STALINGRAD 2021
Stalingrad 1942/43-2021, 80 years of the Fascist invasion.
From 19 to 30 April 2021 the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historical Initiatives organized a new large-scale project in the Hero City of Volgograd on the theme of the Battle of Stalingrad where from 1942 to 1943 more than a million Soviet soldiers and more than 500,000 Germans were killed or missing. This was the first Russian-French archaeological project in Stalingrad.
The project took place from 19 to 22 April in Moscow. Three veterans: a French veteran (Roger Dore, born in 1925, a former member of Leclerc 2nd Armored Division), a Russian veteran (Evgeny Kuropatkov, born in 1923, a participant in the Battle of Stalingrad) and an American veteran (Charles Shay, born in 1924, participant of the first wave of landings on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944) - met other Russian veterans: the last "Night Witch" Galina Brok-Beltsova, 96 years old, one of the last mechanics of the "Normandie-Niemen" regiment Nikolai Kulpov, 98 years old, and even the People's Artist of the Russian Federation Nikolai Lebedev, who survived in the death camps of Auschwitz, 100 years old. The ceremony took place on the Red Square and then in the Kremlin. The ambassadors of France and the United States met veterans from their respective countries.
The project took place from 19 to 22 April in Moscow. Three veterans: a French veteran (Roger Dore, born in 1925, a former member of Leclerc 2nd Armored Division), a Russian veteran (Evgeny Kuropatkov, born in 1923, a participant in the Battle of Stalingrad) and an American veteran (Charles Shay, born in 1924, participant of the first wave of landings on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944) - met other Russian veterans: the last "Night Witch" Galina Brok-Beltsova, 96 years old, one of the last mechanics of the "Normandie-Niemen" regiment Nikolai Kulpov, 98 years old, and even the People's Artist of the Russian Federation Nikolai Lebedev, who survived in the death camps of Auschwitz, 100 years old. The ceremony took place on the Red Square and then in the Kremlin. The ambassadors of France and the United States met veterans from their respective countries.
Then a historic ceremony took place at Mamayev Kurgan in the presence of Volgograd Region Governor Andrei Bocharov, French guests such as the descendants of General de Gaulle and one of the last French, American and Russian veterans. The Foundation received permission from the Kremlin, the authorities of the Volgograd region, the Committee of Veterans and various ministries of Russia (the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Culture, Rosvgardia) to honor 37 Soviet soldiers who died during the Battle of Stalingrad, whose reburial ceremony took place at the memorial cemetery on Mamayev Kurgan on April 24, 2021.
For 10 days, a team of French experts led by Professor Michel Signoli and the head of the Volgograd region's search group, Andrei Oreshkin, exhumed more than 50 remains of Soviet soldiers and 4 German soldiers a few kilometers from the city. All of these soldiers were killed at the end of 1942. Most of them, according to the results of the examination, were 15-16 years old. Parts of tanks (T34), weapons and helmets were also found.
For 10 days, a team of French experts led by Professor Michel Signoli and the head of the Volgograd region's search group, Andrei Oreshkin, exhumed more than 50 remains of Soviet soldiers and 4 German soldiers a few kilometers from the city. All of these soldiers were killed at the end of 1942. Most of them, according to the results of the examination, were 15-16 years old. Parts of tanks (T34), weapons and helmets were also found.
