10 Soviet servicemen who were awarded by the U.S.
U.S. awards were awarded to not only major Soviet military leaders and famous ace pilots, but also to ordinary privates, sergeants and lieutenants, who demonstrated their bravery on the battlefield. Here are ten of them.
Russia Beyond > History
Russian cities during World War II vs now (Part 2)
Many of them were severely destroyed after the Nazi occupation. This is what they look like now.
Russia Beyond > History
Russian cities during World War II vs now (Part 1)
Many of them were severely destroyed after the Nazi occupation. This is what they look like now.
Russia Beyond > History
How the Soviet home front lived & worked during World War II (PHOTOS)
People in the rear worked tirelessly to ensure that the Red Army did not need anything. At the same time, they used every free minute to enjoy their usual life: go to the theater or a concert, visit the zoo or listen to the opera.
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Why were Nazis called ‘fascists’ in the USSR?
The main reason was the reluctance to use the word ‘socialist’ in relation to an ideological enemy.
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5 Frenchmen who became Heroes of the Soviet Union
The honorary title was awarded to four pilots of the ‘Normandie-Niemen’ air regiment, who fought against the Nazis on the Eastern Front with the Red Army. And also to the first French cosmonaut.
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How did a Russian diplomat become an envoy to the English court?
Count Alexei Bestuzhev-Ryumin lived in Europe from a young age. In 1707, he and his brother Mikhail went to study in Copenhagen and, a few years later, moved to Berlin. He was especially good at languages: in particular, he knew French and German very well.
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How the Guard in Russia overthrew & appointed monarchs
The Guard in 18th-century Russia loosely resembled the Praetorians of the Roman Empire. It was often up to them to decide who would occupy the throne and for how long.
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Volgograd (Stalingrad) during World War II and now (PHOTOS)
Stalingrad, as the city was then called, survived one of the most terrible battles in human history. See how the city, completely destroyed, was restored and lives today.
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St. Petersburg during World War II vs now (PHOTOS)
Leningrad, as the city was then called, survived one of the most terrible sieges in world history – more than a million residents and Soviet soldiers died because of it. See what it looked like during that terrible time and what it looks like today.
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Why did the best Russian fighter pilot of World War I commit suicide?
Alexander Kazakov survived the Great War safely, but the Civil War that broke out after it in Russia literally broke him.
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How Polish troops helped the Red Army defeat the Nazis (PHOTO)
Together with the Red Army, the 1st Polish Army stormed Berlin in the Spring of 1945. The Poles made up a tenth of all the forces that were rushing towards the “lair of the fascist beast”.
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What foreign products were available in the USSR?
Tangerines from Morocco, processed cheese from Finland, canned vegetables from Hungary and Bulgaria – Soviet housewives knew how to make an impressive holiday table spread.
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Did you know that Russian troops were once in Rome?
\"The delight with which the residents greeted us brings the greatest honor and glory to the Russians. From the very gates of St. John to the soldiers' quarters, both sides of the streets were dotted with inhabitants of both sexes,\" reported Lieutenant Pyotr Balabin.
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How Sevastopol heroically held out under siege for eight months during WWII (PHOTOS)
The main base of the Black Sea Fleet was blockaded from land and withstood two assaults by superior enemy forces. The third, however, proved fatal for it.
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How Soviet people got a job
From the student bench to retirement in one place – the career of many Soviet citizens resembled this. But, how did they find a job during that era?
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Price zones: Why were they needed in the USSR?
In those times, prices for goods were set by the state and they did not change for years. But, this did not mean that the cost of certain goods was the same throughout the country.
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This woman survived the Gulag & DREW her harrowing experience (PICS)
Euphrosinia Kersnovskaya spent almost 20 years in Gulag camps and in exile. She not only left memoirs by regularly writing down the long history of her ordeal, but also sketched everything. Now, these drawings are one of the most vivid testimonies of the Stalin-era camp horrors.
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