The Soviet Soldier.

Discussion in 'The Eastern Front' started by Owen, Apr 25, 2006.

  1. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Forget politics.
    Millions died on the Eastern Front, either at the hands of their enemy or their own side.
    They were all someone's son or daughter. Brother or sister.
    We may disagree with Stalin's politics (which I don't want discussed) but I would like to learn more about the Soviet soldier.
    Let's see where this takes us....................
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Totally agree Owen.
    Tank production: 1940=2,794, 1945=15,419.
    (Oxford Companion to the Second world war.1995)
    An army that had a very advanced and forward thinking Officer Corps in the 30's that was decimated by purges and attack in later years, suffered huge defeats, reversed them & joined the rest of the allies in victory while leaving [how many??] of it's young men in the ground deserves serious investigation.

    Loads of potential things to ww2talk about.
    I only recently discovered they employed Camouflage Uniforms at an early date.
    Tank designs advanced for the time.
    Many excellent small arms, light weapons and field guns produced, the 76.2mm AT gun being very highly regarded by the opposition.
    German advances and designs in response to the above.
    Who knows? Maybe Kursk will make sense to me one day?
    Maybe someone from the former USSR with a different upbringing and perspective to my own Western one will inform me on their countries perception of World War 2?.
    I'm digging the stats books out and trying to find 'The red Army Handbook' (Sutton: S. Zaloga) also trawling the links to have a closer look at the Army itself.
    Avoiding politics (as much as that proves possible) let's have a look at the gear, avoid the glib and find out about the men.
    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Is there a Russian equivalent of the Commonwealth WarGraves Commision?
    Who looks after the Graves of Soviet War Dead?
    How big are the Cemeteries?

    Anyone......?
     
  4. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Having just come back form Berlin I can tell you that all of the Russian Cemetaries are excellently maintained by the German Government especially around the Seelow Heights and in the city itself. I've nver heard of a soviet war graves commission but I'm sure there is one. I should also point out that the German graves are just as well maintained
     
  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Just been sent this Russian site with dozens of excellent pictures,
    http://fishki.net/comment.php?id=9831
    Russians, Naval Infantry, Armament factories, tanks, Aeroplanes, SS etc. etc.
    Very good.
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  7. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Is there a Russian equivalent of the Commonwealth WarGraves Commision?
    Who looks after the Graves of Soviet War Dead?
    How big are the Cemeteries?

    Anyone......?

    The one just outside Warsaw has 20,000 buried there -buried around a large needle like monument. Volksbunde Deutsche Kreigsgraberfursorge look after the Russian graves in Germany. It is something to do with a law passed in 1953.

    "Over 500 Soviet military burial places are situated in former East Germany. They became the last resort for about 390,000 Soviet soldiers and officers killed as they advanced towards Berlin. The German capital alone has about a dozen memorials to those who gave their lives in the very last hours of the sanguinary fight for the freedom of European nations".

    The former West Germany has over 3,500 cemeteries where more than 800,000 Soviet POWs and civilians dragooned for work in the Third Reich are buried. A law adopted in Germany in 1953 provides that all graves are regarded as "graves of war and tyranny victims" and are under permanent care.

    The above item is from the Pravda ru website.

    The Piskarevsky cemetery is apparently the largest , with half a million buried (420,000 civilians) this is at St Petersburg in 186 mass graves -


    The cemeteries in the Polish are apparently maintained but in places like Wroclaw (Breslau) some graves have been left and graffiti covered as some Poles looked on them as occupiers not liberators.
     
  8. laufer

    laufer Senior Member

    I've nver heard of a soviet war graves commission but I'm sure there is one.

    And I wouldn't be so sure of it. When Russians ask about the graves of the Red Army's soldiers outside the Russian territory, there must be some political context of it. These graves are symbol of Soviet/Russian interests rather, than tribute to theirs fallen. In the eyes of Russian officials at least.
    As I know there are plenty of places in Russia itself, where remains of soldiers and victims of terror wait for honest burial.


    :icon_sadangel:
     
  9. T-34

    T-34 Discharged - Nazi

    motherland statue, made of concrete, 52 metres tall.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    The "Rodina Mat" is a truly Magnificent Statue.

    Do you call the home of Rodina Mat, Volgograd or Stalingrad?

    Chernenko wanted to change it back to Stalingrad in 1985 but died before he could push it through.

    Do you think it will change back now?
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    T34 likes to post twice.
    So will I.
    Very impressive, what is the sword made of ?
    Similar to The Statue of Liberty but more dramatic.
    T34 can you post some more photos of Soviet Memorials?
     
  12. BulgarianSoldier

    BulgarianSoldier Senior Member

    Not before long Bulgaria was part of the Soviet Union and i aweys wanted to be a Soviet Soldier this was like a dream to me.
     
  13. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    The "Rodina Mat" is a truly Magnificent Statue.

    Do you call the home of Rodina Mat, Volgograd or Stalingrad?

    Chernenko wanted to change it back to Stalingrad in 1985 but died before he could push it through.

    Do you think it will change back now?

    Spidge, I visited a site which went in depth on the battle of Stalingrad, and it refers to Volgograd formerly known as Stalingrad. This was only about a month ago. It was a tourist site rather than a military one. Can't recall the web address will post if I remember it's location.
     
  14. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  15. AMVAS

    AMVAS Senior Member

    Well...
    As usual the question of renaming some city is very painful.
    Especially for just one like Stalingrad (Volgograd) is.

    This town has had 3 names.
    The initial one was Tsaritsyn named after the river Tsaritsa in its vicinities. In the history of Russia this name was famous first of all after the battle of Tsaritsyn during the Civil War. this battle took place in 1918. One of its main feeatures was that Stalin took part in it.

    As in the USSR were large traditions of renaing of cities, towns, villages, streets and other things after leaders (whatever dead or alive they were) Tsaritsyn got new name after Stalin and became "Stalingrad"

    Under this name it became famous as the turning point of the Great Patriotic War and became one of the symbols of the Victory.

    When in 1950s Khrushchev started his struggle agaisnt Stalin the town received neutral name (nobody among communists would like to return its initial name, as it reminded about tsar) Volgograd
    With this name several generation of its citizens grew up...

    So, now it's real problem hot to name this town in the best way, as all three names have reasons to be applied.

    I think it must be resolved by some referendum.

    In Russia there are a few funny cases when central town has one name and region around it another.
    For example: St. Petersburg, but Leningradskaya oblast' (region)
    Yekaterinburg, but Sverdlovskaya oblast' (region)

    Regards,
    Alex
     
  16. AMVAS

    AMVAS Senior Member

    Alex kindly sent me this link, it shows many Soviet memorials and graves, 175 webpages in fact.

    http://memo.rkka.ru/mshow.php?PHPSESSID=0be5f4714efa446e99b6973bc2acbca0

    Btw, that folks will be very grateful if you provides some info on the memorials for the soviet soldiers if any of those exists in your country
    I mean first of all countries of the Eastern Europe, but I think in some western European countries also can exist some such memorials...

    Regards,
    Alex
     
  17. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  18. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

  19. AMVAS

    AMVAS Senior Member

    Looking at thread from Alex found some thought provoking images such as these helmets,on page 170
    http://memo.rkka.ru/mshow.php?PHPSESSID=0be5f4714efa446e99b6973bc2acbca0&mshowPage=170&PHPSESSID=0be5f4714efa446e99b6973bc2acbca0

    http://memo.rkka.ru/img/211/200609161422420.2.jpg?PHPSESSID=0be5f4714efa446e99b6973bc2acbca0
    Never seen a truck on a War memorial before, age 168
    http://memo.rkka.ru/mshow.php?PHPSESSID=0be5f4714efa446e99b6973bc2acbca0&mshowPage=168&PHPSESSID=0be5f4714efa446e99b6973bc2acbca0

    [​IMG]

    To avoid misunderstanding I have to say not all memorials are cemeteries.
    That site also contains photos of monuments and other installaions placed out of cemeteries and communal graves...

    Regards,
    Alex
     
  20. AMVAS

    AMVAS Senior Member

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