80 Years Since Soviet Army Liberated Odessa From Nazi Occupation
80 Years Since Soviet Army Liberated Odessa From Nazi Occupation
Sputnik International
On April 10, 1944, Soviet troops liberated the city of Odessa. The enemy suffered severe losses, while the city not only withstood the siege and suffering but its defenders gave a crushing blow to the occupiers.
Odessa was the key commercial port of the former Russian Empire, mostly exporting grain. In terms of wealth and cultural significance, the city's only rivals at the time were St. Petersburg and Moscow. The Nazi invaders saw the Odessa operation as a mere cakewalk, seeking to make it a center of a future Third Reich local governorship.However, the enemy's plans completely failed as the city stood strong against the invaders. The siege lasted from August 5 to October 16, 1941, and became a national symbol of heroic resistance.Once the city was defended, the Soviet command decided to evacuate the local population and leave Odessa for strategic purposes. The evacuation covered Odessa-based manufacturing facilities, about 300,000 civilians, as well as the Black Sea forces alongside artillery. The evacuation was carried out by land and sea and allowed the Soviet Army to regroup and prepare for the upcoming offense to force the Nazis out of the region.Soviet forces launched the Odessa offensive on March 26, 1944, during which the armies of the 3rd Ukrainian Front liberated the city. It followed the Soviet Bereznegovatoye–Snigirevka offensive in early March which pushed the German 6th Army back to behind the Southern Bug River and allowed the Red Army to occupy better ground and move through the area.A red banner raised over the Odessa Opera Theater on April 10 became a symbol of the city's liberation from the occupants.Check out Sputnik's gallery to get a look at one of the most important chapters of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).
On April 10, 1944, Soviet troops liberated the city of Odessa. The enemy suffered severe losses, while the city not only withstood the siege and suffering but its defenders gave a crushing blow to the occupiers.
Odessa was the key commercial port of the former Russian Empire, mostly exporting grain. In terms of wealth and cultural significance, the city's only rivals at the time were St. Petersburg and Moscow. The Nazi invaders saw the Odessa operation as a mere cakewalk, seeking to make it a center of a future Third Reich local governorship.
However, the enemy's plans completely failed as the city stood strong against the invaders. The siege lasted from August 5 to October 16, 1941, and became a national symbol of heroic resistance.
Once the city was defended, the Soviet command decided to evacuate the local population and leave Odessa for strategic purposes. The evacuation covered Odessa-based manufacturing facilities, about 300,000 civilians, as well as the Black Sea forces alongside artillery. The evacuation was carried out by land and sea and allowed the Soviet Army to regroup and prepare for the upcoming offense to force the Nazis out of the region.
Soviet forces launched the Odessa offensive on March 26, 1944, during which the armies of the 3rd Ukrainian Front liberated the city. It followed the Soviet Bereznegovatoye–Snigirevka offensive in early March which pushed the German 6th Army back to behind the Southern Bug River and allowed the Red Army to occupy better ground and move through the area.
Local residents standing in line to get water in the besieged city. Water for Odessa came from the Dniester River, where an intake station was built in the village of Belyaevka.
Soviet engineers fixing BT tanks (also referred to as "fast moving" or "high-speed" tanks) before being sent to the front lines. The equipment was being maintained at the January Uprising Mechanical Plant, named after P.K. Romanov.
3rd Ukrainian front troops in battle close to anti-tank fences near Odessa. The Odessa offensive was carried out by the 3rd Ukrainian front together with the Black Sea Fleet in March 26 - April 14, 1944.
Odessa residents O. Polak and O. Klefortova handing the Red Banner over to the partisan detachment that entered the city. Locals kept the banner throughout the entire Nazi occupation.
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