Hero cities of the ussr and the russian federation. Great cities of the Great Patriotic War. Hero cities of the Great Patriotic War

TASS-DOSSIER / Kirill Titov /. For the first time at the national level, the concept of "hero city" appeared in the editorial of the Pravda newspaper of December 24, 1942. It was devoted to the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the establishment of medals for the defense of Leningrad, Stalingrad, Odessa and Sevastopol. V official documents for the first time Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Sevastopol and Odessa - in the order Supreme Commander-in-Chief USSR Joseph Stalin dated May 1, 1945. It spoke about the organization of fireworks in these cities. On June 21, 1961, in the decrees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On awarding the city of Kiev with the Order of Lenin" and "On the establishment of the medal" For the defense of Kiev ", the capital of Ukraine was named" a hero city ".

On May 8, 1965, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (Supreme Soviet) of the USSR approved the regulations on the honorary title of "Hero City". The main criterion according to which cities received this status was the historical assessment of the contribution of their defenders to the victory over the enemy. The centers of the largest battles of the Great Patriotic War (for example, the battle for Leningrad, Battle of Stalingrad and others), cities, the defense of which determined the victory Soviet troops on the main strategic areas of the front. In addition, cities whose residents continued to fight the enemy during the occupation received this status. According to the law, the "hero cities" were awarded the Order of Lenin, the Gold Star medal and the diploma of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces. In addition, obelisks were installed in them with the text of the decree on the conferment of the honorary title, as well as with the image of the awards received.

On May 8, 1965, five decrees of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces were issued on the presentation of awards to the "hero cities" of Leningrad, Volgograd, Kiev, Sevastopol, Odessa. On the same day, Moscow was assigned honorary title"Hero City", and the Brest Fortress - "Hero Fortress" with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. On September 14, 1973, Kerch and Novorossiysk received the title, on June 26, 1974 - Minsk, on December 7, 1976 - Tula, on May 6, 1985 - Murmansk and Smolensk.

In total, 12 cities of the former Soviet Union and the Brest Fortress. In 1988, the practice of conferring the title was terminated by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

New honorary title - "City of Military Glory"

May 9, 2006 federal law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a new honorary title was established - "City of Military Glory". It is assigned to cities "on whose territory or in the immediate vicinity of which, during fierce battles, the defenders of the Fatherland showed courage, resilience and mass heroism, including the cities that were awarded the title" hero city". At present, 45 cities in Russia have the honorary title" City of Military Glory. "

In Moscow, in the Alexander Garden at the Kremlin wall, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, there is a granite alley of hero cities. There are 12 porphyry blocks, each of which bears the name of one of the hero cities and the engraved image of the Gold Star medal. The blocks contain capsules with earth from the Piskarevsky cemetery in Leningrad and the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, from the foot of the walls of the Brest Fortress and the obelisk of Glory of the defenders of Kiev, from the defense lines of Odessa and Novorossiysk, from the Malakhov Kurgan in Sevastopol and Victory Square in Minsk, from Mt. Kerch, defensive positions at Tula, Murmansk and Smolensk. On November 17, 2009, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree according to which the granite alley of hero cities near the Kremlin wall was included in the National Memorial of Military Glory, along with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a commemorative sign in honor of the cities awarded the honorary title "City of Military Glory."

List of hero cities in the Great Patriotic War

The honorary title "Hero City" was awarded by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to those cities of the Soviet Union, whose inhabitants showed massive heroism and courage in defending the Motherland during the Great Patriotic War... Here is a list of Hero Cities, with the year in which the title was awarded:

Leningrad (St. Petersburg) - 1945 *;

Stalingrad (Volgograd) - 1945 *;

Sevastopol -1945 *;

Odessa - 1945 *;

Kiev -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 of May 1, 1945, but officially this title was 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" of 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 Moscow occupies a special place. It was in the battle near the Soviet capital that the world saw the first defeat in history of an impeccably debugged military machines III Reich. It was here that a colossal battle took place, equal to which world history did not know either before or after, and it was here that the Soviet people demonstrated the highest degree of courage and heroism that shook 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 rank... As all domestic and foreign military historians rightly note, the defeat near the capital of the Soviet Union broke the fighting spirit. German army, for the first time with obvious force exposed discord and contradictions in the highest Nazi leadership, instilled hope in the oppressed peoples of Europe in a speedy liberation, activated national liberation movements in all European countries ...

The Soviet leadership highly appreciated the contribution of the defenders of the city 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 on a grand scale.

In memory of those events filled with unparalleled heroism, the memorial obelisk "Moscow - Hero City" was solemnly opened in 1977; the memory of the fallen heroes is immortalized in the names of avenues and streets, in monuments and memorial plaques, for the glory of the dead, the never-extinguishing Eternal Flame burns ...

For its unparalleled 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 out 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 issued 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 inhabitants and participants in the defense of the city, this prestige was lost in 1944, when the invaders were driven back from Leningrad, and finally trampled by Soviet troops on the ruins of the Reichstag in May 1945 ...

Residents of the city and defenders paid a terrible price to keep the city: according to various estimates, the death toll is estimated from 300 thousand to 1.5 million people. On Nuremberg trials the figure was named 632 thousand people, of which only 3% died as a result of hostilities; the remaining 97% starved to death. At the peak of the famine in November 1941, the bread distribution rate was 125 grams (!!!) per person per day. Despite the colossal mortality, severe frosts, extreme exhaustion of the troops and the population, the city still survived.

To commemorate the merits of the townspeople, soldiers and sailors of the Red Army and Navy, partisan formations and popular squads defending the city, it was Leningrad that was given the right to hold a fireworks in honor of the complete lifting of the blockade, an order of which was signed by Marshal Govorov, to whom Stalin personally entrusted this right. This honor was not awarded to any of the front commanders during the entire period of the Great Patriotic War.

Leningrad was among the first cities of the Soviet Union (together with Stalingrad, Sevastopol and Odessa) was named a hero city in the Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief dated May 1, 1945.

Among the first was Leningrad and the honorary title "Hero City", established on May 8, 1965 by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in accordance with which the city was awarded the highest awards of the Soviet Union - the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, whose images proudly flaunt 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 to the Hero City of Leningrad, erected on Vosstaniya Square, the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad on Victory Square, a monument to the corpses and a huge Piskarevskoye cemetery, where the ashes of 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 was named, is known far beyond the borders of the former Soviet Union. The events that took place here in the period from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943, changed the course world history... It was here, on the banks of the beautiful Volga, that the backbone of the German fascist war machine was broken. According to Goebbels, said by him 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. production III 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, this honor was awarded to Kiev and Moscow, as well as the Brest Fortress.

Monuments dedicated to the events of that heroic era are the main city attractions. The most famous of them are Mamayev Kurgan, panorama "The Defeat of Nazi Troops at Stalingrad", "House of Soldiers' Glory" (better known as "Pavlov's House"), Alley of Heroes, the "Union of Fronts" monument, "Rodimtsev's Wall", " Lyudnikov Island ", Gerhart's Mill (Grudinin) and others.

Hero City Kiev

One of the first Soviet cities to significantly delay the advance of the enemy on initial stage During the Great Patriotic War, the capital of Ukraine was the hero city of Kiev, 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 established in Kiev, and a few days later the heroic defense began. Ukrainian capital, which lasted 72 days (until September 19, 1941), as a result of which over 100 thousand soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht were destroyed by the defending Soviet troops and residents of the city.

After the abandonment of Kiev by regular units of the Red Army, by order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, the inhabitants of the city organized resistance to the invaders. During the occupation of the underground, thousands of soldiers of the German regular army, more than 500 cars were blown up and disabled, 19 trains were derailed, 18 military warehouses were destroyed, 15 boats and ferries were launched to the bottom, more than 8 thousand Kievites were saved from being hijacked into slavery.

During the Kiev offensive operation on November 6, 1943, the city was finally cleared of the invaders. Hundreds of monuments and monuments located both in the city itself and on the defense lines are witnesses of those heroic events, the most famous of which are: the well-known sculpture "Motherland", memorial complexes "Park of Eternal Glory" and "Museum of History Of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 ", as well as the obelisk" To the Hero City of Kiev "located on Victory Square.

Hero City Minsk

The hero city Minsk, located in the direction of the main blow of the 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 German fascist troops swept over 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, which lasted more than three years- until July 3, 1944.

Despite the horrors of the Nazi administration (during the German rule, the city lost a third of its inhabitants - more than 70 thousand citizens died), the invaders did not manage to break the will of the Minskers, who created one of the largest underground units of the Second World War, which united about 9 thousand people, to which listened even in the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense when planning strategic tasks. The underground workers (of which more than 600 people were awarded orders and medals of the Soviet Union) corrected their actions with 20 partisan detachments operating in the region, many of which later grew into large brigades.

During the occupation, the city underwent colossal destruction: at the time of the liberation by Soviet troops on July 3, 1944, only 70 surviving buildings remained in the city. On Sunday, July 16, 1944, a partisan parade was held in Minsk in honor of the liberation of the capital of Belarus from the Nazi invaders.

For the merits of the capital of Belarus in the struggle against the fascist conquerors, Minsk was awarded the honorary title "Hero City" in accordance with the Decree 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 have been 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

Odessa (along with Stalingrad, Leningrad and Sevastopol) was one of the four cities that were first named in the status of hero cities in the Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief dated 05/01/1945. The city was awarded such a high honor for heroic defense in the period from August 5 to October 16, 1941. These 73 days cost the German and Romanian troops dearly, the losses of which are estimated at 160 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 200 aircraft, and about a hundred tanks.

The defenders of the city were never defeated: from October 1 to October 16, ships and vessels Black Sea Fleet in the strictest secrecy, all available troops (about 86 thousand people), part of the civilian population (more than 15 thousand people), a significant amount of weapons and military equipment were removed from the city.

About 40 thousand residents of the city went to the catacombs and continued to resist until the complete liberation of the city by the troops of the III Ukrainian fleet on April 10, 1944. During this time, the enemy missed more than 5 thousand soldiers and officers, 27 echelons with military cargo, 248 vehicles; the partisans saved more than 20 thousand townspeople from being hijacked 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 of the publication of the "Regulations on the highest degree of distinction - the title" Hero City "on May 8, 1965.

In memory of those heroic events along the line of the main defense line of Odessa, the "Belt of Glory" was created, which includes 11 monuments located in various settlements on the outskirts of the city, in which the most fierce battles took place.

Hero City Sevastopol

One of the most persistent cities of the Great Patriotic War is considered to be the hero city of Sevastopol, which withstood fierce attacks and siege of the enemy for 250 days. Thanks to the courage and unshakable stamina of the defenders, Sevastopol became a truly national hero city - the first books with the use of 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 on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

From October 30, 1941 to July 4, 1942 defenders of the city held a heroic defense. During this time, four massive attacks were undertaken with the aim of capturing Sevastopol, but faced with stubborn resistance from soldiers, sailors and townspeople who defended the city, the Nazi command was forced to change tactics - a long siege began with periodically flashing brutal battles. After leaving the city Soviet authorities, the Nazis brutally recouped civilians, destroying about 30 thousand citizens during the management of the city.

Liberation came on May 9, 1944, when control over Sevastopol was fully restored by Soviet troops. During these 250 days, the losses of the Nazis amounted to about 300 thousand people killed and wounded. It is quite possible that the city is a champion in the territory of the former Union in terms of the number of military monuments, among which the diorama "Storming Sapun Mountain", Malakhov Kurgan, monuments to the soldiers of the 414th Anapa and 89th Taman Red Banner divisions, 318th Novorossiysk mountain rifle division and the 2nd Guards Army, as well as the "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 did not manage to completely take the city - a tiny section of Novorossiysk in the region of cement plants in front of the strategically important Sukhumi highway remained in the hands of Soviet soldiers, although even the Sovinformburo on September 11, 1942 mistakenly reported that Novorossiysk was abandoned by the Red Army.

Another heroic milestone in the defense of Novorossiysk was the landing operation to seize a strategic bridgehead, called " Small land". While the main forces of the paratroopers were shackled by the German defense, a group of 274 sailors under the command of Major Ts.L. which, within 5 days, significant forces of Soviet troops were transferred, consisting of 17 thousand paratroopers with 21 guns, 74 mortars, 86 machine guns and 440 tons of food and ammunition. 20 thousand enemy manpower and a significant number of military equipment... The bridgehead was held for 225 days until the complete liberation of the city 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 the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the city was awarded 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 the Small Earth" monument, the monument to Major Ts. L. Kunikov, the Mass Grave, the "Fire of Eternal Glory" monument, the "Small Earth" memorial, monuments " To an unknown sailor "and" Heroic sailors from the Black Sea ".

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, after a month and a half, 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 day in May, Hitler's troops, as a result of fierce fighting, managed to regain control of 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 deported to forced labor in Germany. An unenviable fate befell Soviet prisoners of war, 15 thousand of whom were liquidated.

Despite constant repressions, residents of the city found the strength to resist the invaders: many townspeople joined the remnants of Soviet troops who took refuge in the Adzhimushkai quarries. A combined partisan detachment of Red Army soldiers and residents of Kerch fought heroically 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 units of the Red Army. The following fact speaks volumes about the terrible fury of those battles: for their participation in the liberation of the city, 146 people received the highest state award - the Star of the Hero of the USSR.

The city itself was awarded a little later with other top state awards (the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal), and on September 14, 1973, on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Kerch was awarded the honorary title "Hero City".

The exploits of the defenders of the city are immortalized in the Obelisk of Glory, erected in 1944 on Mount Mithridates in memory of the soldiers who died in the battles for the city. In their honor, on May 9, 1959, the Eternal Flame was solemnly lit, and in 1982 a memorial complex "To the Heroes of Adzhimushkaya" was built.

Hero City 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 fierce attacks by the enemy, but also with an almost complete absence of production capacity (almost all the main enterprises were evacuated inland ), managed to repair 90 tanks, more than a hundred artillery pieces, and also to establish mass release 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 the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet 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 "The Front Line of the City's Defense", the monuments "Defenders of Tula in the Great Patriotic War", "Tula Workers' Regiment" and "Heroes of the Soviet Union ", as well as monuments to various samples of military equipment -" lorry ", anti-aircraft gun, IS-3 and T-34 tanks, Katyusha, howitzer cannon and anti-tank gun

Hero City Murmansk

The hero city of Murmansk during the Great Patriotic War was never taken by Hitler's troops, despite the efforts of the 150-thousandth 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 made 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, launched by the Soviet troops on October 7, 1944, the enemy was driven back from the walls of Murmansk and the threat of seizing the city was finally eliminated. The enemy's significant grouping ceased to exist less than a month after the start of the Soviet offensive.

On May 6, 1985, Murmansk was awarded the honorary title "Hero City" on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

In memory of the heroic days of defense, many monuments and monuments were erected in the city, the most significant of which are the "Monument to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic" (the so-called "Murmansk Alyosha"), the monuments "Hero of the Soviet Union Anatoly Bredov" and "Soldiers 6- th Heroic Komsomol Battery ".

Hero City Smolensk

Hero city Smolensk was at the forefront of the attack German troops rushing to 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 bombing from the air, which began from the first days of the war (in just one day on June 24, Hitler's 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 burned down ).

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 succeeded in their first major strategic success: on September 6, 1941, near Yelnya, Soviet troops destroyed 5 fascist divisions, and it was there that on September 18, for the first time, 4 Red Army divisions received the honorary title of Guards.

The Nazis brutally avenged the inhabitants of Smolensk for their perseverance and courage: during the occupation, more than 135 thousand civilians and prisoners of war were shot in the city and the surrounding area, another 80 thousand citizens were forcibly taken to Germany. In response, massively created partisan detachments, of which by the end of July 1941, there were 54 units with a total number of 1160 fighters.

The liberation of the city by Soviet troops took place on September 25, 1943. In commemoration of the mass heroism of the residents of the city and the soldiers of the Red Army during the Smolensk operation and the defense of the city, on May 6, 1985, Smolensk was nominated for 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, I degree in 1966.

In memory of the heroic defense of Smolensk, a number of monuments were erected in the city and its environs, among which are the "Memorial sign in honor of the liberation of the Smolensk region from the Nazi invaders", the Kurgan of Immortality, "Memorial to the victims of the Nazi terror", the Eternal flame in the park in memory of Heroes, and also a monument BM-13- "Katyusha" 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 German fascist troops, is one of the brightest 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 in the first week of battles amounted to 5% (!) Of the total number of losses throughout eastern front... And although the organized resistance was suppressed by the end of June 26, 1941, individual centers of resistance continued until the beginning of August. Even Hitler, struck 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 did not succeed in taking the fortress with conventional military means: to destroy the defenders, the Nazis had to use special types of weapons - a 1800-kg aerial bomb and 600-mm Karl-Gerät guns (of which there were only 6 units in the Wehrmacht troops), which fired concrete-piercing (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 of the promulgation of the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet on the establishment of the title "Hero City". This solemn event took place on May 8, 1965. On the same day, Moscow and Kiev 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 fades.

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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 over your head, happiness and good!

War. She left her mark on the history of every family, every house, every village, every city in our homeland. Today 45 cities are cities of military glory. And there are also 13 Hero Cities. This is the highest distinction for heroic defense during the war.

Let's talk about each of them in more detail.

Lesson plan:

Leningrad (Saint Petersburg)

July 10, 1941. The beginning of the offensive of German troops in the Leningrad direction. The Germans managed to take Leningrad into the ring. On September 8, the blockade of Leningrad began. And it lasted 872 days. The history of mankind has never seen such a long siege again.

At that time, about three million people lived in the northern capital. Terrible famine, constant air raids, bombings, rats, diseases, infections have claimed more than 2 million lives. In spite of everything, the Leningraders held out, 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 of the feat of Leningraders.

Memorial Piskarevskoe cemetery. This is the place of mass graves of people who died and died during the siege of Leningrad. A statue of the Motherland, a woman who looks at the graves of her fallen sons, was erected in the cemetery.

If you are walking along Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg, find house number 14. There is still an inscription from the time of the war.

And on Victory Square, a monument was erected in memory of the defenders of the city. One of the significant parts of this monument is the broken bronze ring, which symbolizes the breaking of the blockade ring.

Stalingrad (Volgograd)

Summer 1942. The Germans decided to seize the Caucasus, Kuban, Pridonye, ​​and the Lower Volga. Hitler was going to deal with this in a week. In order to stop the enemy offensive, the Stalingrad Front was created.

On July 17, 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began, one of the most important and major 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 casualties. More than 800 thousand killed and wounded. More than 200 thousand German soldiers were taken prisoner.

In Volgograd, on the Mamayev Kurgan, there is a memorial ensemble dedicated to all the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad. The main monument of the ensemble is the 85-meter sculpture of the Motherland-Mother. 200 steps lead to this monument from the foot of the mound - a symbol of two hundred long days of battle.

And the Mamayev Kurgan itself is a huge mass grave, in which more than 34 thousand soldiers are buried.

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 the units of the Red Army and the inhabitants of Sevastopol did not allow the Wehrmacht units to quickly seize the Crimea and the Caucasus.

The Nazis, having overwhelming superiority in the air and at sea, over and over again could not take the city. For the first and only time (throughout the war), German troops used artillery piece weighing more than 1000 tons, which was capable of firing 7-ton shells and piercing a rock plate 30 meters thick. But Sevastopol stood. Stood until the ammunition ran out ... Until almost all the defenders were killed ...

There are more than 1500 monuments in Sevastopol. And about 1000 of them are installed in memory of the events of that terrible war... On Cape Khrustalny there is a monument "Soldier and Sailor", it was installed 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 in order not to let the enemy pass, in order to at least slightly restrain the fascist war machine. The Nazis believed that Odessa would become the next item in their large list of cities that surrendered without a fight. But, they were wrong.

73 days of defense of Odessa inflicted colossal losses Romanian-German armies, who were waiting for a "easy walk". Of the 300,000 enemy soldiers, 160,000 were killed. Our losses were 16,000. The Nazis were never able to capture Odessa, the city was abandoned ...
Here is what the Pravda newspaper will write about the defense of Odessa:

There is a "Monument to the Unknown Sailor" in Odessa. The obelisk in the form of a granite stele is intended to remind the living of the heroic deeds of sailors during the war. And next to it is the "Walk of Fame", on it are the graves of the fallen warriors-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 on spears and machine guns with his bare chest. This also happened near Moscow.

At the cost of terrible losses, but the enemy was moving more and more slowly towards the capture of Moscow. He was stopped near Brest, he was beaten near Smolensk and Odessa, he was not given a 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 car moved forward. They even saw the walls of the Kremlin through binoculars, but for many of them this was 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 the fascists. The victory near Moscow became one of the key moments of the war, people believed that we could win ...

In Moscow at grief there is a huge memorial complex dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.

This complex includes:

• A monument in the form of an obelisk 141.8 meters high. This height is not accidental. It recalls the 1418 days of the war.
• Three churches that were erected in memory of all those who died during the war.
• Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War.
• Exhibition of military equipment under open air and other memorials.

Kiev

When the first German planes flew over Kiev, many residents thought that it was an exercise ... And even rejoiced, they say, “how great the training was prepared! They even painted crosses. " No, these were not exercises - Kiev was one of the first to experience all the horrors of the war. He almost immediately found himself on the front lines. There was not enough ammunition, not enough supplies. But there was an order - Kiev not to surrender !!! More than 600,000 people have died trying to fulfill it! But, on September 19, 1941, German troops entered the city. This was one of the most difficult defeats of the Red Army.

On the right bank of the Dnieper, at the highest point of Kiev, a monument is erected, the height of which is more than 100 meters. This is the sculpture of the Motherland.

The sculpture depicts a woman with her hands 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 against the defenders of the Brest Fortress began. According to the plans of the German command, the fortress was to be taken by noon. But, the fortress held on. Without water, without food, without communication with the main units of the Red Army ...

Such an 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 23 July.

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 plates, a defense museum. The main monument of the memorial is the sculpture depicting the head Soviet soldier against the background of a waving banner.

Also pay attention to the memorial composition "Thirst".

The defenders of the fortress experienced a shortage of water, as the water supply was destroyed. The only source of water for them was the Buk and Mokhovets rivers. But since their shores were under constant fire, the hike for water was mortally dangerous.

Kerch

The first time Kerch was captured in mid-November 1941. In December it was liberated by Soviet troops, but in May 1942 it was again captured by the Nazis. It is from this time that the one known to the whole world will begin, guerrilla war in the Kerch (Adzhimushkay) quarries.

Throughout the occupation, several thousand partisans and soldiers of the regular army were hiding in them, who did not allow the German troops to live in peace. The Nazis blew up the entrances and poisoned with gases, brought down the vaults ... To get water - each time they had to break through with a fight, since all the sources were outside. But the German troops could not break the resistance. Kerch was completely liberated only in April 1944. A little more than 30,000 inhabitants survived.

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 the Crimea in 1943-1944. This monument was installed 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, it is made of light gray stone. And three cannons are installed at the foot.

Novorossiysk

"Small earth" - many have heard it, but do not know where it is. You 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 (in Normandy, the Allies landed 156,000 people).

Several hundred people held out until the main forces approached and recaptured kilometer by kilometer. The Germans were never able to throw them into the sea. 225 days of the offensive. Every inch of the earth is watered with blood and sweat, the result of inhuman 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 personify strength and courage.

The “shot carriage” is another monument in Novorossiysk.

There are countless bullet holes in this boxcar. It was installed on the defense line of the Soviet troops in 1946.

Minsk

Another difficult and terrible page of that war. So much so that even the Sovinformburo did not report the surrender of Minsk. About 10 high-ranking Soviet military leaders were arrested and shot. After all, the city was taken already on June 28, 1941.

But, not only this fell to the lot of Belarusians. Several hundred thousand civilians were taken to work in Germany. Units returned back. Hundreds of thousands were hanged, shot and burned alive. But they didn't give up. A partisan movement was created, with which the elite units of the Wehrmacht could not do anything. Thanks to the partisans, many offensive operations of the Germans were thwarted. More than 11,000 trains were derailed, guerrillas blew up more than 300,000 rails. They killed the enemy wherever they could.

In 1952, a "Monument-Tank" was erected in Minsk in honor of the feat of Soviet tankmen.

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 offensive sometimes came after the city was captured. This almost happened to Tula. A sudden tank breakthrough of the front led to the capture of Orel, and only 180 km from it to Tula. The city remained practically unarmed and not ready for defense.

But, skillful leadership and, most importantly, quickly deployed reinforcements did not allow German units to occupy the city of gunsmiths. The difficult situation at the front led to an almost complete blockade of Tula, but the enemy was never able to take it. Thousands of women were digging trenches at a time when the evacuation of defense plants and fierce battles took place. The Germans threw selected, elite units into battle, in particular the Great Germany regiment. But they could not do anything either ... Tula did not give up! She survived!

There are several memorial complexes dedicated to the Second World War. For example, a memorial was erected on Victory Square in honor of the Hero-Defenders who defended the city in 1941.

A soldier and a militia are standing shoulder to shoulder, holding machine guns in their hands. And next to it, three multi-meter steel obelisks shot up into the sky.

Murmansk

Murmansk became a front-line city from the first days of the war. The offensive of the German troops began on June 29, 1941, but at the cost of incredible efforts it was thwarted and in the future the enemy could not advance even a kilometer. The front line was 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, accepted food and transport ... The resilience of the inhabitants of Murmansk helped Leningrad withstand, since it was in Murmansk that food was accumulated, which was then transferred to the northern capital. On account northern fleet about 600 destroyed enemy ships. On May 6, 1985, the merits of the Murmansk people 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 sculpture is 35 meters high and depicts a soldier with a weapon in his hands. The monument was opened in 1974. The people call this stone soldier "Alyosha".

Smolensk

Smolensk always stood in the way of those who were eager for Moscow. So it was in 1812, and so it was in 1941. According to the plans of the German command, the capture of Smolensk opened the way to Moscow. It was planned to seize 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 come back.

It was near Smolensk that the later glorified 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 a quiet life to the invaders. 260 natives of the Smolensk region received the title "Hero of the Soviet Union", and years later ... May 6, 1985, and Smolensk received the title "Hero City".

Many monuments of Smolensk remind of those who laid down their heads in the struggle for the Motherland. Among them is the “Monument to the Grieving Mother”.

It is located where the Nazis shot over 3,000 people in 1943. Their mass grave is also located here, and a memorial wall was erected above it, which depicts the moment of the execution and a sculpture of a woman in simple clothes and a scarf, with eyes full of grief.

All these cities paid for the right to be called Heroes with courage, blood and lives of their inhabitants!

Let's say a huge thank you to our dear veterans again. War veterans, labor veterans! For their feat!

Peace to the world!

All the best and the best to you!

Evgenia Klimkovich.

P.S. I express my deep gratitude for the help in preparing this article to my husband Denis, a great connoisseur of history.

P.P.S. The information presented in the article will be an 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 items.

For the first time at the national level, the concept of "hero city" appeared in the editorial of the newspaper " Truth"dated December 24, 1942 It was dedicated to the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the establishment of medals for defense Leningrad, Stalingrad, Odessa and Sevastopol... In official documents, for the first time Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Sevastopol and Odessa were named "hero cities" - in the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Joseph Stalin of May 1, 1945. It spoke about the organization of fireworks in these cities.


June 21, 1961 in the decrees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR " About rewarding the city Kiev Order of Lenin" and " On the establishment of the medal "For the Defense of Kiev"the capital of Ukraine was called a" hero city ".

On May 8, 1965, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (Supreme Soviet) of the USSR approved the regulations on the honorary title of "Hero City". The main criterion according to which cities received this status was the historical assessment of the contribution of their defenders to the victory over the enemy. " Hero cities "were the centers of the largest battles of the Great Patriotic War (for example, the battle for Leningrad, the Battle of Stalingrad, etc.), the cities, the defense of which determined the victory of the Soviet troops in the main strategic directions of the front.

In addition, cities whose residents continued to fight the enemy during the occupation received this status. According to the law, the "hero cities" were awarded the Order of Lenin, the Gold Star medal and the diploma of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces. In addition, obelisks were installed in them with the text of the decree on the conferment of the honorary title, as well as with the image of the awards received.
On May 8, 1965, five decrees of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces were issued on the presentation of awards to the "hero cities" of Leningrad, Volgograd, Kiev, Sevastopol, Odessa. On the same day Moscow was awarded the honorary title of "Hero City", and Brest Fortress- "Hero Fortress" with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
September 14, 1973 received the title Kerch and Novorossiysk, June 26, 1974 - Minsk, December 7, 1976 - Tula, May 6, 1985 - Murmansk and Smolensk.

Total honorary titles were awarded 12 cities of the former Soviet Union and the Brest Fortress.
In 1988 year, the practice of conferring the title was terminated by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
*
New honorary title - "City of Military Glory"
was established on May 9, 2006 by a federal law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It is assigned cities, " on whose territory or in the immediate vicinity of which, during fierce battles, the defenders of the Fatherland showed courage, resilience and mass heroism, including cities that were awarded the title of "hero city ". Currently in Russia 45 cities have the honorary title "City of Military Glory".

In Moscow, in the Alexander Garden at the Kremlin wall, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, there is a granite alley of hero cities. There are 12 porphyry blocks, each of which bears the name of one of the hero cities and the engraved image of the Gold Star medal.
The blocks contain capsules with earth from the Piskarevsky cemetery in Leningrad and the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, from the foot of the walls of the Brest Fortress and the obelisk of Glory of the defenders of Kiev, from the defense lines of Odessa and Novorossiysk, from the Malakhov Kurgan in Sevastopol and Victory Square in Minsk, from Mt. Kerch, defensive positions at Tula, Murmansk and Smolensk.

On November 17, 2009, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree according to which the granite alley of hero cities near the Kremlin wall was included in the National Memorial of Military Glory, along with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a commemorative sign in honor of the cities awarded the honorary title "City of Military Glory."