Presidential Library made historical calendars of 2025 dedicated to 80th anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War

On the Presidential Library's portal digital versions of historical calendars for 2025 prepared are available. They were created on the basis of materials from the library's collection. These calendars are dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

One of the calendars focuses on military awards, which are the brightest monuments to military history and remind us of the heroic feat of Soviet people. Before 1941, there were several awards in the Soviet Union that were given for various military achievements, such as the Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner, Order of Red Star, and the Medal of Bravery. However, specific reasons for these awards were not always clearly defined, so they depended largely on the assessment of unit commanders.

All pre-war awards were presented in 1941-1945, but during the long and difficult war, new orders and medals were introduced to honor the heroism and bravery of Soviet soldiers, officers, and civilians who actively fought against the Nazi invaders.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet award system underwent significant changes. For the first time in its history, military merits were recognized, for which orders and medals could be awarded.

A special calendar was created to commemorate the twelve hero-cities and the Brest Fortress that embodied the unmatched courage shown by the citizens of the Soviet Union during their defense.

On May 1, 1945, on the eve of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Sevastopol, and Odessa were officially recognized as hero cities by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief through an order.

The medals "For the Defense of Leningrad", "For the Defense of Stalingrad", "For the Defense of Sevastopol", and "For the Defense of Odessa" were established by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on December 22, 1942. This was done a month before the siege of Leningrad was broken, while fighting continued in Stalingrad and Sevastopol were in enemy hands, and Odessa was also under enemy control.

On March 27, 1943, samples of the medals and regulations for awarding them were approved. This was the first time these medals were presented to military and civilian personnel who defended these cities.

In 1973, Kerch and Novorossiysk were awarded the title of Hero Cities. In the summer of 1942, during the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the enemy managed to capture most of Novorossiysk. However, they were unable to occupy the eastern outskirts of the city, where cement factories were located.

On February 4, 1943, a Soviet landing attempt took place, but it failed. Nevertheless, a small group of soldiers managed to establish a foothold in the southern suburbs of the city. Novorossiysk was liberated completely on September 16, 1943.

After this, on October 31, 1943, the Kerch-Eltigen operation began in the Crimea. The main Soviet landing force managed to secure a beachhead in the port of Kerch and hold it until the city was fully liberated on April 11, 1944.

The heroic resistance of the soldiers and civilians of Kerch during this time was recognized with the awarding of the honorary title "Hero City".

In 1974, Minsk, the capital of Belarus and a symbol of the country's partisan struggle, was awarded the title of Hero City. In 1976, Tula, a city that never fell to the enemy during the Great Patriotic War, was also given this honor.

By the 40th anniversary of Victory, Smolensk and Murmansk were awarded the title of Hero City. The Smolensk Defensive Battle in the summer and autumn of 1941 played a significant role in preventing the German plan to conquer the European part of the Soviet Union. From the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Murmansk, an ice-free port in the Arctic, became a military and economic hub, serving as the base for the Northern Fleet and receiving shipments from Europe. Despite the enemy's attempts to blockade and cut off supply lines, Murmansk remained open, just like Leningrad. The role of civilians was particularly crucial in ensuring the continuous operation of the port, factories, and railway during the bombing.

Wartime propaganda posters, which are stored in the collection of the Presidential Library, were used in the design of the calendar. These posters were not only used as a propaganda tool, but they also enlivened the lives of the advanced units and were often the only form of decoration in the temporary housing of evacuees.