During the Battle of Stalingrad, front-line operators first encountered street fighting. But the rules of professional excellence were not repealed in the war. Instead of personal safety, photojournalists took care to get the correct exposure and maintain the technical quality of the footage.
Seventy-five years separate us from the events of the Great Patriotic War. The evidence in the photographs, film frames, archival information and memoirs show the courage and exploits of the Soviet people.
The number of Soviet casualties in the war are estimated to have exceeded 27 million. The military casualties alone exceeded 8.7 million, which is more than a half of the total allied death toll.
Photo "Combat" by Max Alpert
© Sputnik / Maks AlpertScouts force the Kuban floods.
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© Sputnik / Maks Alpert
Scouts force the Kuban floods.
Artillery crew firing at the enemy. North Caucasus.
Woman on the ashes in a Belarusian village
"Peaceful memories." Stalingrad, 1943
© Sputnik / Yakov Ryumkin / Go to the mediabankTaken captive by Soviet forces directed to the rear, 2nd Ukrainian front
Taken captive by Soviet forces directed to the rear, 2nd Ukrainian front
© Sputnik / Anatoliy GaraninBalloon on Nevsky Prospekt in Leningrad.
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© Sputnik / Anatoliy Garanin
Balloon on Nevsky Prospekt in Leningrad.
© Sputnik / Yakov Ryumkin / Go to the mediabankThe soldiers stand on the wreckage of one of the German pillboxes blown up by Soviet troops. Leningrad Front.
The soldiers stand on the wreckage of one of the German pillboxes blown up by Soviet troops. Leningrad Front.
© Sputnik / Anatoliy GaraninA mother shelters her child during the shelling. Bryansk Front 1941.
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© Sputnik / Anatoliy Garanin
A mother shelters her child during the shelling. Bryansk Front 1941.
© Sputnik / Anatoliy GaraninMobilization during Great Patriotic War, June 23, 1941
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© Sputnik / Anatoliy Garanin
Mobilization during Great Patriotic War, June 23, 1941
Soldiers during exercises, Bryansk Front
© Sputnik / Mark Markov-Grinberg / Go to the mediabankSoviet soldiers receive mail, 2nd Belorussian Front
Soviet soldiers receive mail, 2nd Belorussian Front
© Sputnik / Anatoliy GaraninDrills of infantry reserves.
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© Sputnik / Anatoliy Garanin
Drills of infantry reserves.
© Sputnik / Anatoliy Garanin / Go to the mediabankThe rays of the searchlights of the air defence troops illuminate the sky of Moscow. Moscow, June 1941.
The rays of the searchlights of the air defence troops illuminate the sky of Moscow. Moscow, June 1941.
© Sputnik / Anatoliy Garanin / Go to the mediabankMajor Mozgov’s tank during a battle in the Zmiev area, Southwestern Front
Major Mozgov’s tank during a battle in the Zmiev area, Southwestern Front
Preparing the aircraft for takeoff.
© Sputnik / Anatoliy Garanin / Go to the mediabankMedics helping wounded soldiers, the Crimean Front
Medics helping wounded soldiers, the Crimean Front
© Sputnik / Vsevolod Tarasevich / Go to the mediabankSoviet soldiers of the 115th division, Major General Konkov Vasily Fomich, are preparing for battle on the left bank of the Neva, captured by the division. Leningrad Front.
Soviet soldiers of the 115th division, Major General Konkov Vasily Fomich, are preparing for battle on the left bank of the Neva, captured by the division. Leningrad Front.
© Sputnik / Vsevolod TarasevichLeningrad during the shelling. 1 March 1942
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© Sputnik / Vsevolod Tarasevich
Leningrad during the shelling. 1 March 1942
© Sputnik / Vsevolod TarasevichResidents of besieged Leningrad are collecting water from a broken water supply on an icy street.
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© Sputnik / Vsevolod Tarasevich
Residents of besieged Leningrad are collecting water from a broken water supply on an icy street.
© Sputnik / Yevgeny KhaldeiВеликая Отечественная война 1941-1945 годов.
Residents of the capital on 22 June 1941 during a radio announcement on the German attack on the USSR
Residents of the capital on 22 June 1941 during a radio announcement on the German attack on the USSR
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© Sputnik / Yevgeny Khaldei
Великая Отечественная война 1941-1945 годов.
Residents of the capital on 22 June 1941 during a radio announcement on the German attack on the USSR
Residents of the capital on 22 June 1941 during a radio announcement on the German attack on the USSR
© Sputnik / Yevgeny KhaldeiAnti-aircraft gunners guard the sky over the liberated Sevastopol.
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© Sputnik / Yevgeny Khaldei
Anti-aircraft gunners guard the sky over the liberated Sevastopol.
© Sputnik / Evgeniy Haldei / Go to the mediabankK. Mikhailov nurse during the battle bandages the wounded, Crimea
K. Mikhailov nurse during the battle bandages the wounded, Crimea
© Sputnik / Anatoly Sergeev-VasilievYak-9 fighter
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© Sputnik / Anatoly Sergeev-Vasiliev
Yak-9 fighter
© Sputnik / Yevgeny KhaldeiResidents of the village of Omolitsa welcome the Soviet pilot Semen Boyko, who flew first to Yugoslav land.
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© Sputnik / Yevgeny Khaldei
Residents of the village of Omolitsa welcome the Soviet pilot Semen Boyko, who flew first to Yugoslav land.
© Sputnik / Yevgeny KhaldeiSoviet machine gunners during street battles in the area of Grafskaya pier in Sevastopol
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© Sputnik / Yevgeny Khaldei
Soviet machine gunners during street battles in the area of Grafskaya pier in Sevastopol
© Sputnik / Yevgeny KhaldeiCaptured Six Barrel Mortars
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© Sputnik / Yevgeny Khaldei
Captured Six Barrel Mortars
© Sputnik / Yevgeny KhaldeiVictory Banner over Berlin
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© Sputnik / Yevgeny Khaldei
Victory Banner over Berlin