The title "hero city" was awarded in the USSR to cities whose residents showed massive courage and heroism during the years of World War II. From 1965 to 1985, this title was awarded to 12 cities. Seven of them are located in Russia, one in Belarus, and four in Ukraine.
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The title "Hero City" was approved on May 8, 1961, and on the same day was awarded to Moscow, Kiev, Leningrad, Odessa, Stalingrad and Sevastopol. True, for the first time, Leningrad, Stalingrad, Odessa and Sevastopol were called hero cities as early as May 1, 1945. In subsequent years, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Minsk, Tula, Smolensk and Murmansk received this title. Hero cities were awarded the Golden Star medal and the Order of Lenin, and memorial obelisks were erected in them. In Moscow in the Alexander Garden there are granite monuments on which the names of these cities are carved.
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The Battle of Stalingrad is the largest battle of the Second World War. Despite all efforts, the Nazi troops could not completely take over the city. About 250 thousand inhabitants of the city worked in it during the fighting, building fortifications, airfields, bridges, during the battle, factories producing tanks and weapons for the Soviet Army continued to work literally next to the front line. During the battle, 85% of urban buildings were destroyed.
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In the fall of 1941, Germany conducted two major operations, the purpose of which was to capture Moscow. But the heroic defense of the city, in which not only the Red Army soldiers participated, but also the inhabitants of the city, eventually led to the defeat of the Nazi troops.
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The Germans could not capture Leningrad, whose inhabitants spent 872 terrible days under siege. More than half a million people took part in the creation of the fortifications, a militia army was formed in the city.
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The defense of Sevastopol lasted 250 days, during which time the Germans attacked the city several dozen times. The city was abandoned only after the defensive resources were completely completed. During the occupation, underground activities did not stop in the city.
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The heroic defense of Odessa lasted 73 days. The civilian population of the city participated in the creation of anti-tank barriers; more than 250 kilometers of ditches were dug by residents. During the defense of the city, workers did not stop producing weapons in factories.
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Smolensk was one of the cities in the Moscow direction of the German offensive. The city, which the Germans were planning to capture on the move, defended for two weeks, which significantly changed the plans of the fascist troops, and allowed to strengthen the Soviet defense in the Moscow direction.
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Novorossiysk also courageously defended itself in 1942, but was captured. This city is glorified by the heroic landing operation of the 43rd year, as a result of which it was completely liberated.
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The defense of Kiev lasted 72 days. During the first two weeks of the war, the inhabitants of the city created powerful defensive structures - more than 50 kilometers of anti-tank ditches, 1, 400 bunkers. The stubborn defense of Kiev forced the Germans to transfer part of the troops from Moscow to Kiev.
10
Kerch during the war was almost completely destroyed. In 1943, one of the largest landing operations of World War II was carried out in the area of this city, in which more than 130 thousand people participated. Kerch is also famous for the courageous defenders of Adzhimushkaya, who fought in the quarries for more than five months.
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Until 1944, the Germans tried to capture Murmansk, which was very important, since allied cargoes were delivered to the USSR through it. It was not possible to capture the city, so it was subjected to massive bombardments, which can only be compared with the bombing of Stalingrad. As a result, only a few pre-war buildings remained in the city.
12
Minsk was captured by German troops on June 28, 1941. A terrible occupation regime was established in the city, during which 400 thousand civilians were destroyed. But the Soviet people did not give up and constantly arranged successful sabotage.
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Tula was a very important defensive center on the southern approaches to Moscow, its defense lasted a month and a half, while the Germans surrounded the city, completely cut it off communications, communications with other Soviet troops and Moscow, despite this, the city defenders managed to defend it.
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In addition to 12 hero cities, there is a hero fortress in Belarus - the Brest Fortress.
