Days of military glory are celebrated in Russia in honor of the significant victories of Russian weapons, which played a significant role in Russian history. The last time this list was amended and supplemented in 2014. Interestingly, there are also memorable dates for Russia that were introduced in 2010. These days mark the most important events in the life of our society and the entire state, which should be immortalized in the people's memory.
Leningrad blockade
In total, there are 17 days of military glory in the calendar, we will talk about the most significant of them in this article. At the very beginning of the year, the Day of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade by the Nazis is celebrated. This happened on January 27, 1944.
It is no coincidence that this date became the day of military glory. The lifting of the siege of Leningrad is one of the key and turning points in the history of the Great Patriotic War. It is of particular importance for understanding the significance of the spirit of the Russian people, and especially the ordinary inhabitants of Leningrad, who suffered many deprivations during this time.
The blockade of the city actually began on September 8, 1941. It was attended by German, Spanish and Finnish troops, as well as volunteers from North Africa. In total, it lasted 872 days. Throughout this time, residents were hungry, there wasn’t enough food for everyone, there were terrible cold in winter.
Fortitude of Leningraders
But this did not break Leningraders. They not only survived the blockade. All this time, most of them worked in factories, trying to provide shells for our troops so that they could continue to defend the city, at night they were on duty on the roofs of houses to drop incendiary bombs that flew from planes to the ground. All of them courageously endured the blockade of Leningrad. On the day of the military glory of Russia, their feat is now constantly remembered.
Indeed, at the very beginning the situation was not easy. There was very little fuel and food in order to withstand a prolonged siege. The only way to communicate with the outside world was Lake Ladoga, which nevertheless remained within reach of enemy artillery and even aviation.
But still, those caravans that managed to get along this road of life provided the city with food, fuel and the most necessary.
Naturally, the capacity of the lake did not meet the needs of the city. Because of this, hunger soon began in Leningrad, and in the first blockade winter there were problems with heating in homes and enterprises. All this has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths. It is for this reason that this day of military glory of Russia in Leningrad is celebrated in a special way.
Blockade breakthrough
In fact, the blockade was broken in early 1943. However, until January 1944, the siege by the enemy fleet and ground forces continued. The so-called Leningrad-Novgorod operation became decisive, as a result of which the enemy was driven back almost three hundred kilometers away from the southern borders of the city.
That is why since January 27, the day the lifting of the siege of Leningrad is celebrated. Day of military glory was another reason to remember about this date. This feat was especially noted. In 1965, the title of Hero City of Leningrad was awarded. The day of military glory of Russia is celebrated on January 27 throughout the country.
Battle of stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad is another key battle of the Great Patriotic War. The day of military glory of Russia dedicated to this battle falls on February 2. In fact, it lasted from mid-summer of the 42nd to February of the 43rd year.
At first the Germans were on the offensive, they sought to capture the bend of the Don and enter Stalingrad. Thus, they would be able to block transport links between the central regions of the Soviet Union and the Caucasus. The German troops would be able to create an important foothold for further advancement inland. Therefore, it was so important not to lose this city, to maintain its position here.
The army was not going to surrender, it managed to impose a fight on the Germans, the defensive battles were successful, by November, German troops began to ring in the operation "Uranus".
The Germans who found themselves in Stalingrad were completely surrounded. On February 2, they surrendered, including 24 generals and one field marshal. This victory was one of the turning points in the confrontation with the Nazis, so it is not surprising that the day of military glory is celebrated on this date.
Battle on the Ice
Another glorious page in Russian military history is 1242. It was then that the famous Battle of Ice took place, also known as the Battle of Lake Peipsi. As you can see, in the list of days of military glory of Russia there are not only events that occurred relatively recently, but also battles from the depths of centuries.
In the Battle of Ice, Novgorodians, Izhora and Vladimirites, led by the Russian Prince Alexander Nevsky, also performed. They were opposed by the army of the Livonian Order.
By that time, the Germans had already managed to capture Izborsk and besiege Pskov. As during the Great Patriotic War, the sovereignty of Russia was then in jeopardy. Only thanks to a confident victory over the German knights on Lake Peipsi was it possible to turn the tide of this war. The date of the day of military glory of Russia, dedicated to the Battle of Ice, is April 18.
Victory Day
May 9 is perhaps one of the most famous holidays in Russia. On this day, the Great Patriotic War officially ended with the victory of Soviet troops over Nazi invaders.
The Germans invaded the territory of the USSR on June 22, 1941 without declaring war. By that time, the Second World War was already two years old, Germany had already advanced significantly in Europe, capturing more than one country. The Soviet Union until then remained neutral. On the side of the Germans were the allies - Italy, Hungary, Finland, Romania, Croatia and Slovakia.
Germany began a war of annihilation against the USSR. The German leadership regarded the Slavs as an inferior race. The Germans threw about 80 percent of all their troops involved in World War II to the Eastern Front. The war ended with the confident victory of the Red Army and the complete surrender of Germany, which led to its defeat in World War II.
The Germans in the confrontation with the Soviet Union hoped to carry out a blitzkrieg, having developed a plan for the swift capture of Moscow, he received the code name "Barbaross Plan". In an effort to exterminate the Soviet state, the Germans exterminated a large part of the population in the occupied territories and tried to Germanize the entire territory up to the Urals. For the people of the USSR, this war became a battle for the independence and freedom of their homeland, which ended with the capture of Berlin. The year before, the Fuhrer, the head of the German state, Adolf Hitler, committed suicide.
Chesme battle
The date of the Chesme battle is July 7, 1770. On this day, the Russian fleet fought in the Chesme Bay area against the Ottoman Empire. This was one of the key battles of the Russo-Turkish war.
The Chesme battle was one of the parts of the Second Peloponnesian uprising, which took place in 1769. The Russian fleet won a landslide victory under the leadership of Count Orlov, who even received the second part of his name and became known as Orlov-Chesmensky.
Poltava battle
The anniversary of the Battle of Poltava is celebrated annually on July 10, the battle itself took place in 1709. This became the general battle of the Northern War between the Russian troops and the army of the Swedish king Charles XII.
The battle itself began near the city of Poltava, which at that time was part of the Russian kingdom. The Northern War by that time had been going on for 9 years, but it was the confident victory of the Russian army in this confrontation that led to a radical change and success in the entire war. Although it finally happened only in 1721.
The battle of Poltava changed the geopolitical situation throughout Europe, putting an end to the total domination of Sweden, which remained until then.
The Swedes lost from six and a half to 9 thousand people killed, while the losses of the Russian army were many times less - only 1,345 killed.
battle of Borodino
September 8, 1812 the most large-scale battle of the Patriotic War took place. The Russian army opposed the French troops led by Napoleon. The battle took place near the village of Borodino in the suburbs, it is about 125 kilometers from the key city of Russia.
The battle was very fleeting, it lasted about 12 hours. During this time, the army of invaders managed to successfully attack the positions of Russian troops in the center, as well as on the left wing. But after the battle was over, the French were forced to return to their original positions.
Therefore, Russian battle historians believe that Kutuzov’s army won a strategic victory. Moreover, the very next day, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army ordered the troops to retreat, as the army suffered heavy losses, and at that time Napoleon had serious reserve reserves that were in a hurry to help him.
Interestingly, in Western historiography it is believed that, although with some reservations, Napoleon won the battle of Borodino. It is believed that this is one of the most bloody one-day battles in world history. According to various estimates, about 80 thousand people died.
Kulikovo battle
The Battle of Kulikovo was another determining battle in which the fate of Russian statehood and independence was decided. It was a major battle between the combined Russian army and the army of the Golden Horde.
Victory in this confrontation allowed to throw off the Tatar-Mongol yoke, which dominated in Russia for a long time. It is believed that the decisive role in the victory of the Russian army was played by the fact that Dmitry Donskoy managed to unite the scattered Russian princes into a common army that could defeat the invaders.
This victory was a decisive step in the overthrow of the yoke. The losses of the Russian army amounted to about 20 thousand people from the 70 thousandth army, and the 150 thousandth horde army was destroyed on 8/9.
Memorable Dates
Memorable dates of Russia include the Day of Russian Students (January 25), and February 15 is the Day of Remembrance of the Russians who performed official duties outside the Fatherland.
It is interesting that among the memorable dates there are completely different in essence holidays. April 12 is the Cosmonautics Day, and July 28 is the Day of the Baptism of Russia.
One of the most important memorable dates is the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow on June 22 on the anniversary of the outbreak of war against the Nazi invaders.