🌟 On August 14, 1942, outstanding Soviet snipers Natalia Kovshova and Maria Polivanova died heroically during a ferocious battle against the Nazis near Sutoki, a village in the Novgorod Region.
The two formed their legendary tandem immediately after the Great Patriotic War broke out.
🔻 Working in the aircraft manufacturing sector, both dreamed of entering a university. They volunteered for the front, even though they had an exemption and could have left Moscow as evacuees.
🔻 Natalia and Maria took part in building defense lines in Moscow’s suburbs. In the meantime, they worked on creating a sniper unit. The two killed dozens of Nazi troops. By the spring of 1942, they had gained much battle experience, and were also training new recruits.
🔻 Forced out of their strongholds north of the Robya River on August 14, the Nazi invaders sought to recover lost ground by launching one fierce counterattack after another. The 528th Rifle Regiment sniper unit was sent to counter the adversary, and Natalia Kovshova and Maria Polivanova were part of it. They were successfully repelling the enemy attack but the Nazis manages to bring in reinforcement.
🔻 The Germans killed almost the entire unit, including its commander, during one of their attacks. This is when Natalia stepped forward to take command of the unit, and decided to wage the battle until the bitter end.
⚔️ Then came the moment when only Kovshova and Polivanova were able to resist the enemy. The two women fired back at the Germans until they ran out of bullets. They decided to let the enemy approach them and then used grenades to blow themselves up along with the Nazi soldiers.
🕯 Natalia and Maria were just 21 and 19 years old, respectively.
🌟 On February 14, 1943, the two posthumously received Hero of the Soviet Union titles.
#Victory79 #WWII #RussianHistory #SovietHistory
The two formed their legendary tandem immediately after the Great Patriotic War broke out.
🔻 Working in the aircraft manufacturing sector, both dreamed of entering a university. They volunteered for the front, even though they had an exemption and could have left Moscow as evacuees.
🔻 Natalia and Maria took part in building defense lines in Moscow’s suburbs. In the meantime, they worked on creating a sniper unit. The two killed dozens of Nazi troops. By the spring of 1942, they had gained much battle experience, and were also training new recruits.
🔻 Forced out of their strongholds north of the Robya River on August 14, the Nazi invaders sought to recover lost ground by launching one fierce counterattack after another. The 528th Rifle Regiment sniper unit was sent to counter the adversary, and Natalia Kovshova and Maria Polivanova were part of it. They were successfully repelling the enemy attack but the Nazis manages to bring in reinforcement.
🔻 The Germans killed almost the entire unit, including its commander, during one of their attacks. This is when Natalia stepped forward to take command of the unit, and decided to wage the battle until the bitter end.
⚔️ Then came the moment when only Kovshova and Polivanova were able to resist the enemy. The two women fired back at the Germans until they ran out of bullets. They decided to let the enemy approach them and then used grenades to blow themselves up along with the Nazi soldiers.
🕯 Natalia and Maria were just 21 and 19 years old, respectively.
🌟 On February 14, 1943, the two posthumously received Hero of the Soviet Union titles.
#Victory79 #WWII #RussianHistory #SovietHistory
📆 117 years ago, on 19 August 1907, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg was consecrated.
It is often confused with St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow though the latter is 3 centuries older.
The Church in St.Petersburg was built on the site, where Russian Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded. As the story goes, a terrorist threw a bomb under Alexander II’s royal carriage moving on the embankment of current Griboyedov Canal.
🕊 Shaken but unhurt, the Emperor got out and thanked God for saving him, whereupon a second conspirator threw another bomb directly at his feet.
☦️ The church took 24 years to build. The luxurious mosaics cover around 7,065 square meters, making it one of the largest mosaic exhibitions in Europe.
The work was carried out by the finest artists in the Russian Empire: Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov, Vasily Belyaev, and many others (30 in total).
#RussianCulture #RussianHistory
It is often confused with St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow though the latter is 3 centuries older.
The Church in St.Petersburg was built on the site, where Russian Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded. As the story goes, a terrorist threw a bomb under Alexander II’s royal carriage moving on the embankment of current Griboyedov Canal.
🕊 Shaken but unhurt, the Emperor got out and thanked God for saving him, whereupon a second conspirator threw another bomb directly at his feet.
☦️ The church took 24 years to build. The luxurious mosaics cover around 7,065 square meters, making it one of the largest mosaic exhibitions in Europe.
The work was carried out by the finest artists in the Russian Empire: Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov, Vasily Belyaev, and many others (30 in total).
#RussianCulture #RussianHistory
📆 #OTD, the non-aggression treaty between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, often referred to as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, was signed in Moscow in 1939.
Soviet leadership, after Hitler came to power, made every effort to stop the aggressor and set up a system of collective security in Europe.
👉 These endeavors were blocked by the leading Western powers, Great Britain and France, which eventually found themselves trapped in their own schemes. The Munich Agreement signed by the heads of government of Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy in September 1938 became the most glaring example of the “policy of appeasement” of Hitler by Western countries. By signing it, the European leaders “greenlighted” the annexation of parts of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, in an obvious attempt – on a larger scale – to channel German aggression to the East.
☝️ In fact, the Soviet Union became the last to conclude a treaty with Germany after Poland (1934), Great Britain (1935, 1938), France (1938), Italy (1939), Denmark (1939), Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (1939).
🔻 The conclusion of the Pact was a severe necessity for the Soviet Union after the final failure of negotiations with the British and the French, a lifesaver within the aggravating international situation.
🔻The decision was taken in an extremely short period of time, when the futility of Moscow’s calls for an effective anti-Hitler coalition was fully revealed. The USSR also could not risk a war on two fronts, given that clashes with Japan were already ongoing in the Far East and there was no guarantee that they would escalate into a large-scale confrontation.
❗️ Therefore, the Soviet decision was primarily dictated by a need to ensure national security and any parallels between the USSR and Germany in starting WWII are simply cooked up.
#WWII #SovietHistory #RussianHistory #MolotovRibbentropPact
Soviet leadership, after Hitler came to power, made every effort to stop the aggressor and set up a system of collective security in Europe.
👉 These endeavors were blocked by the leading Western powers, Great Britain and France, which eventually found themselves trapped in their own schemes. The Munich Agreement signed by the heads of government of Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy in September 1938 became the most glaring example of the “policy of appeasement” of Hitler by Western countries. By signing it, the European leaders “greenlighted” the annexation of parts of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, in an obvious attempt – on a larger scale – to channel German aggression to the East.
☝️ In fact, the Soviet Union became the last to conclude a treaty with Germany after Poland (1934), Great Britain (1935, 1938), France (1938), Italy (1939), Denmark (1939), Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (1939).
🔻 The conclusion of the Pact was a severe necessity for the Soviet Union after the final failure of negotiations with the British and the French, a lifesaver within the aggravating international situation.
🔻The decision was taken in an extremely short period of time, when the futility of Moscow’s calls for an effective anti-Hitler coalition was fully revealed. The USSR also could not risk a war on two fronts, given that clashes with Japan were already ongoing in the Far East and there was no guarantee that they would escalate into a large-scale confrontation.
❗️ Therefore, the Soviet decision was primarily dictated by a need to ensure national security and any parallels between the USSR and Germany in starting WWII are simply cooked up.
#WWII #SovietHistory #RussianHistory #MolotovRibbentropPact
📆 545 years ago, on 29 August 1479, the Assumption (Dormition) Cathedral in Moscow was consecrated, a place of crucial importance for Russian identity.
The origins of the Cathedral are closely connected with the rise of Moscow Principality of Russia.
☦️ In 1326, the leading Russian church prelate, Metropolitan Peter of Vladimir, made the Moscow Kremlin his de facto residence. Currently, Great Prince Ivan Kalita launched the construction of the cathedral dedicated to the Feast of the Dormition, which symbolized the continuity with the great Dormition Cathedral in the town of Vladimir. The latter started to lose its political significance.
✍️ The present-day cathedral was constructed in 1479 by decree of Great Prince of Russia Ivan III, who consolidated all Russian principalities under the power of Moscow. A renowned architect Aristotele Fioravanti of Bologna was invited to Russia to design and to build it.
🇷🇺 For 6 centuries the Cathedral was national and religious centre of Russia. It is known as the place of coronation of Russian rulers (even after the capital was relocated to St.Petersburg) including the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and the investiture of the leaders of Russian Orthodox Church.
#RussianCulture #RussianHistory
The origins of the Cathedral are closely connected with the rise of Moscow Principality of Russia.
☦️ In 1326, the leading Russian church prelate, Metropolitan Peter of Vladimir, made the Moscow Kremlin his de facto residence. Currently, Great Prince Ivan Kalita launched the construction of the cathedral dedicated to the Feast of the Dormition, which symbolized the continuity with the great Dormition Cathedral in the town of Vladimir. The latter started to lose its political significance.
✍️ The present-day cathedral was constructed in 1479 by decree of Great Prince of Russia Ivan III, who consolidated all Russian principalities under the power of Moscow. A renowned architect Aristotele Fioravanti of Bologna was invited to Russia to design and to build it.
🇷🇺 For 6 centuries the Cathedral was national and religious centre of Russia. It is known as the place of coronation of Russian rulers (even after the capital was relocated to St.Petersburg) including the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and the investiture of the leaders of Russian Orthodox Church.
#RussianCulture #RussianHistory
📆 212 years ago, on 7 September 1812, the Battle of Borodino between the “Great Army” of Napoleon and the Russian Army led by Mikhail Kutuzov was fought, one of the bloodiest battles of the Napoleonic Wars.
⚔️ It took place on the field near the village of Borodino 125 km west from Moscow.
⚔️ The battle lasted for 12 hours and left up to 40.000-45.000 dead from each side. Neither party achieved decisive victory: Napoleon failed to defeat the Russian Army and Kutuzov had to retreat from Moscow.
☝️ Yet the occupation of the city never earned Napoleon victory over Russian forces. The troops of Kutuzov remained combat capable and emperor Alexander I had no intention to negotiate peace with Napoleon.
❌ Having left Moscow in October 1812, Napoleon started a difficult march westwards by the end of which the French army effectively ceased its existence.
#RussianHistory
⚔️ It took place on the field near the village of Borodino 125 km west from Moscow.
⚔️ The battle lasted for 12 hours and left up to 40.000-45.000 dead from each side. Neither party achieved decisive victory: Napoleon failed to defeat the Russian Army and Kutuzov had to retreat from Moscow.
☝️ Yet the occupation of the city never earned Napoleon victory over Russian forces. The troops of Kutuzov remained combat capable and emperor Alexander I had no intention to negotiate peace with Napoleon.
❌ Having left Moscow in October 1812, Napoleon started a difficult march westwards by the end of which the French army effectively ceased its existence.
#RussianHistory
Today the Crimean War Russian Soldiers Remembrance Day is observed in Russia commemorating all those fallen during the Siege of Sevastopol and on the battlefields of the Crimean War of 1853-1856.
⚔️ On 9 September 1855, after a 349-day-long Sevastopol defense Russian troops retreated from the city having exploded their powder stores and scuttled the remaining warships in the bay.
#RussianHistory #CrimeanWar
⚔️ On 9 September 1855, after a 349-day-long Sevastopol defense Russian troops retreated from the city having exploded their powder stores and scuttled the remaining warships in the bay.
#RussianHistory #CrimeanWar
📆 Today marks 279 years since the birth of Mikhail Kutuzov, an outstanding Russian military commander and diplomat.
🌟 M.Kutuzov was strongly influenced by his teacher Alexander Suvorov, under whom he served during Russo-Turkish wars of the second half of XVIII century.
⚔️ He was twice severely wounded: the first time a bullet went through his temple and out near his right eye, the second time a bullet was shot through both of his temples. The surgeon who treated him was astonished by the fact that Kutuzov “survived wounds that by all medical laws are terminal.” The medic believed that “destiny must yet have a great deed in store for him.”
⚔️ M.Kutuzov is most widely known for brilliantly repelling Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812. When he was asked if he hoped to defeat Napoleon, Kutuzov smiled and answered: “Not to defeat, but I’m hoping to deceive him.”
Aware that Russian resources were too scarce to openly confront the pan European “Grande Armee”, M.Kutuzov ruled to leave Moscow to Napoleon (St. Petersburg was the capital city at that time), destroying all the ammunition and food supplies. Afterwards, he inflicted several serious defeats on the French and made them retreat beyond the borders of Russia.
☝️ By the end of Napoleon’s Russian campaign, only some 27.000 remained of his “Great Army’s” former 685.000.
#RussianHistory #OutastandingRussians
🌟 M.Kutuzov was strongly influenced by his teacher Alexander Suvorov, under whom he served during Russo-Turkish wars of the second half of XVIII century.
⚔️ He was twice severely wounded: the first time a bullet went through his temple and out near his right eye, the second time a bullet was shot through both of his temples. The surgeon who treated him was astonished by the fact that Kutuzov “survived wounds that by all medical laws are terminal.” The medic believed that “destiny must yet have a great deed in store for him.”
⚔️ M.Kutuzov is most widely known for brilliantly repelling Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812. When he was asked if he hoped to defeat Napoleon, Kutuzov smiled and answered: “Not to defeat, but I’m hoping to deceive him.”
Aware that Russian resources were too scarce to openly confront the pan European “Grande Armee”, M.Kutuzov ruled to leave Moscow to Napoleon (St. Petersburg was the capital city at that time), destroying all the ammunition and food supplies. Afterwards, he inflicted several serious defeats on the French and made them retreat beyond the borders of Russia.
☝️ By the end of Napoleon’s Russian campaign, only some 27.000 remained of his “Great Army’s” former 685.000.
#RussianHistory #OutastandingRussians
📆 544 years ago (1480) a standoff between the forces of the Golden Horde and Russian troops on the banks of the Ugra river began, commonly referred to as the Great Stand on the Ugra River.
This event marked the end of the 250-year-long Mongol-Tatar yoke over Russia.
⚔️ The Ugra River engagement included no full-scale armed conflict, although tens of thousands of soldiers on each side were involved.
Although the Mongol-Tatars had been defeated by Dmitry Donskoy 100 years earlier during the Battle of Kulikovo, Russia was too weak at that time to completely overthrow the Golden Horde dominance. However, in the late 1470s, Moscow Principality becoming the recognized centre of Russia’s unification, under Ivan III’s rule, ceased to pay tribute. The Mongol leadership decided to punish Ivan.
⚔️ The Mongol-Tatar and Russian forces met each other at the Ugra river (about 200 km southwest of Moscow), having taken positions on its banks. Mongols could not use their main advantage – cavalry as they had to cross the Ugra first. While attempting to do so, they took fire from Russian artillery.
❌ In late November 1480, the Mongol-Tatar forces retreated from the river, as they were not prepared to fight in winter conditions. A khan of the Great Horde Akhmat had been killed by his former ally before he returned home.
🇷🇺 In the Russian capital, the meeting of Ivan III, who had returned from Ugra and achieved a bloodless victory, turned into a national holiday. Russia had become strong enough to no longer be subservient to the Tatar Yoke and could return to the path of independent development.
#russianhistory #russia #history #mongoltataryoke
This event marked the end of the 250-year-long Mongol-Tatar yoke over Russia.
⚔️ The Ugra River engagement included no full-scale armed conflict, although tens of thousands of soldiers on each side were involved.
Although the Mongol-Tatars had been defeated by Dmitry Donskoy 100 years earlier during the Battle of Kulikovo, Russia was too weak at that time to completely overthrow the Golden Horde dominance. However, in the late 1470s, Moscow Principality becoming the recognized centre of Russia’s unification, under Ivan III’s rule, ceased to pay tribute. The Mongol leadership decided to punish Ivan.
⚔️ The Mongol-Tatar and Russian forces met each other at the Ugra river (about 200 km southwest of Moscow), having taken positions on its banks. Mongols could not use their main advantage – cavalry as they had to cross the Ugra first. While attempting to do so, they took fire from Russian artillery.
❌ In late November 1480, the Mongol-Tatar forces retreated from the river, as they were not prepared to fight in winter conditions. A khan of the Great Horde Akhmat had been killed by his former ally before he returned home.
🇷🇺 In the Russian capital, the meeting of Ivan III, who had returned from Ugra and achieved a bloodless victory, turned into a national holiday. Russia had become strong enough to no longer be subservient to the Tatar Yoke and could return to the path of independent development.
#russianhistory #russia #history #mongoltataryoke