The Presidential Library will host the conference “Hero cities of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945”

January 26, 2015, on the eve of the 71st anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi blockade, the Presidential Library will host a conference-webinar "Hero Cities of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

The concept of "Hero City" first appeared in the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of May 1, 1945. Then the title was awarded to Leningrad, Sevastopol, Odessa and Stalingrad. In 1965, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Moscow and Kiev were also named hero-cities, and Brest Fortress was awarded the title of "Hero-Fortress". In 1973, the title was awarded to Novorossiysk and Kerch, in 1974 – to Minsk, in 1976 – to Tula. In 1985, the year of the 40th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the title of "Hero City" was awarded to Smolensk and Murmansk.

Every city, awarded this high title, has made a significant contribution to the victory of the Soviet Union over Germany. The exploits of Leningrad during the war will be presented by Boris Bogdanov, Rear Admiral, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy to work with veterans; Dmitry Buchkin, a member of the siege of Leningrad, artist; and Sergei Kurnosov, Director of the State Memorial Museum of the Blockade of Leningrad, candidate of cultural studies. Reports from Moscow, Sevastopol, Volgograd, Murmansk and Tula will be delivered through video-conferencing.

The conference will be attended by veterans of the Russian Navy, cadets from the Military Training and Research Center of the Navy "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union N. G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy " and from the Suvorov Military School under the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Director of the State Memorial Museum of the Blockade of Leningrad, President of the Regional public organization "Epoch" promoting the study of Russian military history, students and journalists. Representatives of higher educational institutions and libraries in Moscow, Tula, Sevastopol, Volgograd and Murmansk will join the event through video-conferencing.

In addition, the lectures will be available to all interested: the event will begin at 10:00 a.m. Moscow time and will be broadcast live on the website of the Presidential Library.

Journalists wishing to cover the event must accredit no later than 10.00 a.m., January 23, 2015.

Applications for accreditation should be sent in accordance with the form attached to the following e-mail address:

Press service of the Presidential Library: Maria Smirnova, smirnovamk@prlib.ru, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 233, mob. +7 (981) 894-47-70.

The attached form must specify the full name, the name of the media, the date and place of birth, full passport details (series, number, when and by whom issued), place of registration, the equipment to be used, contact numbers.

Please note that the entrance to the Presidential Library for the media is available through entrance N 2 only upon showing the passport!