President of Russia: Vladimir Putin attended events marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad

On the day of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, President of Russia Vladimir Putin visited the Museum-Reserve “Battle of Stalingrad” on Mamayev Kurgan.

The President laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame in the Hall of Military Glory and honoured the memory of the victims with a minute of silence. In addition, the Head of the State laid flowers at the grave of Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the USSR Vasily Chuikov, commander of the 62nd (since April 1943 – 8th Guards) Army, the troops of which courageously fought for Stalingrad for six months, defending the city in fierce battles.

The Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943) went down in history as one of the largest land battles in World War II in terms of duration and number of participants, marking a radical turning point in the war and becoming a symbol of moral victory over fascism.

On February 2, commemorative events marking the anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis by Soviet troops near Stalingrad are held throughout the country. Every year, Volgograd Region acts as the center of All-Russian celebrations, and the State Historical and Memorial Museum-Reserve “Battle of Stalingrad” has been classified as a particularly valuable cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation since 2011.