Thirteen cities that have been awarded the proud title of Heroes! Hero Cities of Russia - Should Know “The entire Soviet country, the whole world followed with admiration the courageous struggle of the defenders of Odessa. They left the city without tarnishing their honor, maintaining their
List of hero cities in the Great Patriotic War
The honorary title “Hero City” was awarded by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to those cities of the Soviet Union whose residents showed massive heroism and courage in defending the Motherland during the Great Patriotic War. Here is a list of hero cities, indicating the year in which this title was awarded:
Leningrad (St. Petersburg) - 1945*;
Stalingrad (Volgograd) - 1945*;
Sevastopol -1945*;
Odessa - 1945*;
Kyiv -1965;
Moscow -1965;
Brest (hero-fortress) -1965;
Kerch - 1973;
Novorossiysk -1973;
Minsk -1974;
Tula -1976;
Murmansk -1985;
Smolensk -1985.
*Leningrad, Stalingrad, Sevastopol and Odessa were named hero cities in the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief dated May 1, 1945, but this title was officially assigned to them in the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the approval of the Regulations on the honorary title “Hero City” dated 8 May 1965.
The city awarded the highest degree of distinction “Hero City” was awarded the highest award of the Soviet Union - the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, which were then depicted on the city’s banner.
Hero City Moscow
Among the 13 hero cities of the Soviet Union, the hero city of Moscow occupies a special place. It was in the battle near the Soviet capital that the whole world saw the first defeat in history of the flawless military machine of the Third Reich. It was here that a battle of colossal proportions took place, the like of which world history has never seen before or since, and it was here that the Soviet people demonstrated the highest degree of courage and heroism that shocked the world.
On May 8, 1965, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the honorary title "Hero City", and on the same day Moscow (along with Kiev and the Brest Fortress) was honored to be awarded a new high title. As all domestic and foreign military historians rightly note, the defeat near the capital of the Soviet Union broke the fighting spirit of the German army, for the first time with obvious force exposed discord and contradictions in the top Nazi leadership, instilled hope in the oppressed peoples of Europe for early liberation, and intensified national liberation movements in all European countries...
The Soviet leadership highly appreciated the contribution of the city's defenders to the defeat of the fascist monster: the medal "For the Defense of Moscow", established on May 1, 1944, was awarded to more than 1 million soldiers, workers and employees who took part in this historical event of grand scale.
In memory of those events filled with unparalleled heroism, the memorial obelisk “Moscow - Hero City” was inaugurated in 1977; the memory of the fallen heroes is immortalized in the names of avenues and streets, in monuments and memorial plaques; the never-dying Eternal Flame burns in honor of the dead...
For its unprecedented feat, the city was awarded the highest award of the Soviet Union - the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
Hero City Leningrad
Among the 13 hero cities of the Soviet Union, Leningrad stands in a special place - it is the only city that survived an almost 3-year blockade (872 days), but never surrendered to the enemies. For Hitler, who dreamed of completely destroying and wiping the city on the Neva from the face of the earth, the capture of Leningrad was both a matter of personal prestige and the prestige of the entire German army as a whole; That is why directives were sent down to the German troops besieging the city, which stated that the capture of the city was the “military and political prestige” of the Wehrmacht. Thanks to the unsurpassed courage of the residents and participants in the defense of the city, this prestige was lost in 1944, when the invaders were driven back from Leningrad, and was finally trampled by Soviet troops on the ruins of the Reichstag in May 45...
Residents of the city and defenders paid a terrible price for holding the city: according to various estimates, the death toll is estimated from 300 thousand to 1.5 million people. At the Nuremberg trials, the figure was given as 632 thousand people, of whom only 3% died as a result of hostilities; the remaining 97% died of starvation. At the peak of the famine, which occurred in November 1941, the norm for bread distribution was 125 grams (!!!) per person per day. Despite the colossal mortality rate, severe frosts, extreme exhaustion of troops and population, the city still survived.
In commemoration of the merits of the townspeople, soldiers and sailors of the Red Army and Navy, partisan formations and people's squads who defended the city, it was Leningrad that was given the right to hold a fireworks display in honor of the complete lifting of the blockade, the order of which was signed by Marshal Govorov, to whom this right was entrusted Stalin personally. Not a single front commander was awarded such an honor during the entire Great Patriotic War.
Leningrad was among the first cities of the Soviet Union (together with Stalingrad, Sevastopol and Odessa) to be named a hero city in the Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, dated May 1, 1945.
Leningrad was among the first to receive the honorary title "Hero City", established on May 8, 1965 by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, according to which the city was awarded the highest awards of the Soviet Union - the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, the images of which are proudly displayed on the city banner.
In memory of the mass heroism of the participants in the defense of Leningrad, a number of monuments have been erected in the city, the most significant of which are the Obelisk “Hero City of Leningrad” installed on Vosstaniya Square, the “Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad” on Victory Square, the monument to the trolley on which the collected goods were transported to There are corpses in the streets and the huge Piskarevskoye cemetery, where the ashes of the Leningraders who died and died of hunger rest.
Hero City Stalingrad (Volgograd)
The name of the city, after which the most epoch-making battle of the 20th century is named, is known far beyond the borders of the former Soviet Union. The events that took place here between July 17, 1942 and February 2, 1943 changed the course of world history. It was here, on the banks of the beautiful Volga, that the back of the Nazi military machine was broken. According to Goebbels, which he said in January 1943, losses in tanks and cars were comparable to six months, in artillery - with three months, in small arms and mortars - with two months of production of the Third Reich. The loss of life for Germany and its allies was even more horrific: more than 1.5 million prisoners and dead soldiers and officers, including 24 generals.
The military-political significance of the victory at Stalingrad was highly appreciated by the military-political leadership of the Soviet Union: on May 1, 1945, the city on the Volga was named among the first hero cities in the Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (along with Sevastopol, Odessa and Leningrad), and 20 years later , May 8, 1965, in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Stalingrad was awarded the honorary title "Hero City". On the same day, Kyiv and Moscow, as well as the Brest Fortress, received this honor.
Monuments dedicated to the events of that heroic era are the main city attractions. The most famous of them are Mamayev Kurgan, the panorama "The Defeat of the Nazi Troops at Stalingrad", "The House of Soldiers' Glory" (better known as "Pavlov's House"), the Alley of Heroes, the monument "Union of Fronts", "Rodimtsev's Wall", " Lyudnikov Island", Gergart's Mill (Grudinin), etc.
Hero City Kyiv
One of the first Soviet cities that significantly delayed the advance of the enemy at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War was the capital of Ukraine, the hero city of Kyiv, which received this title on the day of its establishment by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 8, 1965.
Already 2 weeks later (July 6, 1941) after the treacherous attack of the Nazi troops on the Soviet Union, the City Defense Headquarters was created in Kiev, and a few days later the heroic defense of the Ukrainian capital began, lasting 72 days (until September 19, 1941), as a result of which over 100 thousand Wehrmacht soldiers and officers were killed by the defending Soviet troops and residents of the city.
After the abandonment of Kyiv by regular units of the Red Army on the orders of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, the residents of the city organized resistance to the invaders. During the occupation, the underground killed thousands of soldiers of the German regular army, blew up and disabled more than 500 cars, derailed 19 trains, destroyed 18 military warehouses, sank 15 boats and ferries, saved more than 8 thousand Kiev residents from being stolen into slavery.
During the Kyiv offensive operation on November 6, 1943, the city was finally cleared of occupiers. Witnesses of those heroic events are hundreds of monuments located both in the city itself and on the lines of defense, the most famous of which are: the sculpture “Motherland”, known throughout the Union, the memorial complexes “Park of Eternal Glory” and “Museum of History” Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945,” as well as the obelisk “Hero City of Kiev” located on Victory Square.
Hero City Minsk
The hero city of Minsk, located in the direction of the main attack of Nazi troops, found itself in the very millstone of fierce battles already in the first days of the war. On June 25, 1941, an unstoppable avalanche of Nazi troops rolled into the city. Despite the fierce resistance of the Red Army, the city had to be abandoned by the end of the day on June 28. A long occupation began, lasting more than three years - until July 3, 1944.
Despite the horrors of the Nazi administration (during German rule the city lost a third of its inhabitants - more than 70 thousand citizens died), the invaders failed to break the will of Minsk residents, who created one of the largest underground formations of the Second World War, uniting approximately 9 thousand people, to which listened even to the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR when planning strategic tasks. The underground fighters (of whom more than 600 people were awarded orders and medals of the Soviet Union) coordinated their actions with the 20 partisan detachments operating in the region, many of which later grew into large brigades.
During the occupation, the city suffered colossal destruction: at the time of liberation by Soviet troops on July 3, 1944, there were only 70 surviving buildings in the city. On Sunday, July 16, 1944, a Partisan Parade took place in Minsk in honor of the liberation of the capital of Belarus from the Nazi invaders.
For the services of the capital of Belarus in the fight against fascist conquerors, Minsk was awarded the honorary title “Hero City” in accordance with the Resolution of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of June 26, 1974. In memory of the military events of that era, a number of monuments were erected in the city, the most famous of which are the Victory Monument and the Eternal Flame, the Mound of Glory and the Monument to Tank Soldiers.
Hero City Odessa
One of the four cities first named as hero cities in the Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief dated May 1, 1945, was Odessa (along with Stalingrad, Leningrad and Sevastopol). The city received such a high honor for its heroic defense in the period from August 5 to October 16, 1941. These 73 days were costly for the German and Romanian troops, whose losses amounted to 160 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 200 aircraft, and about a hundred tanks.
The defenders of the city were never defeated: in the period from October 1 to October 16, ships and vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, in the strictest secrecy, removed all available troops (about 86 thousand people), part of the civilian population (more than 15 thousand people) from the city. ), a significant amount of weapons and military equipment.
About 40 thousand residents of the city went into the catacombs and continued resistance until the complete liberation of the city by the troops of the III Ukrainian Fleet on April 10, 1944. During this time, the enemy was missing more than 5 thousand soldiers and officers, 27 trains with military cargo, 248 vehicles; partisans saved more than 20 thousand townspeople from being taken into German slavery.
The honorary title “Hero City” was officially awarded to Odessa on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the day the “Regulations on the highest degree of distinction - the title “Hero City”” was issued on May 8, 1965.
In memory of those heroic events along the main defensive line of Odessa, the “Belt of Glory” was created, which includes 11 monuments located in various settlements on the outskirts of the city, where the most fierce battles took place.
Hero City Sevastopol
The hero city of Sevastopol, which withstood fierce attacks and siege by the enemy for 250 days, is rightfully considered one of the most resilient cities during the Great Patriotic War. Thanks to the courage and unshakable steadfastness of the defenders, Sevastopol became a truly people's hero city - the first books using such characteristics appeared already in 1941-42.
At the official level, Sevastopol was named a hero city on May 1, 1945 in the Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (together with Odessa, Stalingrad and Leningrad), and was awarded the honorary title “Hero City” on May 8, 1965 based on the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
From October 30, 1941 to July 4, 1942 The city's defenders held a heroic defense. During this time, four massive attacks were launched with the aim of capturing Sevastopol, but having encountered stubborn resistance from soldiers, sailors and townspeople defending the city, the fascist German command was forced to change tactics - a long siege began with periodic fierce battles breaking out. After the abandonment of the city by the Soviet authorities, the Nazis brutally took revenge on civilians, killing about 30 thousand citizens during the time they ruled the city.
Liberation came on May 9, 1944, when control of Sevastopol was completely restored by Soviet troops. During these 250 days, the Nazis' losses amounted to about 300 thousand people killed and wounded. It is quite possible that the city is the champion in the territory of the former Soviet Union in terms of the number of military monuments, among which the diorama “Assault on Sapun Mountain”, Malakhov Kurgan, monuments to soldiers of the 414th Anapa and 89th Taman Red Banner divisions, the 318th Novorossiysk Mountain Rifle Division and the 2nd Guards Army, as well as the “Steam Locomotive-Monument” from the legendary armored train “Zheleznyakov” and a number of others.
Hero City Novorossiysk
One of the most outstanding pages of the Great Patriotic War was the defense of Novorossiysk, which lasted 393 days (only Leningrad defended longer in that war). The enemy never managed to completely take the city - a tiny section of Novorossiysk in the area of cement factories in front of the strategically important Sukhumi highway remained in the hands of Soviet soldiers, although even the Sovinformburo erroneously reported on September 11, 1942 that Novorossiysk had been abandoned by Red Army units.
Another heroic milestone in the defense of Novorossiysk was the landing operation to capture a strategic bridgehead, called “Malaya Zemlya”. While the main forces of the paratroopers were pinned down by German defenses, a group of sailors of 274 people under the command of Major Ts.L. Kunikova, on the night of February 3-4, 1943, was able to capture a bridgehead with an area of 30 square meters. km, to which, within 5 days, significant forces of Soviet troops were deployed, consisting of 17 thousand paratroopers with 21 guns, 74 mortars, 86 machine guns and 440 tons of food and ammunition. In less than a month (from April 4 to April 30), the paratroopers killed more than 20 thousand people. enemy manpower and a significant amount of military equipment. The bridgehead was held for 225 days until the city was completely liberated on September 16, 1943.
Novorossiysk received its first award - the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, on May 7, 1966, and 7 years later, on September 14, 1973, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the city was given the honorary title "Hero City" with the presentation of the Gold Star medal. and the Order of Lenin.
In memory of those heroic times, a number of monuments have been erected in the city, the most famous of which are the "Defense of Malaya Zemlya" monument, the monument to Major Ts. L. Kunikov, the Mass Grave, the "Fire of Eternal Glory" monument, the "Malaya Zemlya" memorial, the monuments " To the Unknown Sailor" and "Heroic Black Sea Sailors".
Hero City Kerch
One of the few cities that changed hands several times during the Great Patriotic War was the hero city of Kerch, first captured by the Nazis on November 16, 1941. However, a month and a half later, the city was liberated by Soviet troops (December 30) and remained under the control of the Red Army for almost 5 months, until May 19, 1942.
On that May day, Nazi troops, as a result of fierce fighting, managed to regain control over the city. During the subsequent occupation of Kerch, which lasted almost 2 years, Soviet citizens faced a real avalanche of terror: during this time, almost 14 thousand citizens died at the hands of the invaders, and the same number were taken to forced labor in Germany. An unenviable fate befell Soviet prisoners of war, 15 thousand of whom were liquidated.
Despite the constant repression, the city's residents found the strength to resist the invaders: many townspeople joined the remnants of the Soviet troops who took refuge in the Adzhimushkai quarries. A combined partisan detachment of Red Army soldiers and inhabitants of Kerch heroically fought against the invaders from May to October 1942.
During the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation in 1943, Soviet troops managed to capture a small bridgehead on the outskirts of Kerch, and on April 11, 1944, the city was finally liberated by Red Army units. The terrifying fury of those battles is eloquently illustrated by the following fact: for participation in the liberation of the city, 146 people received the highest state award - the Star of the Hero of the USSR.
A little later, the city itself was awarded other highest state awards (the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal), and on September 14, 1973, based on the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Kerch was awarded the honorary title “Hero City”.
The exploits of the city’s defenders are immortalized in the Obelisk of Glory, built in 1944 on Mount Mithridates in memory of the soldiers who died in battles for the city. In their honor, on May 9, 1959, the Eternal Flame was solemnly lit, and in 1982, the memorial complex “To the Heroes of Adzhimushka” was built.
Hero City of Tula
Tula is one of the few hero cities of the Great Patriotic War, which repulsed all enemy attacks and remained unconquered. During the 45 days of the Tula operation, which lasted from October to December 1941, being almost completely surrounded, the defenders of the city not only withstood massive bombing and furious enemy attacks, but also with an almost complete absence of production capacity (almost all major enterprises were evacuated inland ), managed to repair 90 tanks, more than a hundred artillery pieces, and also set up mass production of mortars and small arms (machine guns and rifles).
The last attempt to capture the city was made by German troops in early December 1941. Despite all the fury of the German offensive, the city was defended. Having completely exhausted their offensive capabilities, the enemy troops left the territory on the outskirts of the city.
For the courage and heroism shown by the defenders of the city, on December 7, 1976, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Tula was awarded the honorary title of “Hero City.”
In memory of the heroic days of defense, a number of monuments and memorial signs have been erected in the city, among which the most famous are the Monumental Complex "Front Line of City Defense", monuments to the "Defenders of Tula in the Great Patriotic War", "Tula Workers' Regiment" and "Heroes of the Soviet Union" ", as well as monuments to various types of military equipment - a lorry, an anti-aircraft gun, IS-3 and T-34 tanks, Katyusha, a howitzer gun and an anti-tank gun
Hero City Murmansk
During the Great Patriotic War, the hero city of Murmansk was never taken by Hitler’s troops, despite the efforts of the 150,000-strong German army and constant bombing (in terms of the total number of bombs and shells dropped on the city, Murmansk is second only to Stalingrad). The city withstood everything: two general offensives (in July and September), and 792 air raids, during which 185 thousand bombs were dropped on the city (on other days the Nazis carried out up to 18 raids).
During the heroic defense in the city, up to 80% of buildings and structures were destroyed, but the city did not surrender, and, along with the defense, continued to receive convoys from the allies, while remaining the only port of the Soviet Union that was able to receive them.
As a result of the massive Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation, launched by Soviet troops on October 7, 1944, the enemy was driven back from the walls of Murmansk and the threat of capturing the city was finally eliminated. A significant enemy group ceased to exist in less than a month after the start of the Soviet offensive.
For the steadfastness, courage and heroism shown by the defenders and residents during the defense of the city, on May 6, 1985, Murmansk was awarded the honorary title “Hero City” based on the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
In memory of the heroic days of defense, many monuments were built in the city, the most significant of which are the “Monument to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic” (the so-called “Murmansk Alyosha”), monuments to “Hero of the Soviet Union Anatoly Bredov” and “Warriors 6- th Heroic Komsomol Battery".
Hero City Smolensk
The hero city of Smolensk found itself at the forefront of the attack of German troops rushing towards Moscow. The fierce battle for the city, which lasted from July 15 to 28, turned out to be one of the fiercest at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War. The battle for the city was preceded by incessant air bombing, which began from the first days of the war (in just one day, June 24, Nazi pilots dropped more than 100 large high-explosive and more than 2 thousand incendiary bombs, as a result of which the city center was completely destroyed, more than 600 residential buildings were burned ).
After the retreat of Soviet troops from the city on the night of July 28-29, the Battle of Smolensk continued until September 10, 1941. It was in this battle that the Soviet troops achieved their first major strategic success: on September 6, 1941, near Yelnya, Soviet troops destroyed 5 fascist divisions, and it was there on September 18 that for the first time 4 divisions of the Red Army received the honorary title of Guards.
The Nazis brutally took revenge on the residents of Smolensk for their resilience and courage: during the occupation, more than 135 thousand civilians and prisoners of war were shot in the city and surrounding areas, and another 80 thousand citizens were forcibly taken to Germany. In response, partisan detachments were created en masse, of which by the end of July 1941 there were 54 units with a total number of 1,160 fighters.
The liberation of the city by Soviet troops took place on September 25, 1943. In commemoration of the mass heroism of city residents and soldiers of the Red Army during the Smolensk operation and defense of the city, on May 6, 1985, Smolensk was presented with the honorary title “Hero City” in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In addition, the city was twice awarded the Order of Lenin (in 1958 and 1983), and the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, in 1966.
In memory of the heroic defense of Smolensk, a number of monuments were built in the city and its environs, among which stand out: “Memorial sign in honor of the liberation of the Smolensk region from fascist invaders”, the Mound of Immortality, “Memorial of the victims of fascist terror”, the Eternal Flame in the Park of Memory of Heroes, as well as the BM-13-Katyusha monument in the Ugransky district of the Smolensk region.
Hero-Fortress Brest (Brest Fortress)
The Hero Fortress Brest (Brest Fortress), the first to take the blow of a massive armada of Nazi troops, is one of the most striking symbols of the Great Patriotic War. One eloquent fact testifies to the fury of the battles that took place here: the losses of the German army on the approaches to the fortress during the first week of fighting amounted to 5% (!) of the total losses on the entire eastern front. And although organized resistance was suppressed by the end of June 26, 1941, isolated pockets of resistance continued until the beginning of August. Even Hitler, amazed by the unprecedented heroism of the defenders of the Brest Fortress, took a stone from there and kept it until his death (this stone was discovered in the Fuhrer’s office after the end of the war).
The Germans failed to take the fortress using conventional military means: to destroy the defenders, the Nazis had to use special types of weapons - an 1800-kg aerial bomb and 600-mm Karl-Gerät guns (of which there were only 6 units in the Wehrmacht troops), firing concrete-piercing weapons (over 2 tons ) and high-explosive (1250 kg) shells.
For the courage and heroism shown by the defenders, the fortress was awarded the honorary title “Hero Fortress” on the day the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the establishment of the title “Hero City” was promulgated. This solemn event took place on May 8, 1965. On the same day, Moscow and Kyiv were officially named hero cities.
In order to perpetuate the unparalleled courage and resilience of the defenders, in 1971 the Brest Fortress was given the status of a memorial complex, which includes a number of monuments and monuments, incl. "Museum of the Defense of the Brest Fortress" with the central monument "Courage", near which the Eternal Flame of Glory never goes out.
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So, as of 2017, in the Alexander Garden, near the walls of the Kremlin, there are steles of 12 Hero Cities and 1 Hero Fortress, as well as 45 Cities of Military Glory.
As a state award, the title of “hero city” was established on May 8, 1965 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This event was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany and its allies.
However, the first hero cities in the Soviet Union appeared earlier. On May 1, 1945, this title was awarded to Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Stalingrad (Volgograd), Sevastopol and Odessa.
Why is the title “hero city” awarded?
The honorary title of hero city was awarded in the USSR to cities whose residents showed “mass heroism and courage in defending the Motherland in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.”
Hero cities were awarded the Order of Lenin, the Gold Star medal and a diploma from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Commemorative obelisks were erected in cities, and their banners had to display an order and medal.
For which the cities of the USSR / Russia received the title “hero city”, as well as a list of hero cities of the USSR and Russia.
Moscow
The title of “hero city” was brought to the capital by the Battle of Moscow in 1941–1942. It consisted of three stages:
- defensive operation (from September 30 to December 5, 1941);
- offensive operation (from December 6, 1941 to January 7, 1942);
- Rzhev-Vyazemsk offensive operation (from January 8 to April 20, 1942).
The offensive in the Moscow direction was of decisive importance. For a crushing blow to the Soviet troops, the fascist command concentrated 77 divisions (more than 1 million people), almost 14.5 thousand guns and mortars and 1,700 tanks. The ground forces were supported from the air by 950 combat aircraft.
In these harsh days, the efforts of the entire country were aimed at solving one task - to defend Moscow. On December 4–5, the Soviet Army drove the Nazis back from Moscow and launched a counteroffensive, which developed into a general offensive of the Red Army along the entire Soviet-German front. This was the beginning of a radical turn in the course of the Great Patriotic War.
Died in the Battle of Moscow from September 30, 1941 to April 20, 1942, more than 2,400,000 Soviet citizens.
Leningrad
The Nazis wanted to completely destroy Leningrad, wipe it off the face of the earth and exterminate its population.
Fierce fighting on the outskirts of Leningrad began on July 10, 1941. Numerical superiority was on the enemy’s side: almost 2.5 times more soldiers, 10 times more aircraft, 1.2 times more tanks, and almost 6 times more mortars. As a result, on September 8, 1941, the Nazis managed to capture Shlisselburg and thus take control of the source of the Neva. As a result, Leningrad was blocked from land (cut off from the mainland).
From that moment on, the infamous 900-day blockade of the city began, which lasted until January 1944. The number of its victims exceeds the losses of the United States and Great Britain combined during the entire Second World War.
The data were first made public at the Nuremberg trials, and in 1952 they were published in the USSR. Employees of the Leningrad branch of the Institute of USSR History of the USSR Academy of Sciences came to the conclusion that at least 800 thousand people died of hunger in Leningrad during the fascist blockade.
During the blockade The daily norm of bread for workers was only 250 g, for employees, dependents and children - half as much. At the end of December 1941, the bread ration became almost twice as heavy - by this time a significant part of the population had died.
More than 500 thousand Leningraders went to work on the construction of defensive structures; they built 35 km of barricades and anti-tank obstacles, as well as more than 4,000 bunkers and pillboxes; 22,000 firing points are equipped. At the cost of their own health and lives, the courageous Leningrad heroes gave the front thousands of field and naval guns, repaired and launched 2,000 tanks, produced 10 million shells and mines, 225,000 machine guns and 12,000 mortars.
On December 22, 1942, the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad” was established, which was awarded to about 1,500,000 defenders of the city. On May 8, 1965, Leningrad was awarded the title of Hero City.
Volgograd (Stalingrad)
In the summer of 1942, fascist German troops launched a massive offensive on the southern front, trying to capture the Caucasus, the Don region, the lower Volga and Kuban - the richest and most fertile lands of our country. First of all, the city of Stalingrad came under attack.
On July 17, 1942, one of the greatest and largest battles in the history of World War II began - the Battle of Stalingrad. Despite the Nazis' desire to capture the city as quickly as possible, it continued for 200 long, bloody days and nights, thanks to the incredible efforts of the heroes of the army, navy and ordinary residents of the region.
The first attack on the city took place on August 23, 1942. Then, just north of Stalingrad, the Germans almost approached the Volga. Policemen, sailors of the Volga Fleet, NKVD troops, cadets and other volunteer heroes were sent to defend the city. That same night, the Germans launched their first air raid on the city, and on August 25, a state of siege was introduced in Stalingrad. At that time, about 50 thousand volunteers - heroes from among ordinary citizens - signed up for the people's militia. Despite the almost continuous shelling, the Stalingrad factories continued to operate and produce tanks, Katyushas, cannons, mortars and a huge number of shells.
On September 12, 1942, the enemy came close to the city. Two months of fierce defensive battles for Stalingrad caused significant damage to the Germans: the enemy lost about 700 thousand people killed and wounded, and on November 19, 1942, the counter-offensive of our army began.
The offensive operation continued for 75 days and, finally, the enemy at Stalingrad was surrounded and completely defeated. January 1943 brought complete victory on this sector of the front. The fascist invaders were surrounded, and their commander, General Paulus, and his entire army surrendered. (By the way, Paulus only agreed to hand over his personal weapons.)
During the entire Battle of Stalingrad, the German army lost more than 1,500,000 people.
During the 143-day battles, Nazi aviation dropped about 1 million bombs weighing 100 thousand tons on Stalingrad (5 times more than on London during the entire war). In total, Nazi troops rained down more than 3 million bombs, mines and artillery shells on the city. About 42 thousand buildings (85% of the housing stock), all cultural and everyday institutions, industrial buildings were destroyed. enterprises, municipal facilities.
Stalingrad was one of the first to be called a hero city. This honorary title was first announced in the order of the commander-in-chief dated May 1, 1945. And the medal “For the Defense of Stalingrad” became a symbol of the courage of the city’s defenders.
Novorossiysk
After Soviet troops thwarted the German plan to carry out aggressive operations in the Caucasus direction, Hitler’s command launched an attack on Novorossiysk. Its capture was associated with a gradual advance along the southern coast of the Black Sea and the capture of Batumi.
The battle for Novorossiysk lasted 225 days and ended with the complete liberation of the hero city on September 16, 1943.
September 14, 1973 In honor of the 30th victory over the Nazis, during the defense of the North Caucasus, Novorossiysk received the title of Hero City.
Tula
Tula became a hero city thanks to the courage of the soldiers who defended the city from October 24 to December 5, 1941. The city was under siege, but did not surrender to the Germans, despite shelling and tank attacks. Thanks to the retention of Tula, the Red Army did not allow the Wehrmacht troops to break through to Moscow from the south.
December 7, 1976 Tula received the title of Hero City and was awarded the Gold Star medal.
Murmansk
During World War II, the port city of Murmansk was of strategic importance for the USSR - supplies from allied countries passed through it.
The Germans made several attempts to capture the city, but without success.
Murmansk is one of those cities that became front-line from the very first days of the war. Following Stalingrad, Murmansk becomes a leader in sad statistics: the amount of explosives per square meter of the city's territory exceeded all conceivable limits: 792 air raids and 185 thousand bombs dropped - however, Murmansk survived and continued to operate as a port city.
Under regular air raids, ordinary citizens-heroes carried out the unloading and loading of ships, the construction of bomb shelters, and the production of military equipment. During all the war years, the Murmansk port received 250 ships and handled 2 million tons of various cargo.
The hero fishermen of Murmansk did not stand aside either - in three years they managed to catch 850 thousand centners of fish, supplying both city residents and soldiers of the Soviet army with food. The townspeople who worked at the shipyards repaired 645 combat ships and 544 ordinary transport ships. In addition, another 55 fishing vessels were converted into combat vessels in Murmansk.
In 1942, the main strategic actions developed not on land, but in the harsh waters of the northern seas. The main task of the Nazis was to isolate the coasts of the USSR from access to the sea. However, they failed: as a result of incredible efforts, the heroes of the Northern Fleet destroyed more than 200 warships and about 400 transport ships. And in the fall of 1944, the fleet expelled the enemy from these lands and the threat of capturing Murmansk passed.
In 1944, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal “For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic.” The city of Murmansk received the title “Hero City” May 6, 1985. The most famous monument dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War in the hero city of Murmansk is the memorial “Defenders of the Soviet Arctic,” which is located in the Leningrad district of the city. It was opened in honor of the 30th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazi forces on October 19, 1974 and is dedicated to all the fallen heroes of those years. The monument is popularly known as “Alyosha”.
Smolensk
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Smolensk found itself on the path of the main attack of the fascist troops towards Moscow. The city was first bombed on June 24, 1941, and 4 days later the Nazis launched a second air attack on Smolensk, as a result of which the central part of the city was completely destroyed.
On July 10, 1941, the famous Battle of Smolensk began, in which the Red Army tried to stop the advancing Germans with constant counterattacks. The “Battle of the Smolensk Bulge” lasted until September 10.
In this battle, the Red Army suffered heavy losses - more than 700 thousand people, but the delay near Smolensk did not allow the Germans to reach Moscow before the onset of the autumn thaw and the onset of cold weather, and ultimately to the failure of the entire Barbarossa plan.
Sevastopol
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the city of Sevastopol was the largest port on the Black Sea and the main naval base of the country. His heroic defense against Nazi aggression began on October 30, 1941. and lasted 250 days, going down in history as an example of active, long-term defense of a coastal city deep behind enemy lines. The Germans managed to capture Sevastopol only on the fourth attempt.
If the defense of Sevastopol lasted 250 days, the liberation took only a week. The battles for the liberation of Sevastopol began on April 15, 1944, when Soviet soldiers reached the occupied city. Particularly fierce battles were fought in the area adjacent to Sapun Mountain. On May 9, 1944, soldiers of the 4th Ukrainian Front, together with sailors of the Black Sea Fleet, liberated Sevastopol. Sevastopol received the title of Hero City May 8, 1965
Odessa
Already in August 1941, Odessa was completely surrounded by Nazi troops. Its heroic defense lasted 73 days, during which the Soviet army and militia units defended the city from enemy invasion. From the mainland side, Odessa was defended by the Primorsky Army, from the sea - by ships of the Black Sea Fleet, with the support of artillery from the shore. To capture the city, the enemy threw forces five times larger than its defenders.
Thanks to the dedication of the Soviet troops and the heroes of the people's militia, more than 160,000 German soldiers were killed, 200 enemy aircraft and 100 tanks were destroyed.
But the city was still taken on October 16, 1941. A partisan war began. Odessa was liberated on April 10, 1944, and on May 1, 1945, in the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, it was named a Hero City for the first time. Odessa was officially awarded the title City Hero May 8, 1965
Summing up the defense of Odessa, the newspaper Pravda wrote:
“The entire Soviet country, the whole world followed with admiration the courageous struggle of the defenders of Odessa. They left the city without tarnishing their honor, maintaining their combat effectiveness, ready for new battles with the fascist hordes. And no matter what front the defenders of Odessa fight on, everywhere they will serve as an example of valor, courage, and heroism.”
Brest Fortress
Central Museum of the Armed Forces. Part of the wall of one of the casemates in the northwestern part of the Brest Fortress. Caption: “I'm dying, but I'm not giving up. Goodbye, Motherland. 20/VII-41". Lev Polikashin/RIA Novosti Of all the cities of the Soviet Union, it was Brest that had the fate of being the first to face the aggression of the Nazi invaders. In the early morning of June 22, 1941, the Brest Fortress was bombed by the enemy, in which at that time there were approximately 7 thousand Soviet soldiers and members of the families of their commanders.
The German command expected to capture the fortress within a few hours, but the 45th Wehrmacht division was stuck in Brest for a week and, with significant losses, suppressed individual pockets of resistance of the heroic defenders of Brest for another month. As a result, the Brest Fortress became a symbol of courage, heroic fortitude and valor during the Great Patriotic War.
The decree conferring the honorary title “Hero Fortress” on the Brest Fortress was signed on May 8, 1965.
Kyiv
Destroyed Independence Square in Kyiv in a photograph from 1942 German troops launched a surprise attack on the city of Kyiv from the air on June 22, 1941 - in the very first hours of the war, and on July 6 a committee for its defense had already been created. From that day on, the heroic struggle for the city began, which lasted for 72 days.
Kyiv was defended not only by Soviet soldiers, but also by ordinary residents. Huge efforts were made for this by militia units, of which there were nineteen by the beginning of July. Also, 13 fighter battalions were formed from among the townspeople, and in total, 33,000 people from the city’s residents took part in the defense of Kyiv. In those difficult July days, the people of Kiev built more than 1,400 pillboxes and manually dug 55 kilometers of anti-tank ditches.
The courage and courage of the defenders’ heroes stopped the enemy advance on the first line of the city’s fortifications. The Nazis failed to take Kyiv in a raid. However, on July 30, 1941, the fascist army made a new attempt to storm the city. On the tenth of August, she managed to break through the defenses on its southwestern outskirts, but through the joint efforts of the people's militia and regular troops they managed to give a worthy rebuff to the enemy. By August 15, 1941, the militia drove the Nazis back to their previous positions.
Enemy losses near Kiev numbered more than 100,000 people. The Nazis did not undertake any more direct assaults on the city; seventeen fascist German divisions were “stuck” in battle for a long time under it. Such prolonged resistance by the city’s defenders forced the enemy to withdraw part of the forces from the offensive in the Moscow direction and transfer them to Kyiv, due to which the Soviet soldiers were forced to retreat on September 19, 1941.
The Nazi invaders who occupied the city inflicted enormous damage on it, establishing a regime of brutal occupation. More than 200,000 Kiev residents were killed, and about 100,000 people were sent to Germany for forced labor.
Kyiv was liberated on November 6, 1943. In honor of the feat of Soviet citizens, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1961 established a new award - the medal “For the Defense of Kyiv.”
In 1965 Kyiv was awarded the title of Hero City.
Kerch
Soviet marines install a ship's jack on the highest point of Kerch - Mount Mithridates. April 1944. Photo by E. A. Khaldei. During the fighting in Kerch, more than 85% of the buildings were destroyed, the liberators were met just over 30 residents of the city out of almost 100 thousand inhabitants in 1940.
In mid-November 1941, after two weeks of fierce fighting on the Kerch Peninsula, the city was captured by the Nazis. On December 30, 1941, during the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation, Kerch was liberated by troops of the 51st Army of the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov Military Flotilla. But the Nazis really needed Crimea. In May 1942, the Germans concentrated large forces on the Kerch Peninsula and launched a new offensive. After terrible, stubborn battles, the city again found itself in the hands of the Nazis. No, defenders have nothing to be ashamed of. They fought to the death.
An example is the heroic, long and persistent struggle of the partisans in Adzhimushkai quarries(“Adzhimushkay” - translated as “Bitter Gray Stone”). When the marines liberated Kerch and the village of Adzhimushkay and descended into the quarries, they, war-hardened sailors, were shocked by what they saw: ...the further into the depths of the stone galleries, the more difficult it is to breathe. It smells like centuries of dampness. Cold. There are rags and sheets of paper on the floor. And human remains.
A sheet taken at random is another shock. This is the daily distribution of different products per person: 15 grams, 10 grams, 5 grams. And in the next compartment there are dozens of corpses of Soviet soldiers. In greatcoats, in bandages, reclining, with their heads thrown back - in these positions death found them. There are weapons and gas masks nearby. Rifle and machine gun magazines are empty: people fought to the last bullet.
Gloom and a heavy grave spirit complete the ominous picture. The shocked sailors realized that this was self-sacrifice in the name of the Fatherland.
With the name of the heroes of Adzhimushkai, the soldiers later liberated Kerch, Crimea, and Sevastopol. There were 15 thousand people in the Adzhimushkai quarries, there was not enough food, water, and not enough air. The brutal fascists threw lit gas bombs at the catacombs. To combat them, the defenders set up vigils and threw burning bombs into sandboxes. Then the Nazis began to pump gas with a compressor and drilled holes in the walls for hoses. But the defenders found a way out. They tied the hoses in a knot. Then the Germans began to pump gas directly through the holes. And here the defenders found a way out - they created gas-tight walls.
Problem No. 1 for the underground garrison was water. People sucked water from damp walls and collected drops into mugs. It was very difficult for exhausted people to dig wells, many died. And the Nazis, if they heard the sound of a pickaxe, blew up this place, realizing that people were looking for water. Notes from the defenders have been preserved. They show how difficult it was for the fighters. And when our troops left Sevastopol, the Germans intensified their psychological attack:
"Give up. We promise you. You were left alone in Crimea, everyone gave up.”
But the fighters understood that they were holding German troops and were not allowing them to go to Taman. They fulfilled their duty to the Motherland with honor. The members of the underground garrison did not sit in the catacombs. They came to the surface at night, destroyed enemy firing points, obtained food and weapons. Many died in battle, others were unable to return from weakness and died.
The defense was led by P. M. Yagunov, who died from a stray German grenade.
Children were also in the quarries along with the adults. Name IN Olody Dubinina known to many in Russia. The boy was a scout. Knowing every stone in the quarries, all the passages, thin and small young scouts could crawl into holes that adults could not, and obtain the information necessary for the partisans. Volodya lived to see the Victory. I met with my mother and washed myself of the multi-layered soot and dirt. Everything seemed fine, but the Germans, retreating, mined many of the entrances to the quarries, and there were still people there. Volodya, who knew the quarries well, could not help but help the sappers. One of the bombs exploded. The brave boy died. He was posthumously awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
The occupiers were in control for only a month and a half for the first time, but the consequences were monstrous. “Bagerovsky Ditch” - here the Nazis shot 7 thousand people. It was from here that the Soviet Commission for the Investigation of Fascist Crimes began its work. The materials of this investigation were presented at the Nuremberg trials.
Bagerovo anti-tank ditch near Kerch For outstanding services to the Motherland and mass heroism, courage and fortitude in 1973(on the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Crimea), the city of Kerch was awarded the honorary title “Hero City” with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
Minsk
Belarusian partisans on Lenin Square in Minsk, after the liberation of the city from the Nazi invaders. 1944 V. Lupeiko/RIA Novosti In the very first days of the Nazi invasion of the USSR in June 1941, Minsk was subjected to devastating raids by German aircraft. Despite the stubborn resistance of the Red Army, the city was captured on the sixth day of the war. During the three-year occupation in Minsk and its environs, the Germans killed more than 400 thousand people, and the city itself was turned into ruins and ashes. They destroyed 80% of residential buildings, almost all factories, power plants, scientific institutions and theaters. Despite the terror of the occupiers, a patriotic underground operated in the city.
The city of Minsk and the Minsk region were the center of the partisan movement in the BSSR.
Minsk was liberated by Soviet troops on July 3, 1944. Now this date is celebrated as Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus. In 1974 In commemoration of the merits of the city's citizens in the fight against Nazism, Minsk received the title Hero City.
Why is the title of “city of military glory” awarded?
Stella of cities of military glory in the Alexander Garden. Photo: poznamka.ru The title “city of military glory” did not exist in the USSR; it was approved by Vladimir Putin in 2006. The title of city of military glory is awarded to cities “on the territory of which or in the immediate vicinity of which, during fierce battles, the defenders of the Fatherland showed courage, fortitude and mass heroism.”
In the city that received this title, a special stele is installed. On February 23, May 9 and City Day, festive events and fireworks are held.
The title of city of military glory can also be awarded to a hero city.
Which Russian cities have been awarded the title of “City of Military Glory”?
Today in Russia there are 45 Cities of Military Glory: Belgorod, Kursk, Orel, Vladikavkaz, Malgobek, Rzhev, Yelnya, Yelets, Voronezh, Meadows, Polyarny, Rostov-on-Don, Tuapse, Velikiye Luki, Veliky Novgorod, Dmitrov, Vyazma, Kronstadt, Naro-Fominsk, Pskov, Kozelsk, Arkhangelsk, Volokolamsk, Bryansk, Nalchik, Vyborg, Kalach-on-Don, Vladivostok, Tikhvin, Tver, Anapa, Kolpino, Stary Oskol, Kovrov, Lomonosov, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Taganrog, Maroyaroslavets, Mozhaisk, Khabarovsk, Staraya Russa, Gatchina, Petrozavodsk, Grozny and Feodosia.
In the city awarded the title “City of Military Glory”:
- a stele is installed with the image of the city’s coat of arms and the text of the decree of the President of the Russian Federation on conferring this title on the city;
- Public events and fireworks are held on February 23 (Defender of the Fatherland Day), May 9 (Victory Day), as well as on City Day or the Day of the city’s liberation from Nazi invaders (for example, Tikhvin).
Hero City is the highest degree of distinction awarded to twelve cities of the Soviet Union, famous for their heroic defense during the Great Patriotic War. For the first time, the cities of Leningrad, Stalingrad, Sevastopol and Odessa were named hero cities in Order No. 20 of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of May 1, 1945. Kyiv was named a hero city in the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 21, 1961 “On the establishment of the medal “For the Defense of Kyiv”.”
The regulations on the honorary title “Hero City” were approved later, on May 8, 1965, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On the same day, seven decrees were issued, according to which Leningrad and Kiev were awarded the Golden Star medal, Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Sevastopol and Odessa - the Golden Star medal and the Order of Lenin, and Moscow and the Brest Fortress were awarded the title " Hero City" and "Hero Fortress", respectively, with the presentation of the Gold Star medal and the Order of Lenin. On July 18, 1980, the wording of the Regulations was changed: it began to talk not about an honorary title, but about the highest degree of distinction - the title “Hero City”.
Leningrad was awarded the title "Hero City" on May 8, 1965. Fierce fighting on the outskirts of the city began on July 10, 1941. Numerical superiority was on the side of the Germans: almost 2.5 times more soldiers, 10 times more aircraft, 1.2 times more tanks and almost 6 times more mortars. On September 8, 1941, the Nazis managed to capture Shlisselburg and thus take control of the source of the Neva. Leningrad was blocked from land (cut off from the mainland). From that moment on, the 872-day blockade of the city began.
Despite the terrible famine and continuous enemy attacks, which killed almost 650,000 city residents, Leningraders showed themselves to be true heroes. More than 500 thousand people went to work on the construction of defensive structures; they built 35 km of barricades and anti-tank obstacles, as well as more than 4,000 bunkers and pillboxes; 22,000 firing points are equipped. Hero Leningraders gave the front thousands of field and naval guns, repaired and launched 2,000 tanks, produced 10 million shells and mines, 225,000 machine guns and 12,000 mortars.
During the blockade of Leningrad, about 150 thousand shells were fired and 102,520 incendiary and 4,655 high-explosive bombs were dropped. 840 industrial enterprises and more than 10 thousand residential buildings were put out of action. The Nazis failed to capture Leningrad either on the move, or by storm, or by siege and starvation.
The first breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad occurred on January 18, 1943 through the efforts of troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, when a corridor 8-11 km wide was formed between the front line and Lake Ladoga. But only on January 27, 1944, the blockade of the city was completely lifted.
2 Stalingrad (Volgograd)
In the summer of 1942, German troops launched a massive offensive on the southern front, seeking to capture the Caucasus, the Don region, the lower Volga and Kuban - the richest and most fertile lands of the Soviet Union. Hitler was going to deal with this in a week. In order to stop the enemy's advance, the Stalingrad Front was created.
On July 17, 1942, one of the greatest and largest battles in the history of World War II began - the Battle of Stalingrad. It lasted 200 days. The first attack on the city took place on August 23, 1942. Then, just north of Stalingrad, the Germans almost approached the Volga. Policemen, sailors of the Volga Fleet, NKVD troops, cadets and other volunteers were sent to defend the city. That same night, the Germans launched their first air raid on the city, and on August 25, a state of siege was introduced in Stalingrad. Despite the almost continuous shelling, the Stalingrad factories continued to operate and produce tanks, Katyushas, cannons, mortars and a huge number of shells.
On September 12, 1942, the enemy came close to the city. Two months of fierce battles for Stalingrad caused significant damage to the Germans: the Nazis lost about 700 thousand people killed and wounded.
On November 19, 1942, the counter-offensive of the Soviet army began. The offensive operation continued for 75 days, as a result of which the Germans at Stalingrad were surrounded and completely defeated. On February 2, 1943, the battle ended. During the entire Battle of Stalingrad, the German army lost more than 1,500,000 people.
Stalingrad was one of the first to be called a hero city. And officially the title “Hero City” was awarded to Volgograd on May 8, 1965.
3 Sevastopol
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the city of Sevastopol was the largest port on the Black Sea and the main naval base of the USSR. His heroic defense against the Nazis began on October 30, 1941 and lasted 250 days.
The first assault on Sevastopol is considered to be the attempt of German troops to capture the city on the move during October 30 - November 21, 1941. From October 30 to November 11, battles were fought on the distant approaches to Sevastopol; on November 2, attacks began on the outer line of defense of the fortress. On November 9-10, the Wehrmacht managed to completely surround the city from land. On November 11, with the approach of the main group of the 11th Army of the Wehrmacht, battles began along the entire perimeter. Over the course of 10 days, the attackers managed to slightly penetrate the forward defense line, after which there was a pause in the battle. On November 21, after shelling from coastal batteries, two cruisers and the battleship Paris Commune, the Wehrmacht stopped the assault on the city.
The Nazis made a second attempt to capture the city in December 1941. This time they had at their disposal seven infantry divisions, two mountain rifle brigades, over 150 tanks, 300 aircraft and 1,275 guns and mortars. But this attempt also failed.
By the end of spring 1942, the Germans had amassed 200,000 soldiers, 600 aircraft, 450 tanks and more than 2,000 guns and mortars to Sevastopol. They managed to blockade the city from the air and increased their activity at sea, as a result of which the city's defenders were forced to retreat. On July 3, 1942, the Sovinformburo reported on the loss of Sevastopol.
The battles for the liberation of Sevastopol began on April 15, 1944. Particularly fierce battles were fought in the area adjacent to Sapun Mountain. On May 9, 1944, the Soviet army liberated Sevastopol. Sevastopol was one of the first to receive the title of Hero City on May 8, 1965.
4 Odessa
In August 1941, Odessa was completely surrounded by Nazi troops. Its heroic defense lasted 73 days, during which the Soviet army and militia units defended the city from enemy invasion. From the mainland side, Odessa was defended by the Primorsky Army, from the sea - by ships of the Black Sea Fleet, with the support of artillery from the shore. To capture the city, the enemy threw forces five times larger than its defenders.
German troops launched the first big assault on Odessa on August 20, 1941, but Soviet troops stopped their advance 10-14 kilometers from the city borders. Every day, 10-12 thousand women and children dug trenches, laid mines, and pulled wire fences. In total, during the defense, 40,000 mines were planted by residents, more than 250 kilometers of anti-tank ditches were dug, and about 250 barricades were built on the city streets. The hands of teenagers who worked in factories produced about 300,000 hand grenades and the same number of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. During the months of defense, 38 thousand ordinary residents-heroes of Odessa moved to the ancient Odessa catacombs, stretching for many kilometers underground, to take part in the defense of their home city.
But the city was still captured on October 16, 1941. Odessa was liberated on April 10, 1944, and the title of Hero City was awarded in 1965.
5 Moscow
In the plans of Nazi Germany, the capture of Moscow was of central importance. To capture the city, a special operation codenamed “Typhoon” was developed. The Germans launched a major offensive against the capital in October and November 1941.
In the October operation, the Nazi command used 74 divisions (including 22 motorized and tank), 1.8 million officers and soldiers, 1,390 aircraft, 1,700 tanks, 14,000 mortars and guns. Hitler's command set the task: to capture Moscow by October 16, 1941. But the Nazis were unable to break through to Moscow. The second operation consisted of 51 combat-ready divisions. On the Soviet side, a little more than a million people, 677 aircraft, 970 tanks and 7,600 mortars and guns stood up to defend the city.
As a result of a fierce battle that lasted more than 200 days, the enemy was driven back from Moscow. This event dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Nazis. For exemplary performance of combat missions, 36 thousand defenders of the city were awarded various orders and medals, and 110 people were awarded the title “Hero of the Soviet Union.” More than a million soldiers were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Moscow”.
6 Kyiv
German troops launched a surprise attack on the city of Kyiv from the air on June 22, 1941 - in the very first hours of the war, a heroic struggle for the city began, which lasted 72 days. Kyiv was defended not only by Soviet soldiers, but also by ordinary residents. Huge efforts were made for this by militia units, of which there were nineteen by the beginning of July. Also, 13 fighter battalions were formed from among the townspeople, and in total 33,000 people from the city’s residents took part in the defense of Kyiv. The people of Kiev built more than 1,400 pillboxes and manually dug 55 kilometers of anti-tank ditches.
The Germans failed to take Kyiv on the fly. However, on July 30, 1941, the fascist army made a new attempt to storm the city. On the tenth of August, she managed to break through the defenses on its southwestern outskirts, but through the joint efforts of the people's militia and regular troops they managed to repel the enemy. By August 15, the militia drove the Nazis back to their previous positions. Enemy losses near Kiev numbered more than 100,000 people. The Nazis did not undertake any more direct assaults on the city. Such prolonged resistance by the city’s defenders forced the enemy to withdraw part of the forces from the offensive in the Moscow direction and transfer them to Kyiv, due to which the Soviet soldiers were forced to retreat on September 19, 1941.
The Germans who occupied the city established a regime of brutal occupation. More than 200,000 Kiev residents were killed, and about 100,000 people were sent to Germany for forced labor. Kyiv was liberated on November 6, 1943. In 1965, Kyiv was awarded the title of Hero City.
7 Kerch
Kerch was one of the first cities to come under attack by German troops at the beginning of the war. During all this time, the front line passed through it four times and during the war years the city was occupied twice, as a result of which 15 thousand civilians were killed and more than 14 thousand were taken to Germany for forced labor. The city was captured for the first time in November 1941, after bloody battles. But already on December 30, during the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation, Kerch was liberated by Soviet troops.
In May 1942, the Germans concentrated large forces and launched a new attack on the city. As a result of heavy and stubborn fighting, Kerch was abandoned again. It was from this time that the world-famous guerrilla war began in the Kerch (Adzhimushkay) quarries. Throughout the occupation, several thousand partisans and regular army soldiers were hiding in them, who did not allow the German troops to live in peace. During the 320 days that the city was in the hands of the enemy, the occupiers destroyed all the factories, burned all the bridges and ships, cut down and burned parks and gardens, destroyed the power station and telegraph, and blew up the railway lines. Kerch was almost completely wiped off the face of the earth.
During the battles for the liberation of the Caucasus and Crimea, on April 11, 1944, the city of Kerch was liberated by soldiers of the Separate Primorsky Army and the Black Sea Fleet. On September 14, 1973, Kerch was awarded the title of Hero City.
8 Novorossiysk
To protect the city of Novorossiysk, on August 17, 1942, the Novorossiysk defensive region was created, which included the 47th Army, sailors of the Azov Military Flotilla and the Black Sea Fleet. People's militia units were actively created in the city, more than 200 defensive firing points and command posts were built, and an anti-tank and anti-personnel obstacle course more than thirty kilometers long was equipped.
The ships of the Black Sea Fleet particularly distinguished themselves in the fight for Novorossiysk. Despite the heroic efforts of the defenders of Novorossiysk, the forces were unequal, and on September 7, 1942, the enemy managed to enter the city and capture several administrative objects in it. But after four days the Nazis were stopped in the south-eastern part of the city and moved to a defensive position.
To liberate Novorossiysk, Soviet naval paratroopers landed on the southern border of the hero city, near the village of Stanichki, on the night of February 4, 1943. A kind of bridgehead with an area of 30 square meters. kilometers, entered the chronicle of the Great Patriotic War under the name “Malaya Zemlya”. The battle for Novorossiysk lasted 225 days and ended with the complete liberation of the hero city on September 16, 1943. On September 14, 1973, Novorossiysk received the title of Hero City.
9 Minsk
From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, Minsk found itself in the very center of the battles, as it was in the direction of the main attack of the Germans - towards Moscow. The advanced units of the enemy troops approached the city on June 26, 1941. They were met by only one 64th Infantry Division, which in just three days of fierce fighting destroyed about 300 enemy vehicles and armored vehicles, as well as a lot of tank equipment. On June twenty-seventh, the Nazis managed to be thrown back, 10 km from Minsk - this reduced the striking force and pace of the Nazis’ advance to the east. However, after stubborn and heavy fighting, on June 28, Soviet troops were forced to retreat and leave the city.
The Nazis established a strict occupation regime in Minsk; they destroyed a huge number of both prisoners of war and civilians of the city. But underground groups and sabotage detachments began to be created in the city. Thanks to the partisans, many German offensive operations were thwarted. More than 11,000 trains were derailed, and the partisans blew up more than 300,000 rails. Several military and administrative facilities were blown up.
On July 3, 1944, Soviet tanks entered the city during its liberation from the Germans. On June 26, 1974, Minsk was awarded the title of Hero City.
10 Tula
By October 1941, the Germans managed to advance quite far into Russia. Orel was taken, from which only 180 km remained to Tula. There were no military units in Tula, except for: one NKVD regiment, which guarded the defense factories operating here at full capacity, the 732nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment, covering the city from the air, and fighter battalions consisting of workers and employees.
Immediately after the capture of Orel, Tula was placed under martial law. Residents of the city surrounded Tula with ribbons of trenches, dug anti-tank ditches inside the city, installed gouges and hedgehogs, and built barricades and strongholds. In parallel, active work was carried out to evacuate defense factories.
The Germans sent three tank divisions, one motorized division and the “Great Germany” regiment to capture Tula. Despite fierce attacks, in which about a hundred tanks took part from the enemy, the enemy did not manage to break through to Tula in any sector of the battles. On December 7, 1976, Tula received the title of Hero City.
11 Murmansk
To seize the lands of the Arctic, from Norway and Finland, the Germans deployed the “Norway” front. The invaders' plans included an attack on the Kola Peninsula. The defense of the peninsula was deployed on the Northern Front, a strip 500 km long. It was these units that covered the Murmansk, Kandelaki and Ukhta directions. Ships of the Northern Fleet and ground forces of the Soviet Army took part in the defense, protecting the Arctic from the invasion of German troops.
The enemy offensive began on June 29, 1941, but Soviet soldiers stopped the enemy 20-30 kilometers from the border line. At the cost of fierce fighting, the front line remained unchanged until 1944, when Soviet troops launched an offensive. Murmansk is one of those cities that became front-line from the very first days of the war. The Nazis carried out 792 air raids and dropped 185 thousand bombs on the city - however, Murmansk survived and continued to operate as a port city. Under regular air raids, ordinary citizens-heroes carried out the unloading and loading of ships, the construction of bomb shelters, and the production of military equipment. During all the war years, the Murmansk port received 250 ships and handled 2 million tons of various cargo.
The main strategic actions developed not on land, but in the waters of the northern seas. The heroes of the Northern Fleet destroyed more than 200 German warships and about 400 transport ships. And in the fall of 1944, the fleet expelled the enemy, and the threat of capturing Murmansk passed. Murmansk received the title “Hero City” on May 6, 1985.
12 Smolensk
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Smolensk found itself on the path of the main attack of German troops towards Moscow. The city was first bombed on June 24, 1941, and 4 days later the Nazis launched a second air attack on Smolensk, as a result of which the central part of the city was completely destroyed.
On July 10, 1941, the famous Battle of Smolensk began, which lasted until September 10 of the same year. Soldiers of the Western Front of the Red Army stood up to defend the city. The enemy outnumbered them in manpower, artillery and aircraft (2 times), as well as in tank equipment (4 times).
Despite the heroic efforts of the defenders of Smolensk, on July 29, 1941, the Nazis managed to enter the city. The occupation lasted until September 25, 1943, but during these years the residents continued to fight the enemy, creating partisan detachments and conducting underground subversive activities.
Greetings to all readers of my blog! May 9th on the calendar! Great holiday! Victory Day! Victory lives in everyone's heart! And I sincerely congratulate you, my dear readers! And I wish you, your families, your children a peaceful sky above your heads, happiness and goodness!
War. She left her mark on the history of every family, every house, every village, every city of our homeland. Today, 45 cities are cities of military glory. And there are also 13 Cities of Heroes. This is the highest degree of distinction for heroic defense during the war.
Let's talk about each of them in more detail.
Lesson plan:
Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
July 10, 1941. The beginning of the offensive of German troops in the Leningrad direction. The Germans managed to encircle Leningrad. On September 8, the siege of Leningrad began. And it lasted 872 days. The history of mankind has never known such a long siege.
At that time, approximately three million people lived in the northern capital. Terrible hunger, constant air raids, bombings, rats, diseases, and infections claimed more than 2 million lives. Despite everything, the Leningraders survived, they even managed to help the front. The factories did not stop working and produced military products.
Today, numerous memorials and monuments erected in the northern capital remind us of the feat of the Leningraders.
Memorial Piskarevskoye Cemetery. This is the site of mass graves of people who died during the siege of Leningrad. A statue of the “Motherland”, a woman who looks at the graves of her fallen sons, was installed in the cemetery.
If you walk along Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg, find house number 14. There is still an inscription from the war.
And on Victory Square there is a monument in memory of the city’s defenders. One of the significant parts of this monument is a torn bronze ring, which symbolizes the breaking of the blockade ring.
Stalingrad (Volgograd)
Summer 1942. The Germans decided to capture the Caucasus, Kuban, the Don region, and the Lower Volga. Hitler was going to deal with this in a week. In order to stop the enemy's advance, the Stalingrad Front was created.
On July 17, 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began, one of the most important and largest battles. This great battle lasted 200 days. And it ended with the complete victory of our troops thanks to the selfless actions of the military and ordinary residents. More than 1 million of our soldiers died in terrible bloody battles. The Germans also suffered heavy losses. More than 800 thousand killed and wounded. More than 200 thousand German soldiers were captured.
In Volgograd, on Mamayev Kurgan, there is a monument-ensemble, which is dedicated to all the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad. The main monument of the ensemble is the 85-meter sculpture of the Motherland. 200 steps lead to this monument from the foot of the mound - a symbol of two hundred long days of battle.
And the Mamaev Kurgan itself is a huge mass grave in which more than 34 thousand dead soldiers rest.
Sevastopol
The defense of Sevastopol began on October 30, 1941 and ended on July 4, 1942. This is one of the bloodiest battles that ended in the defeat of the Soviet troops. But the courage and heroism shown by units of the Red Army and the residents of Sevastopol did not allow the Wehrmacht units to quickly seize Crimea and the Caucasus.
The Nazis, having overwhelming superiority in the air and at sea, were unable to take the city over and over again. For the first and only time (during the entire war), German troops used an artillery gun weighing more than 1000 tons, which was capable of firing 7-ton shells and piercing a rock slab 30 meters thick. But Sevastopol stood. He stood until the ammunition ran out... Until almost all the defenders died...
There are more than 1,500 monuments in Sevastopol. And about 1000 of them were installed in memory of the events of that terrible war. At Cape Khrustalny there is a monument “Soldier and Sailor”, it was erected in memory of the defenders of Sevastopol.
Odessa
In the first years of the war, victories were achieved only at the cost of gigantic sacrifices. Hundreds of thousands of people died so as not to let the enemy pass, in order to hold back the fascist war machine at least a little. The Nazis believed that Odessa would become another item on their long list of cities that surrendered without a fight. But, they were wrong.
73 days of defense of Odessa inflicted colossal losses on the Romanian-German armies, which were expecting an “easy walk.” Of the 300,000 enemy soldiers, 160,000 died. Our losses were 16,000. The Nazis were never able to capture Odessa, the city was abandoned...
This is what the Pravda newspaper will write about the defense of Odessa:
In Odessa there is the “Monument to the Unknown Sailor”. The obelisk in the form of a granite stele is intended to remind those living today of the feat of sailors during the war. And next to it is the Walk of Fame, on which are the graves of fallen warrior-defenders.
Moscow
Napoleon, and after him Hitler, called Russia and the USSR “a colossus with feet of clay.” But for some reason this colossus did not want to kneel, but clenched his teeth and fists and threw himself at the spears and machine guns with his bare chest. This happened near Moscow.
At the cost of terrible losses, but the enemy moved slower and slower towards the capture of Moscow. He was stopped near Brest, he was beaten near Smolensk and Odessa, he was not given rest near Minsk and Yelets. The defensive operation near Moscow also lasted for several months. Defensive fortifications were built, thousands of kilometers of trenches were dug. They fought for every village, for every height. But the magnificent Wehrmacht machine moved forward. They even saw the walls of the Kremlin through binoculars, but for many of them this became their last memory.
On December 5, 1941, the Germans were shown the way home. The offensive of our troops began near Moscow. More than a million soldiers and officers shouting “Hurray!” began to drive out the fascists. The victory near Moscow became one of the key moments of the war, people believed that we could win...
In Moscow, on Poklonnaya Hill, there is a huge memorial complex dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.
This complex includes:
- The monument is in the form of an obelisk 141.8 meters high. This height is not accidental. It reminds us of the 1418 days of war.
- Three churches that were erected in memory of all those who died during the war.
- Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War.
- An open-air exhibition of military equipment and other memorials.
Kyiv
When the first German planes flew over Kiev, many residents thought that these were exercises... And they even rejoiced, saying, “What a great exercise they prepared!” They even painted crosses.” No, these were not exercises - Kyiv was one of the first to experience all the horrors of war. He found himself on the front line almost immediately. There was not enough ammunition, not enough supplies. But there was an order - not to surrender Kyiv!!! More than 600,000 people died trying to accomplish it! But, on September 19, 1941, German troops entered the city. This was one of the most severe defeats of the Red Army.
On the right bank of the Dnieper, at the highest point in Kyiv, there is a monument whose height is more than 100 meters. This is a sculpture of the “Motherland”.
The sculpture depicts a woman with her hands raised up. The woman holds a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. The monument symbolizes the inflexibility of the people's spirit in the struggle for the Motherland.
Brest
On June 22, 1941, at 4:15 am, a massive artillery strike began on the defenders of the Brest Fortress. According to the plans of the German command, the fortress was to be taken by noon. But the fortress held. Without water, without food, without communication with the main units of the Red Army...
This inscription will later be discovered by historians on the walls. 
Thousands died, very little is known about them. There was almost no one left who could tell... The last defender was captured only on July 23.
Memorial complex "Brest Hero Fortress". It was opened on September 25, 1971. If you are in Belarus, be sure to visit it. It includes many monuments, obelisks, an eternal flame, memorial plaques, and a defense museum. The main monument of the memorial is a sculpture depicting the head of a Soviet soldier against the backdrop of a waving banner.
Also pay attention to the memorial composition “Thirst”.
The defenders of the fortress experienced a lack of water, as the water supply system was destroyed. The only source of water for them was the Buk and Mokhovets rivers. But since their shores were under constant fire, the trip for water was mortally dangerous.
Kerch
Kerch was captured for the first time in mid-November 1941. In December it was liberated by Soviet troops, but in May 1942 it was again captured by the Nazis. It was from this time that the world-famous guerrilla war in the Kerch (Adzhimushkay) quarries would begin.
Throughout the occupation, several thousand partisans and regular army soldiers were hiding in them, who did not allow the German troops to live in peace. The Nazis blew up the entrances and gassed them, collapsed the vaults... To get water, they had to fight their way out each time, since all the sources were outside. But the German troops were unable to break the resistance. Kerch was completely liberated only in April 1944. A little more than 30,000 inhabitants remained alive.
The “Obelisk of Glory” located on Mount Mithridates is a symbol of Kerch.
It is dedicated to all the soldiers who died for the liberation of Crimea in 1943-1944. This monument was erected in August 1944. This is the first monument in the USSR dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War. The stele rises 24 meters into the sky and is made of light gray stone. And at the foot there are three cannons.
Novorossiysk
“Malaya Zemlya” - many have heard this, but do not know where it is. Know, this is Novorossiysk. This is the triumph and courage of the Soviet marines. A couple of facts: on February 4, 1943, 800 marines (according to other sources up to 1500) held a bridgehead against 500 enemy firing points (the Allies landed 156,000 people in Normandy).
Several hundred people held out until the main forces arrived and conquered kilometer after kilometer. The Germans were never able to throw them into the sea. 225 days of offensive. Every inch of land was watered with blood and sweat, the result of superhuman efforts and Novorossiysk was liberated. On September 16, 1943, Soviet troops entered the city... it was destroyed by almost 96%.
In 1961, a memorial was opened in Novorossiysk in memory of the heroic liberators of the city. This is a sculpture depicting three people: a soldier, a sailor with a banner and a partisan girl. Three people stand shoulder to shoulder and represent strength and courage.
“The Shot Car” is another monument in Novorossiysk.
There are countless bullet holes in this boxcar. It was installed on the Soviet defense line in 1946.
Minsk
Another difficult and terrible page of that war. So much so that even the Soviet Information Bureau did not report the surrender of Minsk. About 10 high-ranking Soviet military leaders were arrested and executed. After all, the city was taken already on June 28, 1941.
But this is not the only thing that befell the Belarusians. Several hundred thousand civilians were taken to work in Germany. Only a few returned. Hundreds of thousands were hanged, shot and burned alive. But, they didn’t give up. A partisan movement was created, with which the selected Wehrmacht units could do nothing. Thanks to the partisans, many German offensive operations were thwarted. More than 11,000 trains were derailed, and the partisans blew up more than 300,000 rails. They killed the enemy wherever they could.
In Minsk in 1952, a “Tank Monument” was erected in honor of the feat of Soviet tank crews.
On July 3, 1944, Soviet tanks entered the city during its liberation from the fascist invaders.
Tula
At the beginning of the war, news of the German advance sometimes arrived after the city had been captured. This almost happened to Tula. A sudden tank breakthrough of the front led to the capture of Orel, and from it to Tula only 180 km. The city was left practically unarmed and unprepared for defense.
But skillful leadership and, most importantly, quickly deployed reinforcements did not allow the German units to occupy the city of gunsmiths. The difficult situation at the front led to the almost complete blockade of Tula, but the enemy was never able to take it. Thousands of women dug trenches as defense factories were evacuated and fighting raged. The Germans threw selected, elite units into battle, in particular the “Greater Germany” regiment. But they couldn’t do anything either... Tula didn’t give up! She survived!
There are several memorial complexes dedicated to the Second World War in Tula. For example, on Victory Square there is a memorial in honor of the Hero Defenders who defended the city in 1941.
A soldier and a militiaman stand shoulder to shoulder, holding machine guns. And nearby, three multi-meter steel obelisks soared into the sky.
Murmansk
From the first days of the war, Murmansk became a front-line city. The offensive of the German troops began on June 29, 1941, but at the cost of incredible efforts it was thwarted and subsequently the enemy was unable to advance even a kilometer. The front line remained unchanged until 1944.
Over the years, 185 thousand bombs were dropped on Murmansk, but he lived, worked and did not give up. He repaired military ships, received food and transport... The resilience of the residents of Murmansk helped Leningrad survive, since it was in Murmansk that food was accumulated, which was then transferred to the Northern capital. The Northern Fleet has about 600 destroyed enemy ships. On May 6, 1985, the merits of Murmansk residents were recognized, and their city received the title of Hero.
Memorial to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic. The most famous monument in Murmansk.
The 35-meter-high sculpture depicts a soldier with a weapon in his hands. The monument was opened in 1974. People call this stone soldier “Alyosha”.
Smolensk
Smolensk always stood in the way of those who were rushing to Moscow. This was the case in 1812, and this was the case in 1941. According to the plans of the German command, the capture of Smolensk opened the road to Moscow. It was planned to capture a number of cities with lightning speed, including Smolensk. But, as a result, the enemy lost more soldiers in this direction than since the beginning of the war in all other directions combined. 250 thousand fascists did not return back.
It was near Smolensk that the later famous tradition of the “Soviet Guard” was born. On September 10, 1941, Smolensk fell, but did not surrender. A powerful partisan movement was created, which did not give the occupiers a quiet life. 260 natives of the Smolensk region received the title “Hero of the Soviet Union”, and years later... On May 6, 1985, Smolensk received the title “Hero City”.
Many monuments in Smolensk remind of those who laid down their lives in the fight for their Motherland. Among them is the “Monument to the Grieving Mother.”
It is located in the place where the Nazis shot more than 3,000 people in 1943. Their mass grave is also located here, and above it they installed a memorial wall, which depicts the moment of the execution and a sculpture of a woman in simple clothes and a headscarf, with eyes full of grief.
All these cities paid with courage, blood and the lives of their inhabitants for the right to be called Heroes!
Let us once again say a huge thank you to our dear veterans. War veterans, labor veterans! For their feat!
Peace, peace!
All the best and brightest to you!
Evgenia Klimkovich.
P.S. I express my deep gratitude to my husband Denis, a great history expert, for his help in preparing this article.
P.P.S. The information presented in the article will be excellent material for preparing reports for Victory Day. Also on the blog you will find interesting facts and solutions for posters and projects, and other subjects.
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