RF marks 67th anniversary of Battle of Stalingrad victory

This Day of Military Glory, sealed in the Federal law dated February 10, 1995, and in the Presidential Decree dated March 13, 1995, ushers in a series of public and military holidays and memorable dates of military history in February, an official at the Rosvoyentsentr (State Military Historical and Cultural Center) has told Itar-Tass. The Day of Rout of Nazi troops in the Battle of Stalingrad by Soviet forces is among the first ten Days of Military Glory instituted in contemporary Russia. It has been marked since 1996.

In the estimate of historians, the Battle of Stalingrad, which continued for 200 days and nights, was the longest and most arduous one in the entire Second World War. The Nazis lost about 1.5 million men killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Over 2, 000 tanks, 10,000 artillery guns and mortars, and 3,000 airplanes of the enemy were destroyed.

One hundred and twelve Soviet servicemen were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Over 707,000 people were awarded the medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad", instituted in December1942.

The scope of celebration of the 67th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, in the estimate of Rosvoyentsentr press service, is comparable to the jubilee celebrations in previous years; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. See www.itar-tass.com for full version.