What is the name of the former city of Stalingrad? What is Stalingrad called now?

Volgograd is one of the most famous and significant cities bearing the title of Hero City. In the summer of 1942, fascist German troops launched a massive offensive on the southern front, trying to capture the Caucasus, the Don region, the lower Volga and Kuban - the richest and most fertile lands of the USSR. First of all, the city of Stalingrad came under attack, the attack on which was entrusted to the 6th Army under the command of Colonel General Paulus.

On the twelfth of July, the Soviet command creates Stalingrad Front, whose main task is to stop the invasion of German invaders in the southern direction. On July 17, 1942, one of the greatest and largest battles in the history of World War II began - Battle of Stalingrad. Despite the fascists' desire to capture the city as quickly as possible, it continued for 200 long, bloody days and nights, ending in complete victory, thanks to the dedication and incredible efforts of the heroes of the army, navy and ordinary residents of the region.

The first attack on the city took place on August 23, 1942. Then, just north of Volgograd, the Germans almost approached the Volga. Policemen, sailors of the Volga Fleet, NKVD troops, cadets and other volunteer heroes were sent to defend the city. That same night, the Germans launched their first air raid on the city, and on August 25, a state of siege was introduced in Stalingrad. At that time, about 50 thousand volunteers - heroes from among ordinary citizens - signed up for the people's militia. Despite the almost continuous shelling, the Stalingrad factories continued to operate and produce tanks, Katyushas, ​​guns, mortars and great amount shells.

On September 12, 1942, the enemy came close to the city. Two months of fierce defensive battles for Volgograd caused significant damage to the Germans: the enemy lost about 700 thousand people killed and wounded, and on November 19, 1942, the Soviet counteroffensive began.

The offensive operation continued for 75 days and, finally, the enemy at Stalingrad was surrounded and defeated. January 1943 brought complete victory on this section of the front. The fascist invaders were surrounded, and General Paulus and his entire army surrendered. During the entire Battle of Stalingrad, the German army lost more than 1.5 million people.

Stalingrad was one of the first to be called a hero city. This honorary title was first announced in the order of the Commander-in-Chief dated May 1, 1945. And the medal “For the Defense of Stalingrad” became a symbol of the courage of the city’s defenders.

In the hero city of Volgograd there are many monuments dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Among them is the famous memorial complex on Mamayev Kurgan, a hill on the right bank of the Volga known since the time of the Tatar-Mongol invasion. During the Battle of Stalingrad, particularly fierce battles took place here, as a result of which approximately 35,000 heroic soldiers were buried on Mamayev Kurgan. In honor of all those who fell, a memorial to the “Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” was erected here in 1959.

The main architectural landmark of Mamayev Kurgan is the 85-meter-high monument “The Motherland Calls”. The monument depicts a woman with a sword in her hand, who calls on her sons, the heroes, to fight.

The ancient Gerhardt mill (Grudinin mill) is another silent witness to the courageous struggle of the defenders of the hero city of Volgograd. This is a destroyed building that has not yet been restored in memory of the war.

During street fighting in the city, a four-story building on what is now Lenin Square became an impregnable stronghold. In the second half of September, reconnaissance - assault group, led by Sergeant Pavlov, captured the house and entrenched itself in it. Four days later, reinforcements arrived under the command of Senior Lieutenant Afanasyev, delivering weapons and ammunition - the house became an important stronghold in the defense system. For 58 days, a small garrison of the house repelled German attacks until Soviet troops launched a counterattack. In 1943, after the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, the house was rebuilt. It is considered the first restored building in the city. In 1985, a memorial wall-monument was opened on the end wall.

On October 2, 1942, in a battle near the Red October plant, a private of the 883rd Infantry Regiment and a former sailor of the Pacific Fleet, Mikhail Panikakha, at the cost of his life, destroyed german tank. A stray bullet broke the Molotov cocktail in his hand, the liquid instantly spread over the fighter’s body and ignited. But, without being confused and overcoming the pain, he grabbed the second bottle, rushed at the advancing tank and set it on fire. For this feat, on December 9, 1942, he was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree. On May 5, 1990, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union. At the site of Mikhail Panikakha’s feat, on Metallurgov Avenue, in 1975, a monument was erected to him in the form of a six-meter copper sculpture on a reinforced concrete pedestal.

At the place where in January 1943 the troops of the Don Front, under the command of Colonel General K. Rokossovsky, completed the defeat of the southern group of German troops, today there is the Square of Fallen Fighters and the Alley of Heroes. A special feature of its architectural ensemble is the marble steles of the Heroes of the Soviet Union, installed for the 40th anniversary of the Victory, on which the names of 127 heroes - Stalingrad residents are immortalized. And on the Square of Fallen Fighters, where on January 31, 1943, the commander of the 6th German Army, Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus, and his staff were captured in the basement of a department store, an eternal flame was lit in 1963.

In the second half of 1942, G.K. Zhukov, who then held the rank of army general, being a representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters, coordinated the actions of the armies of the Stalingrad Front. In memory of his contribution to the Victory, a monument was erected on the avenue that bears his name in 1996, on the 100th anniversary of Zhukov’s birth. It is a bronze half-figure of Marshal of Victory in a tunic mounted on a pedestal. By left side from it there is a granite slab depicting the four stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union, which he was awarded, and the battles in which he took part are recorded on stone blocks.

The ships of the Volga military flotilla made a great contribution to the Stalingrad victory. They provided fire support to Soviet troops, landed troops, transported ammunition, and evacuated the population. In 1974, a monument to the Volga rivermen was erected - the boat “Gasitel”, a participant in the Battle of Stalingrad, located on a pedestal. Behind the boat there is a thirteen-meter stele, in the lower part of which there is an anchor, and at the top - a star. In 1980, in the fairway of the Volga opposite Mamayev Kurgan, a monument in the form of an anchor, 15 meters high, installed on a floating platform, was opened. There is an inscription on it - “To the Volga rivermen, ships that died in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942–1943.” In 1995, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, another monument to the sailors of the Volga Flotilla was unveiled on the embankment - the armored boat BK-13 installed on a pedestal.

In January 1942, in Stalingrad, the 10th Infantry Division of the NKVD troops was formed from the residents of the city. Border guard units from the Urals and Siberia also joined it. Together with the militia, it took on the first blow of the German invasion in August 1942. On December 2, 1942, the division was awarded the Order of Lenin, and during the entire period of World War II, 20 security officers of the division were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In memory of their feat, in 1947, a monument “Chekists - Defenders of the City” was erected on Chekist Square. It is a 17-meter pedestal, which is crowned with a bronze figure of a warrior with a naked sword raised high in his hand.

Not far from the monument to the security officers, on May 28, 2011, on the day of the border guard, the “Monument to Demolition Dogs, Tank Destroyers” was erected. The 10th NKVD division included a 28th separate detachment of demolition dogs, which destroyed dozens of German armored vehicles.

The 62nd Soviet Army was commanded by General V. Chuikov, an excellent organizer and tactician of war. His contribution to the Stalingrad victory was invaluable. Later, his experience of fighting in the city would come in handy during the storming of Berlin in 1945. For the defense of Stalingrad, V. Chuikov received the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree. In total, during the Second World War he was twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. It was V. Chuikov who surrendered and capitulated the Berlin garrison. According to his will, after his death on March 18, 1982, he was buried on Mamayev Kurgan at the foot of the Motherland monument. In 1990, a monument to the marshal was erected on the street named after him, on the site where the headquarters of the 62nd Army was located during the war. The author of the monument was his son, architect A. Chuikov.

In July 1942, units of the people's militia were formed from workers and employees of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. On August 23, 1942, a massive offensive of Wehrmacht units began from the north along the Volga towards Stalingrad. There was no active army in the city, but the factory militia, together with other volunteers, stopped the enemy, preventing the Germans from attempting to take Stalingrad outright. In memory of their feat, in 1983, a forged copper monument with a bas-relief of three militiamen was erected in the park near the plant.

During the war, the Stalingrad Tractor Plant completely switched to the production of military products - artillery and tanks. Its role in creating firepower Soviet army invaluable, because he was the closest supplier of military products to the front line. In 1943, one of the T-34 tanks was installed near the main entrance of the plant in honor of the labor feat of the plant workers. It was one of the first monuments dedicated to the events of the Second World War. In 1949, the tank was placed on a pedestal, and in 1978, reconstruction was carried out.

A unique memorial complex dedicated to the events of the Battle of Stalingrad was created in Volgograd in the post-war years. From 1948 to 1954, 17 T-34 tank turrets were installed on granite pedestals in four districts of the city. The monuments are installed at the points of maximum approach of German troops to the banks of the Volga and form a line 30 km long, the distance between pedestals is 2-3 kilometers. Tank turrets were assembled from equipment lost in the Battle of Stalingrad. Turrets of T-34 tanks of various modifications, manufacturers, with traces of battles and holes were selected.

Stalingrad is a famous hero city. Many domestic and foreign films have been made about the Battle of Stalingrad, and a huge number of streets and neighborhoods have been named. This article is dedicated to this city and the history of the formation of its modern name - Volgograd.

IN Soviet times It was often possible to find on the map of the fifteen republics a city named by some outstanding personality: a commander, a politician, a commander-in-chief. Stalingrad was no exception.

Stalingrad - origin of the name

In total, the city has had 3 names since its founding. The city was founded in 1589 as Tsaritsyn (next to the Tsaritsa River). Then, in 1925, the city received its second name - Stalingrad, in honor of Stalin, who led the defense of the city from the army of Ataman Krasnov.

Stalingrad - modern name

In 1961, 8 years after Stalin’s death, when the fervor of patriotism towards this person subsided, the city was renamed Volgograd. Back in the 18th century, the city was one of the main industrial cities in Russia, which it remains to this day.

Disputes on the topic of renaming Volgograd back to Stalingrad continue today. People who support the political left, mainly communists, socialists and many older people, believe that renaming the city is disrespectful to history and those people who died in the battle of Stalingrad.

This issue was considered at the highest echelons, at the state level. In order to reach a consensus, the government decided to retain the name Stalingrad only on specific dates that are directly related to historical events cities.

Days when Volgograd is officially called Stalingrad:

• February 2. On this day, Soviet troops defeated the Nazis in the Battle of Stalingrad.
• 9th May. National Day of Victory over Nazi Germany and its allies.
• 22nd of June. Day of remembrance and mourning for those killed in World War II.
• September 2. The day of the end of World War II.
• August 23. Day of Remembrance of the inhabitants of Stalingrad killed by fascist bombings.
• November 19. On this day, the defeat of the fascist army at Stalingrad began.

The city of Stalingrad (until 1925 - Tsaritsyn, from 1961 - Volgograd), regional center in Russian Federation. Located along the right bank of the Volga River, at the confluence of the Tsarina River. The population in 1939 was 445 thousand people (in 1983 - 962 thousand people). A large industrial, transport and cultural center of the Lower Volga region. By 1941, there were over 200 operating in the city industrial enterprises, including the largest - the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, the Red October Metallurgical Plant, and the Barrikady Machine-Building Plant. Since the beginning of the war, industry switched to the production of military products. In October 1941, construction of defensive lines began. On October 23, the City Defense Committee was formed, headed by the 1st Secretary of the Regional and City Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) A. S. Chuyanov; A militia corps was formed from the working people of the city and region.

In the summer of 1942, with the beginning of the offensive of fascist German troops on the left flank of the Soviet-German front (Donbass operation of 1942), Stalingrad became a front-line city (martial law was introduced on July 14). The city suffered its first massive raid by fascist German aviation on the night of April 23, then the raids became systematic. On July 12, the Stalingrad Front was created, and the Stalingrad Air Defense Corps Region became part of it. On July 17, the Battle of Stalingrad 1942-43 began. In August, fighting broke out on the outer defensive perimeter. On August 23, Nazi troops broke through to the Volga north of Stalingrad.

During the 143-day battles, Nazi aviation dropped about 1 million bombs weighing 100 thousand tons on Stalingrad (5 times more than on London during the entire war). In total, Nazi troops rained down more than 3 million bombs, mines and artillery shells on the city. About 42 thousand buildings (85% of the housing stock), all cultural and everyday institutions, industrial buildings were destroyed. enterprises, municipal facilities.

In April and May 1943, the State Defense Committee made decisions to restore the tractor plant, the Barrikady and Red October plants. By decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR (May 1943), the restoration of the city began, in which the whole country participated and during which the Cherkasovsky movement was born. By May, the city's population reached 107 thousand people (32 thousand people in February), by September 1 - over 210 thousand. In 1943, 80 thousand workers and specialists arrived at the factories and construction sites of Stalingrad. Over 1.5 million bombs, mines, and shells were neutralized in the city. By May 1945, about 90% of production capacity had been restored. Developed in April 1945 General plan restoration of the city (architect K. S. Alabyan). In August 1945, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution "On strengthening housing construction and restoring the center of Stalingrad", and a special central administration was created under the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR - Glavstalingradstroy. In 1940-50

the city has been completely restored. In 1949, the city's industry reached pre-war levels. The most famous historical monuments associated with the events of 1942-43: Mass graves with the Eternal Flame on the Square of Fallen Fighters and Mamayev Kurgan, where a memorial ensemble was built; Mass grave of soldiers of the 62nd Army; House of Soldiers' Glory ("Pavlov's House"); The front line of defense of the Soviet troops on November 19, 1942 was marked throughout the city by 17 tank towers on pedestals. In 1982, the Panorama Museum "Battle of Stalingrad" was opened. In December 1942, the medal “For the Defense of Stalingrad” was established, which was awarded to 750 thousand people. For the heroic struggle in the years Civil War

the city was awarded the Honorary Revolutionary Red Banner of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (1919) and the Order of the Red Banner (1924). Since May 1, 1945, Stalingrad has been a hero city. In 1965 he was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. The Battle of Stalingrad became turning point Great Patriotic War. After it, the advantage passed to the side of the Soviet army. Therefore, Stalingrad became one of the main symbols of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany. But why was this hero city soon renamed? And what is Stalingrad called now?

Tsaritsyn, Stalingrad, Volgograd

In 1961, by Decree of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, the city was renamed, and now Stalingrad is called Volgograd. Until 1925, this city was called Tsaritsyn. When Joseph Stalin actually came to power in the USSR, the personality cult of the new leader began, and some cities began to bear his name. So Tsaritsyn became Stalingrad. But after Stalin’s death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the new leader of the country and in 1956, at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party, he debunked Stalin’s cult of personality, pointing out all his Negative consequences. Five years later, the massive dismantling of monuments to Stalin began, and the cities that bore his name began to return their former names. But the origin of the name Tsaritsyn did not fit into the Soviet ideology, they began to choose a different name for the city and settled on Volgograd, since it stands on the great Russian river Volga.

Volgograd - on weekdays, Stalingrad - on holidays

True, in 2013, deputies of the Volgograd City Duma partially returned the old name to the city and decided to use the combination hero city of Stalingrad as a symbol of Volgograd on holidays, such as May 9, February 23, June 22 and other significant dates associated with the history of the city. This was done as a tribute to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

Remember the history of the Second World War - 1942, for example. The battle for the city of Stalingrad (as it is now called, probably not everyone knows outside of Russia), in which the Red Army was successful, turned back the course of the war. It deservedly bears the title of hero city.

The city of Stalingrad: what it is called now and what it was called before

In Paleolithic times, on the outskirts of the city there was a site called Sukhaya Mechetka. In the 16th century, historical sources associated this area with the presence of representatives of the Tatar people. Since the memoirs of the English traveler Jenkinson mention the “abandoned Tatar city of Meskheti.” In official royal documents this city was first mentioned on July 2 under the name Tsaritsyn. That's what it was called until 1925.

As you know, in the 1920-1930s, cities were called mainly by the names and surnames (pseudonyms) of Soviet leaders and party leaders. Former Tsaritsyn in 1925 was the 19th city in the USSR in terms of population, so its fate of renaming could not be avoided. In 1925 the city was renamed Stalingrad. It is under this name that he is best known, because he entered into world history How most important event Second World War.

In 1956, the debunking of the cult of Stalin began. The party had a lot of work in this direction, so the party leaders only got around to renaming the city in 1961. Since 1961 and to the present time, the settlement has had a name that very accurately characterizes its location - Volgograd

Brief history of the city from 1589 to 1945

Initially, the city was concentrated on a small island. Why was it founded here? Because before that time people already lived here, and the place was convenient for trade. Its location on the Volga gave the settlement good chances for dynamic development. Real transformations in the city began to occur in the 19th century. The first pro-gymnasium was opened for noble children, in which 49 children studied. In 1808, a doctor came to the city and did a lot for the development of medicine in it (she was the first local doctor).

With development (Volga-Donskaya and others railways) since the late 1850s, industry and trade in the city have been developing very strongly, and the welfare of residents has been increasing.

During the first three decades of the 20th century, the territory of Stalingrad expanded. New industrial facilities, residential buildings, and places of public recreation are being built. In 1942, the Germans came to the city of Stalingrad. What is this time called now? An occupation. 1942 and 1943 were the worst years in the city's history.

Our time: the city is thriving

Stalingrad - what kind of city is it now? Volgograd. This name fully reflects its essence, because the river is one of the main trade routes. In the 1990-2000s, Volgograd several times acquired the status of a million-plus city. Industry, services and recreation, and sports are actively developing in the city. The football team of the Volgograd "Rotor" has played more than one season in the Russian top league.

But still, the settlement played its most important role in history under the name “city of Stalingrad” (as it is now called, we should also not forget, because the old name is unlikely to return).