It was not so long ago, witnesses of those events are still alive, but they themselves began to be forgotten. And only the excavations of the Great Patriotic War show how many were killed at that time.
A bit of history
It all started on June 22, 1941, when German troops entered the USSR. For a long time, the Soviet army suffered defeat, but at the end of 1942 there was a certain turning point. Germany began to lose one battle after another.
In the end, despite all the tricks of the German army, the Nazis lost the war. From a strong power, Germany turned into a weak one. Of course, other countries also suffered. But the Soviet Union suffered the biggest losses.
Excavations from the time of the Great Patriotic War show how large-scale some battles were, allow you to see the big picture. Of course, many interesting facts are now being discovered about which nothing was known. But nothing reduces human losses, crippled destinies, broken families.
Places where big battles took place in Russia
As is known from history, during the Second World War,several large battles in which many people died, a large amount of equipment was destroyed. Consider the most famous of them, which were on the territory of the then Soviet Union.
Battle of Moscow
It is divided into two stages: the first (1941-30-09-12/5/1941), when Moscow was defended, and the second (12/5/1941-1942-20-04), when the Germans were attacked and further rout. This battle was a very important moment in the war. Russian soldiers realized that the German army was not so invincible, which undoubtedly strengthened their morale.
Battle of Stalingrad
It is also divided into two stages. The defensive lasted from 1942-17-07 to 1942-18-11, and the offensive - from 1942-19-11 to 1943-02-02. This battle was won, which marked the beginning of the victory of the Soviet Union over the German invaders. However, there were many more battles ahead.
Battle of Kursk
The defensive stage was relatively small: from 1943-05-07 to 1943-23-07. The offensive lasted a little longer: from 1943-12-07 to 1943-23-08. Obviously, previous victories affected. The moment of the attack on the Germans marked the beginning of the liberation of such cities as Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov. Also, as a result of this battle, Soviet troops went on the offensive against the enemy. This battle is also significant in that the largest tank battle took place at the same time (near Prokhorovka).
Even now, excavations continue at the sites of those battles. Their result is numerous finds not only of the remains of people who died at that time, but also of the militarytechnology. However, the main goal for which these excavations of the Great Patriotic War are carried out is still the identification of the dead, sending data about them to their relatives, establishing monuments at the battlefields, etc.
Sites of big battles in other countries
A big battle also took place on the territory of Belarus, also known as Operation Bagration. His goal was to defeat the German group "Center", as well as the liberation of the Belarusian lands. It was a very large-scale operation, during which the enemy was thrown out from many territories. There were also a lot of people and equipment lost by the Germans.
Another big and final battle took place already in Germany - this is the so-called Berlin operation, the liberation event of 1945. To participate in it attracted troops from the Belarusian and Ukrainian fronts. Operation ended on May 8th.
Excavations of the Great Patriotic War are also carried out in these places, there are the remains of soldiers and old equipment.
Research Features
Excavations of the Second World War, as noted above, continue today. True, finds are no longer on the same scale, often this happens by accident. For a long time, the so-called black diggers competed with the official excavations. Naturally, they were only interested in profit, because the trophies of the Second World War were very much appreciated (and even now interest in them has not faded) on the black market.
If we talk about today, then the excavations of the Great Patriotic War are underwayonly enthusiasts. There are entire groups, clubs that are strong in their patriotism. They study history in more detail to conduct accurate searches. In order to implement them, you need a different technique. For example, uncleared mines of those times can still be found. Then you need a knowledgeable person (sapper) to neutralize them.
To lift heavy equipment from the bottom of water bodies, swamps or lakes, adaptations are also needed. First, you need to accurately determine its location using a metal detector. Secondly, sometimes official permission is required. Thirdly, you need to hire divers, lifting equipment and much more.
Excavations in Belarus
Excavations of the Great Patriotic War in Belarus are intensively carried out. A great battle also swept through this country, which left behind a large number of dead people and failed or abandoned equipment. The state has created many special search groups that are looking for the burial places of soldiers so that they can be identified and reported to relatives. Of course, this is not always possible.
Excavations in Russia
It's hard to imagine how great were the human losses during the war, as well as how much equipment was destroyed. For example, an officer's grave of Germans was found in Belgorod. The dead during the battles near Kursk were brought here. They continued to bury soldiers here until Belgorod was liberated. They have all been identified.
Only recently carried out excavations of the Great Patriotic War in the Kaluga region made it possible to discover a burial in which twenty people were identified. By the way, this happens very rarely, since enough time has already passed.
The land in the vicinity of the Prokhorovsky district (one of the sites of the Battle of Kursk) still produces some artifacts of the Great Patriotic War every year. Among them there are also dangerous objects (mines, grenades). Every time you have to call in sappers to neutralize them.
And so it is happening throughout the territory of modern Russia. They try to restore each find as much as possible (if it is a thing). When the remains are found, everything necessary is done to identify the deceased.
Known tanks used during World War II
From the documents and photos of the excavations of the war, one can judge what weapons were used. Particularly tanks. The battle near Prokhorovka is indicative, where about 400 enemy vehicles were destroyed. But even beyond this battle, such military equipment was used throughout the war. Some tanks were modernized, others were produced in small quantities, and some models are still in use.
The following machines were supplied by the Germans:
- “Panther” – this medium tank was considered one of the best, even having some flaws, it was first used in the Battle of Kursk.
- “Tiger I” – this tank was heavyand very expensive.
- A series of Panzerkampfwagen tanks.
The following technique was used by the Soviet Union and the countries that were on its side:
- T-34 is a medium-weight tank with many modifications. T-34-85 is still among the existing equipment in some countries, was considered the best during the Second World War.
- “Matilda” is an English tank.
- Series of KV tanks.
- IS Tank Series.
- “Valentine” is a Canadian tank.
Excavations of tanks: interesting facts
The ongoing excavations of tanks of the Great Patriotic War are very significant for history. Some pieces of equipment exist in several copies, for example, the T-60 tank is now available in the amount of six pieces in more or less good condition. These tanks were very light, due to this they had great speed and maneuverability. The Germans called them “indestructible locusts.”
Also, a T-34 tank was found in Ukraine, which is about seventy years old. Such samples were produced during the Second World War for only a couple of years. After they were replaced by more advanced tanks. Such specimens were found in two places.
Some time ago, a scandal erupted over a raised T-70 tank, which was found in the Rostov region. They tried to take him out illegally, without any documents. Believed to be for a private collection.
Thus, we can say that such a technique is highly valued in the world. Of course, this is also a great treasure in terms ofstories. Today there are many more such burials, even famous ones. But it is not always possible to get tanks, as well as get official permission to excavate.
Museums of the Great Patriotic War
Now the museums contain numerous finds that were found in places where excavations of the Great Patriotic War were carried out (photo below). Of course, not all of them get there, but still. Every country has museums of the Great Patriotic War, and sometimes there are even several of them. For example, in Russia they are available in Moscow) and St. Petersburg.
Also, a large memorial complex is located in Kyiv, it is represented by a huge variety of exhibits (more than fifteen thousand).
No less grandiose is the museum in Minsk. It contains at least 143 thousand items. They are all listed in chronological order.
Latest finds
Excavations of the Great Patriotic War of 2014 also yielded many finds. These are various burials, and different equipment. For example, in January, a bomber was found near the village of Sirgala. Even the pilot sitting at the helm was identified. And in Volgograd, numerous shells of the Second World War were discovered. And there are many such cases. What ended a long time ago fills today with its echoes.
