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🎖 On October 14, 1943, an uprising broke out in #WWII-era Nazi concentration camp #Sobibor, — the only successful mass escape from a 'death factory' during the Second World War.
The uprising in Sobibor was led by Soviet POW, Red Army lieutenant Alexander Pechersky. He performed a true feat. In just a few weeks, the officer managed to devise an escape plan, rally around him the seemingly hopeless, doomed, and exhausted prisoners, and to inspire them to take up a fight against the enemy.
***
During WWII, Nazi Germany established around 14'000 concentration camps, with the so-called death camps among them, where the enemy delivered their victims with the the only purpose — to exterminate people.
#Sobibor, located in the southeast of Nazi-occupied Poland (near the Western Bug River and the Polish-Soviet border) was one such 'death factories'. The camp was set up along a railway line between the towns of Chełm and Wlodawa.
Prisoners were shipped to Sobibor by the trainload for one purpose only — to be killed.
The Sobibor camp was turned into a true conveyor belt of death, where people were murdered by the most brutal and inhuman methods. Every day, up to six trains arrived at Sobibor carrying POWs and civilians, including the elderly, women, and children.
The Nazis poisoned their victims with gas, starved them, and worked them to death. Inhuman medical experiments were conducted on the inmates. Prisoners were brought from Austria, Czechoslovakia, and France for further torture and abuse. In June 1943, two special so- calledchildren’s trains went from the Netherlands to Sobibor. Over the entire time of the camp’s existence, according to various estimates, up to 250'000 people were murdered there.
***
⚔️ On October 14, 1943, an uprising broke out in Sobibor. At the time of the escape, there were 550 prisoners in the camp. About 100 of them refused to participate in the rebellion, hoping for mercy from the SS guards. The next day, they were all killed by the Nazis.
The rebels engaged in an unequal battle with the enemy, killed all members of an SS detachment and several guards. Having crushed the Nazis almost barehanded, the prisoners rushed towards the main gates despite machine-gun fire from the watchtowers.
❗️Nothing could stop the people striving to break free from Nazi slavery, neither the minefields around the camp, nor the barbed wire, nor the hail of bullets from the machine guns.
As a result of the uprising, about 300 people managed to escape from this inferno on earth. Many of the escapees joined the resistance and continued to fight against the Nazi occupants. Pechersky himself joined the Byelarussian partisans, and in 1944, he once again fought the enemy on the front lines as part of an assault unit.
The Sobibor uprising became a symbol of the unbending human will and spirit, in the truest sense, a symbol of the victory of good over Nazi evil. Unable to bear the shame and seeking to cover up their crimes against humanity, the SS command ordered Sobibor to be completely destroyed.
#NoStatuteOfLimitation
The atrocities committed in Sobibor became part of the charges against the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. In March 1962, in Kiev, 11 guards who had served in Sobibor and Treblinka were brought to trial. Alexander Pechersky himself testified as a witness. All the defendants — former Nazis — were sentenced to death.
Today, the Alexander Pechersky Foundation continues to make significant efforts to preserve the memory of the Sobibor prisoners’ heroic deed.
#WeRemember #Victory80
The uprising in Sobibor was led by Soviet POW, Red Army lieutenant Alexander Pechersky. He performed a true feat. In just a few weeks, the officer managed to devise an escape plan, rally around him the seemingly hopeless, doomed, and exhausted prisoners, and to inspire them to take up a fight against the enemy.
***
During WWII, Nazi Germany established around 14'000 concentration camps, with the so-called death camps among them, where the enemy delivered their victims with the the only purpose — to exterminate people.
#Sobibor, located in the southeast of Nazi-occupied Poland (near the Western Bug River and the Polish-Soviet border) was one such 'death factories'. The camp was set up along a railway line between the towns of Chełm and Wlodawa.
Prisoners were shipped to Sobibor by the trainload for one purpose only — to be killed.
The Sobibor camp was turned into a true conveyor belt of death, where people were murdered by the most brutal and inhuman methods. Every day, up to six trains arrived at Sobibor carrying POWs and civilians, including the elderly, women, and children.
The Nazis poisoned their victims with gas, starved them, and worked them to death. Inhuman medical experiments were conducted on the inmates. Prisoners were brought from Austria, Czechoslovakia, and France for further torture and abuse. In June 1943, two special so- calledchildren’s trains went from the Netherlands to Sobibor. Over the entire time of the camp’s existence, according to various estimates, up to 250'000 people were murdered there.
***
⚔️ On October 14, 1943, an uprising broke out in Sobibor. At the time of the escape, there were 550 prisoners in the camp. About 100 of them refused to participate in the rebellion, hoping for mercy from the SS guards. The next day, they were all killed by the Nazis.
The rebels engaged in an unequal battle with the enemy, killed all members of an SS detachment and several guards. Having crushed the Nazis almost barehanded, the prisoners rushed towards the main gates despite machine-gun fire from the watchtowers.
❗️Nothing could stop the people striving to break free from Nazi slavery, neither the minefields around the camp, nor the barbed wire, nor the hail of bullets from the machine guns.
As a result of the uprising, about 300 people managed to escape from this inferno on earth. Many of the escapees joined the resistance and continued to fight against the Nazi occupants. Pechersky himself joined the Byelarussian partisans, and in 1944, he once again fought the enemy on the front lines as part of an assault unit.
The Sobibor uprising became a symbol of the unbending human will and spirit, in the truest sense, a symbol of the victory of good over Nazi evil. Unable to bear the shame and seeking to cover up their crimes against humanity, the SS command ordered Sobibor to be completely destroyed.
#NoStatuteOfLimitation
The atrocities committed in Sobibor became part of the charges against the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. In March 1962, in Kiev, 11 guards who had served in Sobibor and Treblinka were brought to trial. Alexander Pechersky himself testified as a witness. All the defendants — former Nazis — were sentenced to death.
Today, the Alexander Pechersky Foundation continues to make significant efforts to preserve the memory of the Sobibor prisoners’ heroic deed.
#WeRemember #Victory80
🫡30❤8
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#Victory80
🌟 On November 1, 1944, the Battle of the Arctic concluded — a series of defensive and offensive operations by the Red Army in the high latitudes during #WWII. The hostilities in the Arctic culminated in the decisive defeat of the Nazi troops deployed in the Far North.
As a result of the Red Army’s successful Petsamo-Kirkenes Offensive (October 7–29, 1944), the enemy was expelled from North Karelia, the Murmansk Region, and north-eastern Norway.
The Third Reich’s plans to seize the strategically vital Kola Peninsula — thereby cutting off the USSR from its ice-free northern ports and access to the ocean — were thwarted once and for all.
***
By the autumn of 1944, a radical shift in the strategic situation on the northern sector of the Soviet-German front had created favourable conditions for the Red Army to liberate Arctic territories from the Nazis.
The crushing defeat of the Finnish militarists in Karelia during the summer of 1944, resulting in Finland’s — Hitler’s key ally in Europe’s Far North — withdrawal from the war, severely weakened the Wehrmacht’s position in the Arctic. Helsinki was compelled to launch operations against Nazi forces in Lapland.
⚔️ Thus, the conditions were set for a Soviet offensive into the northern latitudes. On October 7, 1944, forces of the Karelian Front under command of General of the Army Kirill Meretskov and the Northern Fleet, headed by Admiral Arseny Golovko, launched a full-front offensive, preceded by heavy artillery fire.
After three weeks of fierce combat in the Far North, Nazi troops were destroyed. By October 15, the Red Army liberated Petsamo and Luostari, alongside dozens of other communities.
In late October, the Soviet forces commenced the liberation of Norway. Their advance into the northern Kingdom gave an impetus to the Norwegian Resistance movement, with local partisan units providing substantial support for the Red Army.
Through coordinated action between the Red Army and Norwegian anti-fascist fighters, Norway's East Finnmark and later the entire northeast of the Scandinavian kingdom (up to the Tana River) were liberated. On October 25, Nazi occupants fled Kirkenes.
On October 17, 1945, Norwegian Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen wrote these words to Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars Joseph Stalin:
King of Norway Haakon VII paid tribute to the noble feat of our soldiers who saved his country from Nazism:
By November 1, Nazi invaders, having suffered heavy losses, were retreating westward. Combat operations in the Arctic ended. During the Petsamo-Kirkenes Offensive, Soviet soldiers and officers showed unwavering fortitude and sacrifice.
In December 1944, the medal "For the Defence of the Soviet Arctic" was instituted, awarded to over 350'000 Red Army soldiers and officers.
🎙 An excerpt from the briefing by Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (October 23, 2025):
#WeRemember
As a result of the Red Army’s successful Petsamo-Kirkenes Offensive (October 7–29, 1944), the enemy was expelled from North Karelia, the Murmansk Region, and north-eastern Norway.
The Third Reich’s plans to seize the strategically vital Kola Peninsula — thereby cutting off the USSR from its ice-free northern ports and access to the ocean — were thwarted once and for all.
***
By the autumn of 1944, a radical shift in the strategic situation on the northern sector of the Soviet-German front had created favourable conditions for the Red Army to liberate Arctic territories from the Nazis.
The crushing defeat of the Finnish militarists in Karelia during the summer of 1944, resulting in Finland’s — Hitler’s key ally in Europe’s Far North — withdrawal from the war, severely weakened the Wehrmacht’s position in the Arctic. Helsinki was compelled to launch operations against Nazi forces in Lapland.
⚔️ Thus, the conditions were set for a Soviet offensive into the northern latitudes. On October 7, 1944, forces of the Karelian Front under command of General of the Army Kirill Meretskov and the Northern Fleet, headed by Admiral Arseny Golovko, launched a full-front offensive, preceded by heavy artillery fire.
After three weeks of fierce combat in the Far North, Nazi troops were destroyed. By October 15, the Red Army liberated Petsamo and Luostari, alongside dozens of other communities.
In late October, the Soviet forces commenced the liberation of Norway. Their advance into the northern Kingdom gave an impetus to the Norwegian Resistance movement, with local partisan units providing substantial support for the Red Army.
Through coordinated action between the Red Army and Norwegian anti-fascist fighters, Norway's East Finnmark and later the entire northeast of the Scandinavian kingdom (up to the Tana River) were liberated. On October 25, Nazi occupants fled Kirkenes.
On October 17, 1945, Norwegian Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen wrote these words to Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars Joseph Stalin:
✍️ “The soldiers of the Red Army have fortified the friendship between our two nations, leaving the Norwegian people with feelings of gratitude and admiration for the great Soviet people.”
King of Norway Haakon VII paid tribute to the noble feat of our soldiers who saved his country from Nazism:
💬 “The war was won by the Red Army on the Eastern Front.
It was this victory that precipitated the liberation of Norwegian territory in the North.”
By November 1, Nazi invaders, having suffered heavy losses, were retreating westward. Combat operations in the Arctic ended. During the Petsamo-Kirkenes Offensive, Soviet soldiers and officers showed unwavering fortitude and sacrifice.
In December 1944, the medal "For the Defence of the Soviet Arctic" was instituted, awarded to over 350'000 Red Army soldiers and officers.
🎙 An excerpt from the briefing by Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (October 23, 2025):
💬 <...> "How the Norwegians managed to forget all this today and how the Norwegian leadership managed to turn away from those chapters of history <...> ?
How could they forget not only ours, but also their own Resistance fighters? <...>
Why have they forgotten?
That’s because today they are supporting those who are glorifying Nazi criminals.
They provide <...> even militarily support to them. Norway is among the first to do so". <...>
#WeRemember
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🌟 On November 13, 1943, the Red Army's Kiev offensive concluded, having resulted in the total defeat of the German invaders and liberation of Kiev from the Nazi scourge.
The Battle for Kiev — the 'Mother of Russian Cities' — was one of the Red Army’s most intense and brutal battles during #WWII.
Expelling the enemy from Kiev and liberating nearby towns and villages came at a very high price for our country.
***
In August 1943, during the Battle of the Dnieper, the Soviet forces took hold of several bridgeheads on the right-bank of the river.
The Nazis built impregnable fortifications, which included three lines of defence around Kiev, on the right bank of the Dnieper River. Our forces faced a 500'000-strong Nazi army supported by more than 500 armoured vehicles.
⚔️ The offensive on Kiev by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian Front, commanded by Army General Nikolay Vatutin, began on October 12. It took the Red Army one month to capture the Lyutezh and Veliky Bukrin bridgeheads north and south of Kiev.
On November 1, the Soviet forces launched another offensive from the Veliky Bukrin Bridgehead, which tied down 10 Wehrmacht divisions and got all Nazi reserves south of Kiev engaged in combat operations.
With the support of the Soviet 3rd Guards Tank Army, the enemy’s defences were breached on the second day of the offensive. On November 3, after heavy artillery preparation, a powerful strike was delivered from the north (the Lyutezh Bridgehead), and our forces began the operation to liberate the city.
🎖 On November 5, the Red Army units entered Kiev. That same day, the first Red Banner — the symbol of Victory over the enemy — was raised in Kiev.
By the morning of November 6, the Red Army cleared the city of the Nazis. Confronted with the threat of being encircled outside Kiev, the Nazis fled westward.
Having liberated the capital of the Ukrainian SSR, the Soviet forces pursued the retreating German units. The next day, the town of Fastov was liberated, and on November 12 the enemy was expelled from Zhitomir.
As a result of the Kiev offensive, 17'500 Red Army soldiers and officers were awarded orders and medals, and 65 units and formations received the honourary 'Kiev' title.
The defeat of the German Army Group 'South' in Kiev inflicted heavy damage on the Nazi Wehrmacht and forced it to retreat along the entire frontline in Ukraine.
▪️ From the memoirs of Nazi war criminal Hitler's Field Marshal Manstein:
The Nazis suffered one of their most devastating defeats on the Eastern front, losing strategic initiative completely and irreversibly.
***
🎙 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
(From an answer to a question by TASS News Agency regarding the 82nd anniversary of liberation of Kiev during the Great Patriotic War, November 6, 2025)
The Battle for Kiev — the 'Mother of Russian Cities' — was one of the Red Army’s most intense and brutal battles during #WWII.
Expelling the enemy from Kiev and liberating nearby towns and villages came at a very high price for our country.
***
In August 1943, during the Battle of the Dnieper, the Soviet forces took hold of several bridgeheads on the right-bank of the river.
The Nazis built impregnable fortifications, which included three lines of defence around Kiev, on the right bank of the Dnieper River. Our forces faced a 500'000-strong Nazi army supported by more than 500 armoured vehicles.
⚔️ The offensive on Kiev by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian Front, commanded by Army General Nikolay Vatutin, began on October 12. It took the Red Army one month to capture the Lyutezh and Veliky Bukrin bridgeheads north and south of Kiev.
On November 1, the Soviet forces launched another offensive from the Veliky Bukrin Bridgehead, which tied down 10 Wehrmacht divisions and got all Nazi reserves south of Kiev engaged in combat operations.
With the support of the Soviet 3rd Guards Tank Army, the enemy’s defences were breached on the second day of the offensive. On November 3, after heavy artillery preparation, a powerful strike was delivered from the north (the Lyutezh Bridgehead), and our forces began the operation to liberate the city.
🎖 On November 5, the Red Army units entered Kiev. That same day, the first Red Banner — the symbol of Victory over the enemy — was raised in Kiev.
By the morning of November 6, the Red Army cleared the city of the Nazis. Confronted with the threat of being encircled outside Kiev, the Nazis fled westward.
Having liberated the capital of the Ukrainian SSR, the Soviet forces pursued the retreating German units. The next day, the town of Fastov was liberated, and on November 12 the enemy was expelled from Zhitomir.
As a result of the Kiev offensive, 17'500 Red Army soldiers and officers were awarded orders and medals, and 65 units and formations received the honourary 'Kiev' title.
The defeat of the German Army Group 'South' in Kiev inflicted heavy damage on the Nazi Wehrmacht and forced it to retreat along the entire frontline in Ukraine.
▪️ From the memoirs of Nazi war criminal Hitler's Field Marshal Manstein:
The armies stationed on the Dnieper north of Kiev have been thrown back far to the east… as far back as Zhitomir and Korosten.
Both these critical railway junctions, which were used to maintain contact with Army Group 'Centre', were taken by the Red Army.
The Nazis suffered one of their most devastating defeats on the Eastern front, losing strategic initiative completely and irreversibly.
***
🎙 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
💬 It is difficult to imagine that the Soviet soldiers who gave their lives to liberate Kiev from the 'Nazi plague' could have foreseen their descendants in Ukraine desecrating the memory of those to whom they owed their very existence, while simultaneously honouring Nazi criminals <...>
Eight decades later, Kiev is once again occupied, and Nazi ideology has become state policy throughout Ukraine. <...>
The day will undoubtedly come when this once-prosperous region is liberated from the dominance of Nazi-inspired forces.
(From an answer to a question by TASS News Agency regarding the 82nd anniversary of liberation of Kiev during the Great Patriotic War, November 6, 2025)
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#Victory80
🗓 On November 28, 1943, the Tehran Conference — a landmark and the first meeting of the Leaders of the 'Big Three' anti-Hitler coalition allies — the Soviet Union, the US, and Britain, represented by Joseph Stalin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill, commenced amid the turning radical point of #WWII.
During four days, gathered in the Soviet Embassy in Iran, the Heads of Governments of the Allied Powers united by a common goal — to defeat Nazism — discussed the coordination of joint efforts aimed at bringing common Victory over Hitler's Germany closer.
The Tehran Conference became possible largely thanks to huge success of the Red Army on the front — the triumphs at Stalingrad and near Kursk, as well as in the battles for the Caucasus and Soviet Ukraine. Following a series of successful Soviet offensive operations in 1943, the 'Axis' Nazi allies lost around a quarter of their troops deployed on the Eastern Front.
In the summer of 1943, American and British newspapers wrote with admiration about the Heroism of the Soviet soldiers who were liberating their Motherland and driving Nazi invaders back westward to the USSR's borders. There was no longer any doubt around the world about who was prevailing in crushing the Nazis in WWII — it was undoubtedly the Soviet Union which, essentially alone, inflicted enormous and, in fact, fatal losses on the Nazi Wehrmacht forcing the fascists — for the first time during WWII — to defend their positions on the Eastern front rather than launch counter-offensives.
The Nazis' treacherous attack on our Motherland resulted in the German military suffering the greatest defeats in its history. The collapse of the Third Reich was inevitable and was only a matter of time.
***
The Leaders of the 'Big Three' understood that once the Nazi Germany was completely defeated, the Victorious Powers would have to outline the future post-war world order. To prevent wars and aggression in Europe, the negotiators suggested establishing an “international organisation” to ensure peace. Thus, for the first time, the idea of creating an international body, which would become the prototype of the today's #UnitedNations, was discussed.
The key agreement of the Teheran Conference was coordinating the timing for opening the second front — the operation of US and UK forces in northern France. The Allied landing in Europe was designed to significantly complicate the position of Nazi troops on the Soviet-German front, where the Nazis had concentrated the bulk of their military machine. It was also agreed that the Red Army would go on the offensive concurrently with the Allied landing in France, in order to prevent the transfer of Nazi troops from the East to the Western Front.
✍️ The Allies adopted the Declaration of the Three Powers — a landmark document of the Tehran Conference, which reinforced the unity of the Allies and its determination to fight the enemy together till #Victory:
As a sign of admiration for the steadfastness and courage of the defenders of Stalingrad, Winston Churchill presented Joseph Stalin with a gift from British King George VI — a sword manufactured by special order, with its grip wound in gold wire and the pommel decorated with rock crystal.
The following inscription was etched on the steel blade:
The sword became an iconic commemorative relic serving as a symbol of respect paid by American and British Allies to the Soviet Heroic generation that crushed Nazism.
🗓 On November 28, 1943, the Tehran Conference — a landmark and the first meeting of the Leaders of the 'Big Three' anti-Hitler coalition allies — the Soviet Union, the US, and Britain, represented by Joseph Stalin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill, commenced amid the turning radical point of #WWII.
During four days, gathered in the Soviet Embassy in Iran, the Heads of Governments of the Allied Powers united by a common goal — to defeat Nazism — discussed the coordination of joint efforts aimed at bringing common Victory over Hitler's Germany closer.
💬 “We are gathered here for one purpose — for the purpose of winning the war as soon as possible”, — FDR, President of the United States, at the opening of the Tehran Conference, November 28, 1943.
The Tehran Conference became possible largely thanks to huge success of the Red Army on the front — the triumphs at Stalingrad and near Kursk, as well as in the battles for the Caucasus and Soviet Ukraine. Following a series of successful Soviet offensive operations in 1943, the 'Axis' Nazi allies lost around a quarter of their troops deployed on the Eastern Front.
In the summer of 1943, American and British newspapers wrote with admiration about the Heroism of the Soviet soldiers who were liberating their Motherland and driving Nazi invaders back westward to the USSR's borders. There was no longer any doubt around the world about who was prevailing in crushing the Nazis in WWII — it was undoubtedly the Soviet Union which, essentially alone, inflicted enormous and, in fact, fatal losses on the Nazi Wehrmacht forcing the fascists — for the first time during WWII — to defend their positions on the Eastern front rather than launch counter-offensives.
The Nazis' treacherous attack on our Motherland resulted in the German military suffering the greatest defeats in its history. The collapse of the Third Reich was inevitable and was only a matter of time.
***
The Leaders of the 'Big Three' understood that once the Nazi Germany was completely defeated, the Victorious Powers would have to outline the future post-war world order. To prevent wars and aggression in Europe, the negotiators suggested establishing an “international organisation” to ensure peace. Thus, for the first time, the idea of creating an international body, which would become the prototype of the today's #UnitedNations, was discussed.
The key agreement of the Teheran Conference was coordinating the timing for opening the second front — the operation of US and UK forces in northern France. The Allied landing in Europe was designed to significantly complicate the position of Nazi troops on the Soviet-German front, where the Nazis had concentrated the bulk of their military machine. It was also agreed that the Red Army would go on the offensive concurrently with the Allied landing in France, in order to prevent the transfer of Nazi troops from the East to the Western Front.
✍️ The Allies adopted the Declaration of the Three Powers — a landmark document of the Tehran Conference, which reinforced the unity of the Allies and its determination to fight the enemy together till #Victory:
No power on Earth can prevent our destroying the German armies by land, their U-boats by sea, and their war plants from the air.
Our attack will be relentless and increasing.
We came here with hope and determination.
We leave here, friends in fact, in spirit, and in purpose.
As a sign of admiration for the steadfastness and courage of the defenders of Stalingrad, Winston Churchill presented Joseph Stalin with a gift from British King George VI — a sword manufactured by special order, with its grip wound in gold wire and the pommel decorated with rock crystal.
The following inscription was etched on the steel blade:
To the steel-hearted citizens of Stalingrad * The gift of King George VI * In token of the homage of the British people.
The sword became an iconic commemorative relic serving as a symbol of respect paid by American and British Allies to the Soviet Heroic generation that crushed Nazism.
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#Victory80
🌟 On December 5, 1941, the Red Army launched a counter-offensive as part of the Battle of Moscow — a decisive stage in the fighting for the capital of our Motherland, resulting in our total Victory.
The Heroism of Soviet people, the Red Army soldiers, fighting the Nazis side-by-side with their steadfast comrades — home-front workers — all from small to large were jointly forging our Triumph in that crucial battle. Thanks to their efforts, the ruthless Nazi military machine, which had been sweeping everything on its way, was stopped.
❗️ The hour of reckoning was upon the Nazi criminals, who had to pay for their treacherous attack on our Motherland.
It was near Moscow in frosty December of 1941 that the Red Army inflicted on the enemy its first major defeat in WW2. Hitler’s infamous 'Blitzkrieg' strategy, which the aggressor had successfully used in the capture of a number of European states (Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium), completely failed.
After its defeat near Moscow, the Wehrmacht further failed to launch any large successful offensive on the Eastern Front. The Nazis, which had steamrolled over Europe without meeting with any resistance, were doomed to the biggest surrender in their history.
***
The Nazi command planned to capture Moscow within three or four months and annihilate all its residents.
This is what Chief of German General Staff and Nazi criminal Franz Halder wrote in his memoirs:
In September 1941, Hitler’s troops reached the Red Army’s positions in several sectors at once. General Heinz Guderian’s tank armies broke through the Soviet defences and advanced 80 kilometres.
During two weeks, the Soviet forces were deterring nearly 20 (!) Nazi divisions. This made it possible to gain more time for organising the Moscow defence and redeploy reserves to the city from other regions of the country.
❗️ Previously during #WWII, no other nation, faced with Hitler’s aggression, fought back so fiercely.
In early December, the Red Army launched a decisive counter-offensive, ushering in the long-awaited turning point in the #BattleOfMoscow.
On December 5, the Western, Kalinin, and, in part, Southwestern fronts attacked the Nazis along the entire front line. Like a hurricane, the Soviet forces were sweeping the fascists away. As the Red Army advanced, the enemy, already incapable of fighting in the dire wintertime environment, was wavering and started retreating.
In the course of its triumphal counter-offensive, the Red Army liberated Kalinin, Klin, Istra, Volokolamsk, and other towns. The enemy was expelled from the Moscow, Tula, Kalinin and Ryazan regions. Also liberated were parts of the Smolensk and Oryol regions. As early as January 8, 1942, the Soviet forces, after driving the Wehrmacht back hundreds of kilometres westwards, launched the Rzhev-Vyazma offensive.
Like the defence of Moscow, the counter-offensive involved new Red Army units redeployed from the Urals and the Far East, Siberia and Central Asia. The success in the Battle of Moscow was made possible, among other things, by their feats of valour and generally by the fierce resistance of the defenders of the capital, who wore out the enemy that had hoped for an easy “walkover” on our land.
The victory near Moscow gave a powerful impetus to the partisan underground movement in the Nazi-occupied areas, with thousands of fighters joining the Red Army in the struggle against the invaders and making an invaluable contribution to our Great Victory.
🎖 Nearly a million defenders of Moscow were awarded the Medal “For the Defence of Moscow” and 110 soldiers and officers were made Heroes of the Soviet Union.
#OurVictory #WeRemember
The Heroism of Soviet people, the Red Army soldiers, fighting the Nazis side-by-side with their steadfast comrades — home-front workers — all from small to large were jointly forging our Triumph in that crucial battle. Thanks to their efforts, the ruthless Nazi military machine, which had been sweeping everything on its way, was stopped.
❗️ The hour of reckoning was upon the Nazi criminals, who had to pay for their treacherous attack on our Motherland.
It was near Moscow in frosty December of 1941 that the Red Army inflicted on the enemy its first major defeat in WW2. Hitler’s infamous 'Blitzkrieg' strategy, which the aggressor had successfully used in the capture of a number of European states (Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium), completely failed.
After its defeat near Moscow, the Wehrmacht further failed to launch any large successful offensive on the Eastern Front. The Nazis, which had steamrolled over Europe without meeting with any resistance, were doomed to the biggest surrender in their history.
“We have opened a ruthless path to Berlin through our Battle of Moscow,” Pavel Shubin, Soviet poet.
***
The Nazi command planned to capture Moscow within three or four months and annihilate all its residents.
This is what Chief of German General Staff and Nazi criminal Franz Halder wrote in his memoirs:
“The Fuhrer’s absolute resolve is to raze Moscow and Leningrad to the ground…
This will be a national disaster that will deprive not only Bolshevism but also the Muscovites (Russians) in general of their centres.”
In September 1941, Hitler’s troops reached the Red Army’s positions in several sectors at once. General Heinz Guderian’s tank armies broke through the Soviet defences and advanced 80 kilometres.
During two weeks, the Soviet forces were deterring nearly 20 (!) Nazi divisions. This made it possible to gain more time for organising the Moscow defence and redeploy reserves to the city from other regions of the country.
❗️ Previously during #WWII, no other nation, faced with Hitler’s aggression, fought back so fiercely.
In early December, the Red Army launched a decisive counter-offensive, ushering in the long-awaited turning point in the #BattleOfMoscow.
On December 5, the Western, Kalinin, and, in part, Southwestern fronts attacked the Nazis along the entire front line. Like a hurricane, the Soviet forces were sweeping the fascists away. As the Red Army advanced, the enemy, already incapable of fighting in the dire wintertime environment, was wavering and started retreating.
In the course of its triumphal counter-offensive, the Red Army liberated Kalinin, Klin, Istra, Volokolamsk, and other towns. The enemy was expelled from the Moscow, Tula, Kalinin and Ryazan regions. Also liberated were parts of the Smolensk and Oryol regions. As early as January 8, 1942, the Soviet forces, after driving the Wehrmacht back hundreds of kilometres westwards, launched the Rzhev-Vyazma offensive.
Like the defence of Moscow, the counter-offensive involved new Red Army units redeployed from the Urals and the Far East, Siberia and Central Asia. The success in the Battle of Moscow was made possible, among other things, by their feats of valour and generally by the fierce resistance of the defenders of the capital, who wore out the enemy that had hoped for an easy “walkover” on our land.
The victory near Moscow gave a powerful impetus to the partisan underground movement in the Nazi-occupied areas, with thousands of fighters joining the Red Army in the struggle against the invaders and making an invaluable contribution to our Great Victory.
🎖 Nearly a million defenders of Moscow were awarded the Medal “For the Defence of Moscow” and 110 soldiers and officers were made Heroes of the Soviet Union.
#OurVictory #WeRemember
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#Victory81
🌟 On January 13, 1945, the #EastPrussian Offensive by the Red Army — one of the largest and most important #WWII operations against Nazi Germany — commenced.
As a result of the operation in the #EastPrussia, the Soviet forces ultimately destroyed the Nazis' most capable, experienced, trained and equipped divisions on the entire Eastern front. The 'invincible reich' lost a critical strategic bridgehead in the Baltic region.
The fortress city of #Königsberg — the cradle of German militarism and the starting point of eastward expansion — fell once and for all.
The triumph of the Red Army in East Prussia held profound symbolic significance: the Nazis were decisively and completely crushed right there, where from, back in June 1941, they treacherously attacked our Motherland.
▪️“There it is, cursed Germany,” — that was what the Soviet soldiers-liberators said while stepping on the enemy's soil to pursue the condign retribution upon the Germans on their own territory.
Those were exactly the accurate words to call the country where the most terrible evil the Mankind ever saw in its history — the Nazi scourge — was nurtured.
The Germans sought Moscow’s fall, but instead they witnessed with disgrace the collapse of their own “great Reich.”
***
The East-Prussian operation. The details
January-April, 1945
The battles on the East Prussian theatre of operations lasted for 103 days, which made it the area that saw the longest continuous military engagement in the final year of #WW2.
In the region, the Nazis constructed an exceptionally formidable defensive system, tailored to the specific features of terrain. The capital of East Prussia — the fortress city of Königsberg — was equipped with both external and internal urban fortification systems. In East Prussia, the Red Army faced the Nazi army with the personnel strength of some 780'000 Wehrmacht soldiers and officers.
⚔️ On January 13, 1945, the units of the 2nd Byelorussian and forces of the 3rd Byelorussian Fronts of the Red Army launched the offensive in East Prussia.
Through the swift and overwhelming assault, the Soviet armor and the infantry, with the support of the aviaton, reached the Baltic Sea near Elbing (now the city of Elbląg in northern Poland) already on the third day of the operation, thus, having cut off any possible retreat routes for the enemy from East Prussia westwards.
In less than two weeks, the Soviet forces broke through to Königsberg — the infamous Nazi citadel, which had allowed the Germans to dominate the eastern Baltics throughout the entire war, was encircled.
By February 10, 1945, the Nazi army group 'North' had been split into three isolated and tied down formations that were further driven to the coastline with no hope of escape.
In April, the Königsberg garrison — numbering around 200'000 Wehrmacht soldiers and officers — was defeated and surrendered. On April 9, the Red Army seized the fortress completely — the impregnable stronghold of the Third Reich, fortified with the latest military technology of WWII-era, finally fell.
The loss of significant forces and militarily and economically vital region of East Prussia hastened Germany’s defeat.
The Soviet forces inflicted huge losses on the Wehrmacht and completely severed Third Reich’s maritime supply lines, crippling logistics for the blockaded 'Courland Pocket'.
To commemorate the Heroic Victory in East Prussia, the medal 'For the Capture of Königsberg' was instituted in the USSR. The Medal was awarded to approximately 760'000 Red Army soldiers and officers.
Aftermath WWII, under the terms approved by the Allied Leaders at the #PotsdamConference, much of East Prussia was incorporated into Poland, while a third of East Prussia territory, including the city of Königsberg (the Kaliningrad Region), became part of the Soviet Union.
🎖 By the Executive Order of President of Russia Vladimir Putin (signed on November 17, 2025), a new memorial date was established in our country — April 9, the Day of the Heroic Assault and Capture of Königsberg (1945).
As a result of the operation in the #EastPrussia, the Soviet forces ultimately destroyed the Nazis' most capable, experienced, trained and equipped divisions on the entire Eastern front. The 'invincible reich' lost a critical strategic bridgehead in the Baltic region.
The fortress city of #Königsberg — the cradle of German militarism and the starting point of eastward expansion — fell once and for all.
The triumph of the Red Army in East Prussia held profound symbolic significance: the Nazis were decisively and completely crushed right there, where from, back in June 1941, they treacherously attacked our Motherland.
▪️“There it is, cursed Germany,” — that was what the Soviet soldiers-liberators said while stepping on the enemy's soil to pursue the condign retribution upon the Germans on their own territory.
Those were exactly the accurate words to call the country where the most terrible evil the Mankind ever saw in its history — the Nazi scourge — was nurtured.
The Germans sought Moscow’s fall, but instead they witnessed with disgrace the collapse of their own “great Reich.”
***
The East-Prussian operation. The details
January-April, 1945
The battles on the East Prussian theatre of operations lasted for 103 days, which made it the area that saw the longest continuous military engagement in the final year of #WW2.
In the region, the Nazis constructed an exceptionally formidable defensive system, tailored to the specific features of terrain. The capital of East Prussia — the fortress city of Königsberg — was equipped with both external and internal urban fortification systems. In East Prussia, the Red Army faced the Nazi army with the personnel strength of some 780'000 Wehrmacht soldiers and officers.
⚔️ On January 13, 1945, the units of the 2nd Byelorussian and forces of the 3rd Byelorussian Fronts of the Red Army launched the offensive in East Prussia.
Through the swift and overwhelming assault, the Soviet armor and the infantry, with the support of the aviaton, reached the Baltic Sea near Elbing (now the city of Elbląg in northern Poland) already on the third day of the operation, thus, having cut off any possible retreat routes for the enemy from East Prussia westwards.
In less than two weeks, the Soviet forces broke through to Königsberg — the infamous Nazi citadel, which had allowed the Germans to dominate the eastern Baltics throughout the entire war, was encircled.
By February 10, 1945, the Nazi army group 'North' had been split into three isolated and tied down formations that were further driven to the coastline with no hope of escape.
In April, the Königsberg garrison — numbering around 200'000 Wehrmacht soldiers and officers — was defeated and surrendered. On April 9, the Red Army seized the fortress completely — the impregnable stronghold of the Third Reich, fortified with the latest military technology of WWII-era, finally fell.
The loss of significant forces and militarily and economically vital region of East Prussia hastened Germany’s defeat.
The Soviet forces inflicted huge losses on the Wehrmacht and completely severed Third Reich’s maritime supply lines, crippling logistics for the blockaded 'Courland Pocket'.
To commemorate the Heroic Victory in East Prussia, the medal 'For the Capture of Königsberg' was instituted in the USSR. The Medal was awarded to approximately 760'000 Red Army soldiers and officers.
Aftermath WWII, under the terms approved by the Allied Leaders at the #PotsdamConference, much of East Prussia was incorporated into Poland, while a third of East Prussia territory, including the city of Königsberg (the Kaliningrad Region), became part of the Soviet Union.
🎖 By the Executive Order of President of Russia Vladimir Putin (signed on November 17, 2025), a new memorial date was established in our country — April 9, the Day of the Heroic Assault and Capture of Königsberg (1945).
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#Victory81
🌟 On February 2, 1943, the #BattleOfStalingrad — one of the most brutal battles of the Great Patriotic War and #WW2, which turned the tide of that terrible and bloody conflict — concluded with the total and complete defeat of the Nazi forces.
The fight for Stalingrad lasted for 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ days and nights, surpassing all previous battles in world history both in scale and intensity. The combat to the death took place in Stalingrad for each and every alley, every house, every inch of the ground. During that battle, more than 2.1 million people were involved on both sides.
The Nazi invaders, obsessed with the illusion of their superiority and strive to enslave the Soviet people, failed in Stalingrad — never ever had the Germans managed to break the spirit or morale of the defenders of our Motherland. The Red Army soldiers, showing unparalleled courage, bravery and heroism, stood their ground with steadfastness and achieved a great victory that would eventually define the outcome of the entire #WWII.
The Nazi war machine suffered a crushing and catastrophic defeat, which, as history would show, was fatal for Germany.
☝️ At Stalingrad, the Red Army showed that the Third Reich and Nazism are beatable, that they can and will be destroyed once and for all.
***
In the summer of 1942, the Nazi troops launched another major offensive on the southern flank of the Soviet–German front.
At that time, the target was #Stalingrad — a key industrial and transport hub on the Volga river. Had the Nazis succeeded, Hitler’s barbarians would have severed crucial supply lines, seized the rich agricultural regions of Kuban and Stavropol, and broken through to the Caucasus, where they hoped to capture abundant oilfields.
The entire power of the Nazi war machine fell on Stalingrad on July 17 — the city’s heroic defence commenced. The enemy committed up to 80 Wehrmacht divisions to that attack, followed by savage combat for the city raging almost all around the clock days and nights. The Soviet defenders fought firmly, leaving not a single inch of our Motherland.
The Wehrmacht troops, commanded by infamous Nazi General Friedrich Paulus (it was him who devised operation 'Barbarossa' plan — Germany’s treacherous attack on the Soviet Union) were confronted by the Soviet 62nd and 64th armies. Vasily Chuikov, the commander of the 62nd Army, is rightly considered to be one of the architects of the victory at Stalingrad — the brilliant tactician, he refined and put into practice assault-group strategy that became key to our triumph in Stalingrad.
By mid-November 1942, after fierce and lasting resistance and regrouping of forces, the Red Army created favourable conditions to launch counter-offensive near Stalingrad 👉 from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943, the Soviet forces brilliantly executed the operation 'Ring', having successfully encircled Nazis 6th Army in “cauldron” between the Don and Volga rivers.
On January 31, Field Marshal Paulus and his staff unconditionally surrendered. On February 2, the last pockets of Nazis' resistance were eliminated, with Germany’s 'axis' troops completely destroyed.
🎖 The Battle of Stalingrad ended in a Red Army's brilliant military triumph. The Nazis lost up to 1/4 of all the personnel and equipment deployed on the entire Eastern Front.
Since then, the word “Stalingrad” has echoed, and will forever echo, in the hearts and collective memory of our people as an enduring reminder of the Great Heroic Feat performed by the defenders of our Motherland.
***
On November 29, 1943, during the Tehran Conference, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill presented Joseph Stalin with a sword specially forged by the order of King George VI in tribute to the courage and resilience of Stalingrad defenders.
Inscribed on the blade were the words:
The sword became an iconic commemorative relic, symbolising the Anglo-American allies’ eternal tribute to the Heroic Soviet victorious generation.
The fight for Stalingrad lasted for 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ days and nights, surpassing all previous battles in world history both in scale and intensity. The combat to the death took place in Stalingrad for each and every alley, every house, every inch of the ground. During that battle, more than 2.1 million people were involved on both sides.
The Nazi invaders, obsessed with the illusion of their superiority and strive to enslave the Soviet people, failed in Stalingrad — never ever had the Germans managed to break the spirit or morale of the defenders of our Motherland. The Red Army soldiers, showing unparalleled courage, bravery and heroism, stood their ground with steadfastness and achieved a great victory that would eventually define the outcome of the entire #WWII.
The Nazi war machine suffered a crushing and catastrophic defeat, which, as history would show, was fatal for Germany.
☝️ At Stalingrad, the Red Army showed that the Third Reich and Nazism are beatable, that they can and will be destroyed once and for all.
***
In the summer of 1942, the Nazi troops launched another major offensive on the southern flank of the Soviet–German front.
At that time, the target was #Stalingrad — a key industrial and transport hub on the Volga river. Had the Nazis succeeded, Hitler’s barbarians would have severed crucial supply lines, seized the rich agricultural regions of Kuban and Stavropol, and broken through to the Caucasus, where they hoped to capture abundant oilfields.
The entire power of the Nazi war machine fell on Stalingrad on July 17 — the city’s heroic defence commenced. The enemy committed up to 80 Wehrmacht divisions to that attack, followed by savage combat for the city raging almost all around the clock days and nights. The Soviet defenders fought firmly, leaving not a single inch of our Motherland.
The Wehrmacht troops, commanded by infamous Nazi General Friedrich Paulus (it was him who devised operation 'Barbarossa' plan — Germany’s treacherous attack on the Soviet Union) were confronted by the Soviet 62nd and 64th armies. Vasily Chuikov, the commander of the 62nd Army, is rightly considered to be one of the architects of the victory at Stalingrad — the brilliant tactician, he refined and put into practice assault-group strategy that became key to our triumph in Stalingrad.
By mid-November 1942, after fierce and lasting resistance and regrouping of forces, the Red Army created favourable conditions to launch counter-offensive near Stalingrad 👉 from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943, the Soviet forces brilliantly executed the operation 'Ring', having successfully encircled Nazis 6th Army in “cauldron” between the Don and Volga rivers.
On January 31, Field Marshal Paulus and his staff unconditionally surrendered. On February 2, the last pockets of Nazis' resistance were eliminated, with Germany’s 'axis' troops completely destroyed.
🎖 The Battle of Stalingrad ended in a Red Army's brilliant military triumph. The Nazis lost up to 1/4 of all the personnel and equipment deployed on the entire Eastern Front.
Since then, the word “Stalingrad” has echoed, and will forever echo, in the hearts and collective memory of our people as an enduring reminder of the Great Heroic Feat performed by the defenders of our Motherland.
***
On November 29, 1943, during the Tehran Conference, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill presented Joseph Stalin with a sword specially forged by the order of King George VI in tribute to the courage and resilience of Stalingrad defenders.
Inscribed on the blade were the words:
TO THE STEEL-HEARTED CITIZENS OF STALINGRAD • THE GIFT OF KING GEORGE VI • IN TOKEN OF THE HOMAGE OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE
The sword became an iconic commemorative relic, symbolising the Anglo-American allies’ eternal tribute to the Heroic Soviet victorious generation.
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#HistoryOfDiplomacy
🗓 On February 4, 1945, the Yalta Conference of the Leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition — Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt — officially commenced.
The #YaltaConference stands as one of the most significant summits of the 'Big Three' Leaders during #WW2. The landmark talks in Yalta came to symbolise the successful cooperation of Moscow, Washington, and London in their common fight against the terrible evil the mankind had ever faced — the Nazi ideology.
The historic agreements reached at the Forum defined the foundations of the post-war Yalta-Potsdam system of international relations, whose legal basis would be the #UNCharter.
💬 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
***
🌟 By early 1945, the Red Army had fully liberated the Soviet Union from the Nazi invaders and was mounting a decisive offensive: by January, the Nazi troops had been expelled from Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, and most of Poland. The Soviet forces had secured strategically important bridgehead on the western bank of the Oder river and were preparing for the final battle of #WWII — the fight for the Reich’s capital — Berlin.
As the Red Army advanced rapidly from the Vistula-Oder direction, UK-American units were pushing towards the Rhine river. Despite fierce resistance from elite units of the Nazi war machine, Germany’s defeat was inevitable.
With the common Victory approaching, the discussing issues the post-war world order became a top priority for the Allied Powers. Thus, it was decided to convene a major conference, with the Soviet city of Yalta chosen as the venue (February 4-11, 1945).
A central focus of the #CrimeanConference was the post-war future of the defeated Germany. The Allies reaffirmed their commitment to the eradication of German militarism and Nazism and to ensuring that “Germany will never again be able to disturb the peace of the world.” It was also agreed that Germany would be obliged to pay reparations for the damage inflicted by its aggression.
During the Yalta negotiations, the 'Big Three' Leaders reached a compromise on the issue of Poland’s borders. The Soviet delegation firmly advocated for Poland’s fundamental interests, upholding its right to independence and sovereignty.
Churchill later described the Soviet Union’s historic role in liberating Poland from Nazism in his memoirs:
The considerable growth in the USSR’s international prestige significantly influenced the course and outcomes of the Yalta negotiations. This was due, in large part, to the Red Army’s remarkable successes on the battlefield.
The image of the Soviet soldier as a Liberator was cemented, and the world recognised Soviet people's immense Sacrifice and Achievement in WWII
The Conference produced several crucial documents, including the Declaration on Liberated Europe, which helped shape the international system for decades. The framework for the future #UnitedNations also took clearer form. Following Yalta, the Soviet Union secured agreement on the “principle of unanimity” among the five permanent UN Security Council members, embodied in the right of veto — #UNCharterIsOurRules.
The Yalta agreements strengthened the unity of the anti-Hitler coalition in the final stages of World War II and contributed to the ultimate common victory over Germany. In the post-war years, ensuring the implementation of the Yalta decisions became a key objective of Soviet diplomacy.
#Victory81 #WeWereAllies
🗓 On February 4, 1945, the Yalta Conference of the Leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition — Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt — officially commenced.
The #YaltaConference stands as one of the most significant summits of the 'Big Three' Leaders during #WW2. The landmark talks in Yalta came to symbolise the successful cooperation of Moscow, Washington, and London in their common fight against the terrible evil the mankind had ever faced — the Nazi ideology.
The historic agreements reached at the Forum defined the foundations of the post-war Yalta-Potsdam system of international relations, whose legal basis would be the #UNCharter.
💬 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
The participants in the Yalta Conference managed to overcome their differences, and, acting in the spirit of true solidarity, mutual respect and trust, abandoned their fleeting interests for the sake of defeating the common enemy and achieving a common victory, peace and freedom for all countries and peoples.
***
As the Red Army advanced rapidly from the Vistula-Oder direction, UK-American units were pushing towards the Rhine river. Despite fierce resistance from elite units of the Nazi war machine, Germany’s defeat was inevitable.
With the common Victory approaching, the discussing issues the post-war world order became a top priority for the Allied Powers. Thus, it was decided to convene a major conference, with the Soviet city of Yalta chosen as the venue (February 4-11, 1945).
A central focus of the #CrimeanConference was the post-war future of the defeated Germany. The Allies reaffirmed their commitment to the eradication of German militarism and Nazism and to ensuring that “Germany will never again be able to disturb the peace of the world.” It was also agreed that Germany would be obliged to pay reparations for the damage inflicted by its aggression.
During the Yalta negotiations, the 'Big Three' Leaders reached a compromise on the issue of Poland’s borders. The Soviet delegation firmly advocated for Poland’s fundamental interests, upholding its right to independence and sovereignty.
Churchill later described the Soviet Union’s historic role in liberating Poland from Nazism in his memoirs:
But for the prodigious exertions and sacrifices of Russia, Poland was doomed to utter destruction at the hands of the Germans.
Not only Poland as a State and as a nation, but the Poles as a race were doomed by Hitler to be destroyed or reduced to a servile station
The considerable growth in the USSR’s international prestige significantly influenced the course and outcomes of the Yalta negotiations. This was due, in large part, to the Red Army’s remarkable successes on the battlefield.
The image of the Soviet soldier as a Liberator was cemented, and the world recognised Soviet people's immense Sacrifice and Achievement in WWII
The Conference produced several crucial documents, including the Declaration on Liberated Europe, which helped shape the international system for decades. The framework for the future #UnitedNations also took clearer form. Following Yalta, the Soviet Union secured agreement on the “principle of unanimity” among the five permanent UN Security Council members, embodied in the right of veto — #UNCharterIsOurRules.
The Yalta agreements strengthened the unity of the anti-Hitler coalition in the final stages of World War II and contributed to the ultimate common victory over Germany. In the post-war years, ensuring the implementation of the Yalta decisions became a key objective of Soviet diplomacy.
#Victory81 #WeWereAllies
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#FacesOfVictory
🌟 On March 23, 1915, legendary Soviet sniper, one of the greatest shoots of #WWII & the Great Patriotic War, hero of Stalingrad, Vassily Zaitsev was born in the village of Yeleninka, Orenburg Region, the Russian Empire.
In 1935, Vassily Zaitsev was drafted into the Red Army and assigned to the Navy. The war found him serving on the Pacific Fleet. Like most Soviet people he was eager to volunteer to the frontlines to fight the Nazis and defend the Motherland. The future hero of Stalingrad submitted five requests for transfer to active duty units in the European front. Finally, his wish was granted in the summer of 1942.
In September 1942, Vassily arrived in Stalingrad as part of the 284th Rifle Division of the 62nd Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Vassily Chuikov. During the street battles for the city, he proved himself to be an outstanding marksman and was subsequently appointed as a sniper. Later, he was involved in the liberation of Donbass and the Battle of the Dnieper. In total, he eliminated 242 Nazi invaders.
Zaitsev possessed exceptional eyesight and hearing, iron self-control, and a talent for improvisation. He developed the group hunting tactic using six-man teams and employed camouflage and decoys.
A masterful sniper, Zaitsev personally trained new shooters, who became known as Zaitchata (leverets). He taught them to change positions after two or three shots, disguise themselves thoroughly, and use decoys such as dummy soldiers to trick the enemy. Zaitsev’s main demand for his trainees was to think outside the box and improvise.
🎖 On February 22, 1943, Vassily Zaitsev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title for personally training 28 snipers and killing 225 Nazi soldiers and officers during the street battles in Stalingrad between October 10 and December 17, 1942.
Vassily Zaitsev died on December 15, 1991. In 2006, his remains were in a solemn ceremony moved to the site of the Stalingrad Battle at the Mamayev Kurgan. His famous sniper rifle is carefully preserved at the Museum-Reserve "Battle of Stalingrad" in Volgograd, available for all to see.
In 1935, Vassily Zaitsev was drafted into the Red Army and assigned to the Navy. The war found him serving on the Pacific Fleet. Like most Soviet people he was eager to volunteer to the frontlines to fight the Nazis and defend the Motherland. The future hero of Stalingrad submitted five requests for transfer to active duty units in the European front. Finally, his wish was granted in the summer of 1942.
In September 1942, Vassily arrived in Stalingrad as part of the 284th Rifle Division of the 62nd Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Vassily Chuikov. During the street battles for the city, he proved himself to be an outstanding marksman and was subsequently appointed as a sniper. Later, he was involved in the liberation of Donbass and the Battle of the Dnieper. In total, he eliminated 242 Nazi invaders.
Zaitsev possessed exceptional eyesight and hearing, iron self-control, and a talent for improvisation. He developed the group hunting tactic using six-man teams and employed camouflage and decoys.
“It is my passion to observe the enemy’s behaviour. You see a puffed up Nazi officer come out of a trench shelter. He looks arrogant and bosses his soldiers around with imperative gestures. They fulfil his will, his wishes and whims with strict accuracy. But he has no idea that his minutes are numbered,” Vasily wrote in his memoirs, No Land For Us Across The Volga.
A masterful sniper, Zaitsev personally trained new shooters, who became known as Zaitchata (leverets). He taught them to change positions after two or three shots, disguise themselves thoroughly, and use decoys such as dummy soldiers to trick the enemy. Zaitsev’s main demand for his trainees was to think outside the box and improvise.
🎖 On February 22, 1943, Vassily Zaitsev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title for personally training 28 snipers and killing 225 Nazi soldiers and officers during the street battles in Stalingrad between October 10 and December 17, 1942.
Vassily Zaitsev died on December 15, 1991. In 2006, his remains were in a solemn ceremony moved to the site of the Stalingrad Battle at the Mamayev Kurgan. His famous sniper rifle is carefully preserved at the Museum-Reserve "Battle of Stalingrad" in Volgograd, available for all to see.
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🎵 #OTD in 1883, legendary Russian-Soviet composer Alexander #Alexandrov was born.
Founder of Red Army Choir, he composed #USSR anthem, later adopted by 🇷🇺 #Russia.
“The Sacred War” — a stirring #WWII march that became a voice of resilience & unity — is also his legacy
Goodnight everyone!
⚡️ Two Majors
Founder of Red Army Choir, he composed #USSR anthem, later adopted by 🇷🇺 #Russia.
“The Sacred War” — a stirring #WWII march that became a voice of resilience & unity — is also his legacy
Goodnight everyone!
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#Victory81
🌟 On April 16, 1945, the Berlin Offensive — one of the Red Army’s key strategic operations during World War II — commenced.
The operation resulted in the complete defeat of the enemy’s Berlin group of forces and, with Hitler’s war machine being completely crushed. The Soviet forces took the capital of the Third Reich — #Berlin. The Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany was signed — the document that heralded the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
By spring 1945, the Red Army successfully carried out a series of offensive operations aimed at liberating the countries and peoples of Central and Eastern Europe from the Nazi invaders. Hitler’s troops and their henchmen were expelled from Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Poland; Vienna and the capital of modern Slovakia, Bratislava, saved from the Nazi plague.
Nevertheless, #WWII was far from end. The final battle for the liberation of Europe from the Nazi plague, the Battle of Berlin, was coming.
By mid-April, 1945, the Soviet forces — having liberated Poland from the Nazis — consolidated positions along the Oder and Neisse rivers and started preparations to launch the offensive on Berlin. Mere dozens of kilometres separated the Red Army from the capital of Hitler’s Germany. The enemy installed deeply echeloned defences and deployed elite Wehrmacht units against the Soviet forces.
To attack Berlin, the Soviet Supreme High Command deployed forces from the 1st Belorussian Front (commanded by Marshal Georgy Zhukov); the 2nd Belorussian Front (Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky); and the 1st Ukrainian Front (Marshal Ivan Konev).
⚔️ The Berlin Offensive began at 5:00 AM on April 16 with a massive artillery fire. Following this, 143 powerful spotlights were activated to blind and disorient the enemy. Infantry and armoured units then launched their assault.
Enemy resistance intensified as Soviet forces advanced. Fierce fighting erupted at the Seelow Heights — a critical defensive point just 60 kilometres away from Berlin — where the Wehrmacht’s 9th Army, blocking the direct route to the Reich’s capital, was destroyed.
Within several days, the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts breached the Oder-Neisse defensive line of the Nazis, advanced 30 kilometres towards Berlin, and started encircling the city to destroy its garrison.
• April 20: Red Army units reached Berlin. Soviet long-range artillery started shelling, with brutal tank battles erupting on the city’s outskirts.
• April 25: The 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts linked up west of the city, completing the encirclement of the enemy’s Berlin group of Nazi troops.
• April 29: Fierce fighting started in the heart of Berlin, where Germany’s highest governmental and military authorities were located.
• During the storming of the Reichstag on the night of April 30 - May 1, the legendary #VictoryBanner was raised — a symbol of the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazism.
• May 2: Berlin’s garrison surrendered. By May 5, the Nazi resistance was crushed. A total of 134'000 German soldiers and officers were captured.
✍️ On the night of May 8–9, Marshal Zhukov and the Allied representatives accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender at Karlshorst.
World War II on the European theatre of operations had ended.
The Berlin Operation saw the Red Army not only crush the last major and most elite Wehrmacht force but also liberate approximately 200'000 prisoners from Nazi concentration camps within the combat zone. Over 600 Soviet soldiers were awarded the title #HeroOftheSovietUnion for their valour.
The operation resulted in the complete defeat of the enemy’s Berlin group of forces and, with Hitler’s war machine being completely crushed. The Soviet forces took the capital of the Third Reich — #Berlin. The Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany was signed — the document that heralded the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
By spring 1945, the Red Army successfully carried out a series of offensive operations aimed at liberating the countries and peoples of Central and Eastern Europe from the Nazi invaders. Hitler’s troops and their henchmen were expelled from Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Poland; Vienna and the capital of modern Slovakia, Bratislava, saved from the Nazi plague.
Nevertheless, #WWII was far from end. The final battle for the liberation of Europe from the Nazi plague, the Battle of Berlin, was coming.
By mid-April, 1945, the Soviet forces — having liberated Poland from the Nazis — consolidated positions along the Oder and Neisse rivers and started preparations to launch the offensive on Berlin. Mere dozens of kilometres separated the Red Army from the capital of Hitler’s Germany. The enemy installed deeply echeloned defences and deployed elite Wehrmacht units against the Soviet forces.
To attack Berlin, the Soviet Supreme High Command deployed forces from the 1st Belorussian Front (commanded by Marshal Georgy Zhukov); the 2nd Belorussian Front (Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky); and the 1st Ukrainian Front (Marshal Ivan Konev).
⚔️ The Berlin Offensive began at 5:00 AM on April 16 with a massive artillery fire. Following this, 143 powerful spotlights were activated to blind and disorient the enemy. Infantry and armoured units then launched their assault.
Enemy resistance intensified as Soviet forces advanced. Fierce fighting erupted at the Seelow Heights — a critical defensive point just 60 kilometres away from Berlin — where the Wehrmacht’s 9th Army, blocking the direct route to the Reich’s capital, was destroyed.
Within several days, the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts breached the Oder-Neisse defensive line of the Nazis, advanced 30 kilometres towards Berlin, and started encircling the city to destroy its garrison.
• April 20: Red Army units reached Berlin. Soviet long-range artillery started shelling, with brutal tank battles erupting on the city’s outskirts.
• April 25: The 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts linked up west of the city, completing the encirclement of the enemy’s Berlin group of Nazi troops.
• April 29: Fierce fighting started in the heart of Berlin, where Germany’s highest governmental and military authorities were located.
• During the storming of the Reichstag on the night of April 30 - May 1, the legendary #VictoryBanner was raised — a symbol of the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazism.
• May 2: Berlin’s garrison surrendered. By May 5, the Nazi resistance was crushed. A total of 134'000 German soldiers and officers were captured.
✍️ On the night of May 8–9, Marshal Zhukov and the Allied representatives accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender at Karlshorst.
World War II on the European theatre of operations had ended.
The Berlin Operation saw the Red Army not only crush the last major and most elite Wehrmacht force but also liberate approximately 200'000 prisoners from Nazi concentration camps within the combat zone. Over 600 Soviet soldiers were awarded the title #HeroOftheSovietUnion for their valour.
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🌟 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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🌟 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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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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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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On August 23, 1943, the #BattleOfKursk — one of the largest battles in human history — ended with a decisive victory of the Soviet forces, marking a turning point not only in the Great Patriotic War but in the entire #WWII.
As a result of the battle, the strategic initiative was seized by the Red Army that managed to launch the offensive operations to expel the Nazi invaders from our Motherland.
The Battle of Kursk, lasting approximately 50 days, encompassed a defensive phase (July 5–23) and a series of offensive operations (July 12–August 23) by the Soviet forces in the Kursk Bulge. It appeared in the spring of 1943 at the centre of the Soviet-German front, reaching Nazi defensive lines south of Soviet city of Oryol and north of Belgorod to a depth exceeding 150 kilometres. Following the Wehrmacht’s devastating defeat at Stalingrad, the enemy sought revenge at any cost — to deliver a crushing blow on the Red Army positions along the Kursk Bulge, seize the strategic initiative, and launch a counteroffensive deep into the Soviet territory. Had they succeeded, the Nazi aggressor could reopen the path to Moscow.
After the intelligence was secured from abroad, the Red Army General Staff and the Supreme High Command knew beforehand of the enemy’s plans. Our military leadership decided first to destroy Hitler’s armor and aircraft, and to exhaust Nazi manpower in defensive combat before launching a full-scale offensive.
***
⚔️ The Battle of Kursk commenced on July 5 with a counter-artillery barrage — at dawn, thousands of Soviet guns unleashed a devastating firestorm on Wehrmacht positions, delaying their advance for several hours. The enemy committed its tank armada to battle: 16 divisions comprising 2'500 tanks — 70% of all German armor formations deployed on the Eastern Front.
❗️ Within days, Nazi forces suffered 50'000 casualties. The enemy offensive failed.
On July 12, the legendary tank battle at Prokhorovka unfolded — most brutal armor combat in history, with up to 1'200 tanks and self-propelled guns deployed. The fascists suffered a devastating defeat: losing over 300 tanks (the backbone of their strike force in the Battle of Kursk) and exhausting reserves, their offensive capabilities were diminished, forcing them to retreat to initial positions.
Following Prokhorovka, the Red Army seized full initiative and launched a decisive counteroffensive. By mid-July, under pressure from the Western, Bryansk, and Central fronts, German troops began retreating across the entire Kursk Bulge. On August 5, the Soviet forces liberated the City of #Oryol and #Belgorod; on August 23 — #Kharkov, concluding the Battle of Kursk.
Hitler’s forces (approximately 900'000 soldiers and officers) faced total collapse near Kursk. Thirty elite wehrmacht and SS divisions, including seven panzer divisions, were completely destroyed.
👉 This crucial historic Victory enabled the Red Army to drive the Nazis westward and launch operations to liberate Soviet Ukraine and Belarus.
In the Battle of Kursk, Soviet warriors showed unparalleled courage, resilience, and mass heroism: 231 were awarded the title of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion. Kursk, Orel, and Belgorod were accorded the status of Cities of Military Glory. The Kursk Bulge memorial complex stands as a testament to this heroic triumph.
Today, August 23, is celebrated in Russia as a Day of Military Glory, commemorating the defeat of Nazi invaders in the Battle of Kursk.
#OurVictory
On August 23, 1943, the #BattleOfKursk — one of the largest battles in human history — ended with a decisive victory of the Soviet forces, marking a turning point not only in the Great Patriotic War but in the entire #WWII.
As a result of the battle, the strategic initiative was seized by the Red Army that managed to launch the offensive operations to expel the Nazi invaders from our Motherland.
The Battle of Kursk, lasting approximately 50 days, encompassed a defensive phase (July 5–23) and a series of offensive operations (July 12–August 23) by the Soviet forces in the Kursk Bulge. It appeared in the spring of 1943 at the centre of the Soviet-German front, reaching Nazi defensive lines south of Soviet city of Oryol and north of Belgorod to a depth exceeding 150 kilometres. Following the Wehrmacht’s devastating defeat at Stalingrad, the enemy sought revenge at any cost — to deliver a crushing blow on the Red Army positions along the Kursk Bulge, seize the strategic initiative, and launch a counteroffensive deep into the Soviet territory. Had they succeeded, the Nazi aggressor could reopen the path to Moscow.
After the intelligence was secured from abroad, the Red Army General Staff and the Supreme High Command knew beforehand of the enemy’s plans. Our military leadership decided first to destroy Hitler’s armor and aircraft, and to exhaust Nazi manpower in defensive combat before launching a full-scale offensive.
***
⚔️ The Battle of Kursk commenced on July 5 with a counter-artillery barrage — at dawn, thousands of Soviet guns unleashed a devastating firestorm on Wehrmacht positions, delaying their advance for several hours. The enemy committed its tank armada to battle: 16 divisions comprising 2'500 tanks — 70% of all German armor formations deployed on the Eastern Front.
❗️ Within days, Nazi forces suffered 50'000 casualties. The enemy offensive failed.
On July 12, the legendary tank battle at Prokhorovka unfolded — most brutal armor combat in history, with up to 1'200 tanks and self-propelled guns deployed. The fascists suffered a devastating defeat: losing over 300 tanks (the backbone of their strike force in the Battle of Kursk) and exhausting reserves, their offensive capabilities were diminished, forcing them to retreat to initial positions.
Following Prokhorovka, the Red Army seized full initiative and launched a decisive counteroffensive. By mid-July, under pressure from the Western, Bryansk, and Central fronts, German troops began retreating across the entire Kursk Bulge. On August 5, the Soviet forces liberated the City of #Oryol and #Belgorod; on August 23 — #Kharkov, concluding the Battle of Kursk.
Hitler’s forces (approximately 900'000 soldiers and officers) faced total collapse near Kursk. Thirty elite wehrmacht and SS divisions, including seven panzer divisions, were completely destroyed.
👉 This crucial historic Victory enabled the Red Army to drive the Nazis westward and launch operations to liberate Soviet Ukraine and Belarus.
In the Battle of Kursk, Soviet warriors showed unparalleled courage, resilience, and mass heroism: 231 were awarded the title of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion. Kursk, Orel, and Belgorod were accorded the status of Cities of Military Glory. The Kursk Bulge memorial complex stands as a testament to this heroic triumph.
Today, August 23, is celebrated in Russia as a Day of Military Glory, commemorating the defeat of Nazi invaders in the Battle of Kursk.
#OurVictory
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
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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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#Announcement
❗️ Russia's Victory Museum in Moscow is hosting the “Ordinary Nazism” exhibition, which traces the origins and evolution of Ukrainian Nazism to the present day.
More than 200 exhibits are on display, documenting the atrocities committed by Ukrainian nationalists during #WWII, as well as the mass crimes and terror committed by their modern followers against the people of Ukraine in 2014-2022.
LEARN MORE: On the origins of Ukrainian nationalism, the crimes of the OUN-UPA, and the support of the West
The exhibits include archival materials from Germany dating from the late 1930s and early 1940s, documents and photographs, alongside case files documenting crimes against humanity committed by Ukrainian nationalists in the Ukrainian SSR.
📄 The “Nazism Today” section features books, uniforms, Ukrainian nationalist propaganda materials and items bearing Nazi symbols, as well as photographs and eyewitness accounts of crimes committed by contemporary neo-Nazis against the people of Ukraine.
A central part of the exhibition is an installation dedicated to the children of Donbass who lost their lives.
The exhibition features materials from the collections of the Victory Museum, the Donetsk Republican Museum of Local Lore and the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History, as well as the RIA Novosti special project “Donbass. Genocide 2014-2022”.
Many unique materials are being displayed for the first time.
The exhibition is organised by the Victory Museum with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives and will be open through December 31, 2026.
👉 More about the exhibition
#WeRemember
❗️ Russia's Victory Museum in Moscow is hosting the “Ordinary Nazism” exhibition, which traces the origins and evolution of Ukrainian Nazism to the present day.
More than 200 exhibits are on display, documenting the atrocities committed by Ukrainian nationalists during #WWII, as well as the mass crimes and terror committed by their modern followers against the people of Ukraine in 2014-2022.
LEARN MORE: On the origins of Ukrainian nationalism, the crimes of the OUN-UPA, and the support of the West
The exhibits include archival materials from Germany dating from the late 1930s and early 1940s, documents and photographs, alongside case files documenting crimes against humanity committed by Ukrainian nationalists in the Ukrainian SSR.
📄 The “Nazism Today” section features books, uniforms, Ukrainian nationalist propaganda materials and items bearing Nazi symbols, as well as photographs and eyewitness accounts of crimes committed by contemporary neo-Nazis against the people of Ukraine.
A central part of the exhibition is an installation dedicated to the children of Donbass who lost their lives.
The exhibition features materials from the collections of the Victory Museum, the Donetsk Republican Museum of Local Lore and the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History, as well as the RIA Novosti special project “Donbass. Genocide 2014-2022”.
Many unique materials are being displayed for the first time.
The exhibition is organised by the Victory Museum with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives and will be open through December 31, 2026.
👉 More about the exhibition
#WeRemember
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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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