VOLGOGRAD, February 2. /TASS/. Citizens of Volgograd have been celebrating the 72nd anniversary of fierce battle for the city against Nazi troops. On the day of the celebrations of an important anniversary in the history of WWII the war veterans have been telling schoolchildren about the valor and fortitude of the Soviet soldiers and veterans of home fronts who selflessly worked for the sake of the victory.
Despite a nasty weather and a heavy fog hanging over the city on Monday dozens of thousands of city residents will take part in various patriotic and anti-war events and meetings with WWII veterans. Volunteers will circulate a special issue of the Stalingrad Pravda newspaper that was published in the city during the war. A total of 20,000 copies of the newspaper have been published by the gala celebrations. The newspaper highlights stories dated February 2, 1943 about total defeat of Nazi troops which attacked Stalingrad, journalists were told by Yelena Slesarenko, chairwoman of the Committee for youth politics of the Volgograd region.
Twenty young women dressed in war-time military coats have walked out into the city streets. "The only such unit of women traffic regulators was first set up in Russia a few years ago not only to regulate traffic, but also recreate a special military-historical spirit of Stalingrad of the war years which is remembered by everyone who had been to war fronts," journalists were told by Chief of the Volgograd Interior department Alexander Kravchenko.
Gala fireworks, which will be displayed over the embankment of the Volga river tonight, will crown the celebrations of one of the most crucial victories in WWII. The historic battle which continued from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943 heralded total defeat of Nazi troops and full victory over Nazism.