On June 22 early in the morning the Nazi troops attacked the Soviet Union. The war lasted for 1, 418 days and nights. Hard and sanguinary battles were conducted in all fronts. The future of the USSR as well as the future of the civilization and progress were under threat. Despite all the difficulties we won! The Soviet flag was erected at the Reichstag top on April 30, 1945! And on May 8 Germany signed the Act of unconditional surrender.

 

This section depicts military operations during the Great Patriotic War and demonstrates the results of the war. Besides, it tells its visitors about army and fleet battles and the combats of the air forces and air defense troops. This section is designed to among other things narrate about the Battle for Moscow, the heroic Sevastopol Defense, the Siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Stalingrad that become a breaking point during the war signifying that the German army is doomed having lost its strategic initiative… Last but not least, this section narrates about the step-by-step release of the occupied territories and ends with the Victory everyone was hoped for!

 

The heroic battle of the Soviet people behind the enemy lines is one of the brightest and never-to-be forgotten pages of the Great Patriotic War. It is the partisan war that gave the strongest input to all counter-operations and brought dramatic material damage to the enemy, having greatly helped the Soviet troops and derailed the German army.

 

“From the Soviet Information Bureau…” these words voiced by Yury Levitan were the first line of the frontline radio reports of Second World War. The new agency was launched on the third day of was by the decree of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet Government. Its mission was to cover international events, war battles, frontline news and life in the country. When put together, the materials gathered by the Soviet Information Bureau turn into the best chronicle report of the war times written by numerous Soviet writers and journalists.

This section contains character sketches and operational records of the illustrious commanders of the Great Patriotic war. Their services to the country are priceless.

 

The immortal feats of our warriors and selfless work will always be our moral compass and example of dedicated service to the Motherland. Never forget those who fell in the fields of battle and didn’t live till the memorable Victory Day! And our obeisance to those who survived through all the ordeals of the awful war years!

 

Decoration is the symbol of courage and bravery, acknowledgement of personal merits, one’s service to the country, a reward equal to one’s merits. The Rewards of the Motherland are the special and illustrious monuments of our history reminding of the glorious days of fight against the enemies of the Motherland.

 

Hero of the Soviet Union is the top military decoration of the USSR. It is the honorary title which was bestowed to the military men for distinguished service or feats during the military campaigns or, as exclusion, in the times of peace. This section contains the lists of people bestowed with the title during the Great Patriotic War.

 

This section contains the samples of fire weapons of the Great Patriotic war era. Here you will be able to study the history of origination and military register of guns and stutters and their technical characteristics.

 

Here you can study all types of artillery mounts made operational from 1941 till 1945 including the reactive artillery mounts lovingly referred to as “Katyusha”.

 

During the Great Patriotic War the Air Forces first applied the method of aerial offensive. The combat methods of aerial soft and air support of the attacking troops were improving. There were first developed the problems of aircraft military actions in the front defensive campaigns.

 

On the threshold of the Great Patriotic War out tank troops were being re-equipped. The industry took up producing new tanks: T-40, T-34 and KV. As for T-34, it was one of the best armored vehicles of its time. At its introduction, it was the tank with the best balanced attributes of firepower, mobility, protection and ruggedness.

 

During the Great Patriotic War all kinds of agitation played a significant role in consolidation of people’s moralities in the front and rearward. Banners were the most popular kinds of agitation. The banner “Mother Motherland Wants You for the Army” was issued in millions of copies and in various formats. The Soviet soldiers kept its tiny reproduction port arms with photos of their mothers, fiancés and children…

 

With the beginning of the military campaign millions of people joined the army field forces. People were evacuated in masses from the immediate battle areas. Many of them changed addresses and places of living. The war destroyed thousands of families. People laid hopes on the field post offices which helped finding the nearest relatives in the rearwards and fronts. Thousands of letters, postcards and newspapers were sent to the fonts every day. As many letters were being sent from the fronts to the cities, villages where the nearest and dearest lived.