📅 #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
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