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Stalingrad: Remembering the bloodiest battle of World War II

Historic battle of Stalingrad fought between July 17, 1942 and February 2, 1943 heralded total defeat of Nazi troops and full victory over Nazism

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Soldiers during street fighting at Stalingrad

© Fotokhronika TASS

Air strike on Stalingrad by Nazi German forces

© Fotokhronika TASS/Stepan Kurunin

People leaving destroyed city, 1942

© Fotokhronika TASS/Emmanuil Yevzerikhin

Soviet soldier during shelling in Stalingrad, 1942

© Fotokhronika TASS/Georgy Zelma

Arial view of the ruined city

© Fotokhronika TASS

Symphony orchestra musician in Stalingrad, 1942

© Fotokhronika TASS/Emmanuil Yevzerikhin

Centre of Stalingrad damaged after attack of Nazi troops, 1943

© Fotokhronika TASS

Fountain at the railway station square damaged after attack of German air force

© Fotokhronika TASS/Emmanuil Yevzerikhin

German soldiers on their way to captivity

© Fotokhronika TASS

The Red Army soldiers demonstrating German ersatz boots at one of the liberated districts of Stalingrad

© Fotokhronika TASS/Emmanuil Yevzerikhin

German fighter aircraft Me-109 shooted down in the centre of the riuned city

© Fotokhronika TASS/Nikolai Surovtsev

German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus (front) and members of his staff moving towards the headquarters of the Soviet Army

© Fotokhronika TASS/Georgy Lipskerov

Soviet soldier waving Soviet Banner of Victory over the central square in Stalingrad

© Fotokhronika TASS/Georgy Zelma

On July 17, 1942, the battle of Stalingrad began. Marked by fierce close quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians by air raids, it is often regarded as one of the largest and bloodiest battles in the history of warfare. It heralded total defeat of Nazi troops and full victory over Nazism, after which German forces never regained the initiative in the World War II. TASS remembers the Battle of Stalingrad in this photo gallery.

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