Volunteers
of the Victory
International team of volunteers for the 75th anniversary of the Victory
Go to the Russian version
About the Movement
Volunteers of the Victory is a team of concerned active people from 47 countries, who are united with common goals to preserve the historical memory about the most destroying war of 20th century as well as maintain peace, harmony, international friendship and solidarity by studying history so as to prevent tragedies of the past from happening again.
Areas of work
Generational bond
We study history firsthand. Sometimes one book contradicts another, and articles on the Internet raise questions, that is why it is important to receive information from real eyewitnesses. While communicating with veterans, war participants and home front workers, we understand how terrible the war is and how it destroys the destinies and families of ordinary people. Veterans are already quite old people; we help them with cleaning and take care of them, do the shopping and just talk. This is how we personally say «thank you» to the people who defeated Nazism. Nazism is an evil that they had to face and defeat sacrificing their health and life. Millions of people who survived the siege of Leningrad fought for life every day receiving just 300 grams of bread made from sawdust and wallpaper paste. And today the younger generation should be grateful to the people who have defeated this «brown plague». We believe that it is necessary, not in word but in deeds, to help victorious veterans. Veterans attend events and meetings with young people while volunteers create international video archive recording their memories and organize teleconferences between youth and veterans from all over the world.
Memories
Refurbishing and repairing memorial sites and war graves
A high price was paid for the victory over Nazism. Today many fallen heroes who laid down their lives in the name of Victory are buried in mass graves. Unfortunately, not all of them are in good condition. Every year thousands of memorial sites are renewed by the efforts of Volunteers of the Victory, but still not all of them are cleaned up and repaired. There are objects that have been neglected and need refurbishing.In this regard, Volunteers of the Victory carry out practical activities all year round to preserve the memory of the Victory in World War II by engaging volunteers to work on refurbishing of Walks of Fame, memorial sites, war graves and public spaces. Commemorative places, which our International team of volunteers for the 75th anniversary of the Victory take care of, are put on the Memorial sites map
Memorial sites map
International campaigns
Volunteers of the Victory annually organize international events aimed at preserving historical memory such as the «Memorial Garden» , «Letter of Victory», «St. George’s Ribbon» as well as assist in holding the Immortal Regiment march etc.You can join these and other events! For more details, contact the country project coordinator.
Educational projects
Volunteers of the Victory study history using modern and interesting formats. You can become a participant of international historical quests and intellectual games related to the history of World War II.
Quiz
My history
Family is the most important thing for each of us.Where can you find out information about your relatives? What archives should you contact? How to make an application correctly? What can some old documents stored in your bookcase drawer tell?Volunteers of «My history» project will help you to answer these questions.If your family roots search leads you to Russia, we could try to help you retrace your family history. Please, send your request to victoryteam75@vsezapobedu.com with your name, region of residence, requested information about the wanted person and your relationship with him. If available, attach scans of existing documents.
Archives
The International competition «Ambassadors of the Victory»
Volunteers of the Victory from Russia invite activists from all over the world to take part in the International competition «Ambassadors of the Victory». The best 200 volunteers from around the world annually help to organize the Victory Parade and the People’s March «Immortal Regiment» in Moscow on Red Square as part of various functional groups.You have an opportunity to contribute to the preservation of the history of World War II!
Memories
Yani Tsapo (Republic of Albania)
Yani was born in Albania, Berat – one of the most ancient and picturesque cities. He faced the war when he was a child, firstly learned the horrors of Italian, then German occupation. Despite his young age, he fearlessly helped the partisans, and sheltered the wounded in his house with his mother. He kept the history of his family’s struggle by writing the book «The Unrecognized Hero».
Klavdiya Dmitirevna Terekhova (Republic of Latvia)
From the very beginning of the war, Klavdiya Dmitrievna worked as a battalion paramedic. Being just a young girl, forgetting about sleeping and eating, sparing no effort, she stayed up near the operating table, helping the wounded. However, her most terrible memories are about Battle of the Dnieper and crossing the Dnieper river in 1943. At that time, the river turned blood red due to the huge death toll. Klavdiya Dmitrievna was awarded later for her courage and perseverance equal to that of other soldiers who managed to cross to the other side of the river.
Irina Andreevna Prokopenko (Republic of the Congo)
Not only front soldiers but also homefront workers brought the Victory closer by their hard work. Such was Irina Andreevna, who was an ordinary 15-year-old schoolgirl in a small town in Central Asia when the war began. Forgetting about textbooks, former students worked day and night in factories and workshops, someone made shells, and someone processed cotton. She still remembers both the joy of the end of the war and the return of her father from the front while keeping the pain of losses in her heart. Irina Andreevna’s awards and medals remind her of those sleepless tough days.
Serge Monololl (Republic of Mauritius)
Serge began his military career at the age of 16 and during the entire World War II he took part in the battles in Egypt, Italy and Palestine on the side of the allies. They had to endure many hardships and wanderings until they managed to defeat the enemy.
Archives
Munich Agreement
«Munich Agreement» (1938) is one of the key events preceding World War II. On September 30, 1938, the agreement on the annexation of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia by Germany was signed at the conference of the heads of government of Great Britain (Neville Chamberlain), France (Édouard Daladier), Germany (Adolf Hitler) and Italy (Benito Mussolini).The agreement signed in Munich, was a vivid manifestation of the «appeasement» policy, pursued by London and Paris with the aim of achieving collusion with Germany at the expense of the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe, to ward off Hitler's aggression and direct it to the East, against the Soviet Union. It was a step towards the most destructive war in human history.
Source:(https://historyrussia.org/proekty/80-letie-myunkhenskogo-soglashenie-1938-goda.html)
Statements of German war prisoner
Statements of German war prisoner corporal K. Weiman about the pogroms in the Warsaw ghetto on August 30, 1943German war prisoner corporal K. Weiman told about the pogroms in the Warsaw ghetto on August 30, 1943. Thousands of Jews, including women, old people, children, starved to death in the Warsaw ghetto due to lack of food, but the Germans deliberately reduced their number, periodically organized raids, took out up to 1000 Jews at a time, ordered them to strip naked and shot them.
Source:(http://warsaw75.mil.ru/images/tild3763-6533-4666-b732-646337303637__32-11306-420-86.jpg)
Liberation of Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic Certificate
The certificate, prepared by the head of the political department of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, reported on the state of the liberated cities of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and the atrocities in its capital, based on the statements of the residents of Chisinau. Citizens, especially Russian and Jewish, were subjects of cruel persecution for their commitment to the Soviet system.
Source: (https://kishinev75.mil.ru/images/tild3632-6337-4164-b030-383037313563__243-2914-53-85.jpg)
Order on protection of cultural properties
Unlike the Nazi invaders, the Soviet government and the command of the Red Army treated cultural properties of the German people with respect. All valuable sites of German cultural heritage were taken under protection to ensure their safety: the archive, the house in the park and the Goethe house-museum, Martin Luther's cell in the Augustine monastery. Besides.There were actions taken to search for paintings by famous world artists from the Dresden Gallery, exhibits and collections of scientific and historical significance of the Museum of Natural History. Thanks to the painstaking work of Soviet soldiers, canvases by Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck and other great masters were found.
Source:
(http://berlin75.mil.ru/)
Opinions about Volunteers of the Victory
Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
«Volunteers of the Victory form « International team of volunteers for the 75th anniversary of the Victory». We expect other volunteer organizations of our compatriots abroad to join this initiative».
Ana Brnabich, Prime-Minister of the Republic of Serbia
«It is important to preserve the memory of those killed in World War II, and it is especially crucial to young generations to remember the sacrifices made by brave soldiers in battles».
Kasym-Zhomart Tokaev, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
«As the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, I support volunteering. Volunteers give assistance to veterans of the Great Patriotic War. It is a good initiative. Of course, we will support this idea in Kazakhstan».
Dinara Sadvakasova, Chairman of Republican Public Association «The United Children and Youth Organization «ZhasUlan» (Republic of Kazakhstan)
«We need to pass down knowledge about the Great Patriotic war and World War II to our children. If they know and remember, they would tell their children in the future, thus the generational bond would not be broken and the memory would be preserved for many years. To this end, we need to promote «The Volunteers of the Victory» movement at the international level».
Murat Moldagaliev, Chairman of the Public Association «Atamnyn amanaty» board
«A memorandum of understanding was signed with Volunteers of the Victory, and I am grateful for this cooperation, as our joint efforts in the search for the remains of soldiers has become easier and more interesting. With your help we managed to find the burial place of Kazakhstani soldiers in Voronezh».
Karima Sebaa, Coordinator of the project «International team of volunteers for the 75th anniversary of the Victory» in the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
«The tragedy of World War II should be a lesson for future generations».
Ekaterina Kardash, Coordinator of the project «International team of volunteers for the 75th anniversary of the Victory» in the Republic of Cyprus
«A country of residence doesn’t matter, because we are united by one common goal – to preserve the memory of the most important events in history».
Quiz

Germany attacked the USSR on June 22, 1941. What percentage of its armed forces did Germany concentrate on the eastern border?

Correct answer: 73.5% of the total number of Wehrmacht divisions
were allocated for the Eastern campaign in total. Most of the troops had combat experience gained in previous military campaigns. So 127 (81.9%) out of 155 divisions participated in military operations in Europe in 1939-1941, and the remaining 28 divisions were partly staffed by experienced personnel.

By the summer of 1941, Germany and its allies occupied 12 countries in Europe (Austria, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia and Greece). How many of them were fully or partially liberated by the Red Army in 1944-45?

Correct answer: Seven countries (Austria, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Poland, Yugoslavia, Norway, Denmark)
were fully or partially liberated by the Red Army in 1944-1945 during Stalin’s ten blows.

What operation of the Soviet troops began at the same time as the Allied operation «Overlord», which made it possible to make a successful landing in Normandy?

Correct answer: The success of operation «Overlord»
in June, 1944 was greatly facilitated by the Soviet offensive Bagration, during which the German group of armies «Center» was defeated in Belarus and the German General headquarters was nearly paralyzed. The liberation of France would have been impossible without the success of the Red Army.

What offensive of the Red Army began ahead of schedule due to the need to help the allied forces in the Ardennes region in the winter of 1944-1945?

Correct answer: In the course of its decisive offensive, the Red Army saved not only the peoples of Europe suffering from the atrocities of the German occupation, but also the troops of the Western allies themselves.
At the moment when the Anglo-American troops got into a crisis in the Ardennes region in the winter of 1944-1945, the Soviet military leadership led by Stalin at Churchill's request launched its general offensive (Weichsel-Oder Offensive) eight days ahead of schedule, although the Soviet strike was not yet fully prepared. Of course, this decision brought Victory closer and significantly improved the position of the Allies, but it also increased the losses of Soviet troops. The battles for the liberation of Poland lasted for a total of nine months, more than 600 thousand Soviet soldiers were killed in the battles.

It is known that Marshal Ivan Konev forbade the use of heavy artillery during the assault on Krakow in order to preserve the historical monuments in it. Marshal Fedor Tolbukhin followed this example during the liberation of the following capital:

Correct answer: During the liberation of Vienna, Marshal of the Soviet Union Fedor Tolbukhin preventing the destruction of the city forbade the use of heavy artillery.
He called on the residents of the Austrian capital in a radio message to resist the destruction of buildings by the Nazis - in view of the soon liberation of the city by the Red Army. 26, 006 Soviet soldiers were killed in the battles on Austrian soil.

The destruction of which city, which could have become a cultural catastrophe for Europe, was prevented by the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Ivan Konev?

Correct answer: The last territory that the Red Army liberated after Field Marshal Keitel signed the defeat of Germany was the Czech Republic. Ivan Konev recalled that on May 9, 1945 it was impossible to receive «not a single intelligible report from any of the army commanders» about the liberation of the city. The reason for this is «the jubilation of the people of Prague. The streets were full of demonstrations. When a Soviet officer appeared, they immediately took him to a friendly full, began to hug, kiss, swing. One by one, all my liaison officers were surrounded - kisses, treats, flowers ...»

Name the bloodiest battle in World War II, after which underground groups became active in all occupied cities of Europe:

Correct answer: The victory of the Soviet Union in the Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943)
has a huge military and political significance worldwide. A major breakthrough in the entire war occurred.

The leaders of which countries were called the «Big Three» and were the part of the Anti-Hitler coalition?

Correct answer: Great Britain, USA, USSR
Anti-Hitler coalition is a military-political union of states and peoples led by the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, directed against the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) and their satellites, which existed during World War II.

Where did the allied forces meet on April 25, 1945?

Correct answer: On the Elbe. According to the memories of Colonel-General Gleb Baklanov, the commander of the 34th Guards Corps and his colleagues, they had a joyful feeling of approaching the end of the war, the Victory.
The meeting on the Elbe is not only a political and symbolic, but also an important military episode of World War II. The Western and Eastern fronts were connected, which caused the division of the German army into two isolated groups - northern and southern. The northern part consisted of the still sufficiently combat-ready German troops, fiercely defending Berlin. In its dungeons the fascist elite headed by Hitler was hiding. The southern one was led by Field Marshal Schörner, who later categorically refused to obey the decision of the Reich leadership to unconditionally surrender and continued to resist Soviet troops in Czechoslovakia.

In which city, from November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946, was the international trial of the former leaders of Nazi Germany held, in which the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and France acted as prosecutors?

Correct answer: The issue of punishing Nazi criminals was also discussed by the leaders of the USSR, Great Britain and the United States.
Thus, in the declaration, agreed upon during the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers of the Three Powers and published on November 2, 1943, signed by Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, it was stated that Nazi officers and soldiers who committed «atrocities, murders and mass executions» on the territory of the occupied countries, after the end of the war, they will be sent «to the places of their crimes and will be judged by the peoples against whom they committed violence.» The trial took place in conference room No. 600 of the Palace of Justice of Nuremberg. It began on November 20, 1945 and lasted for about 11 months. 403 open court sessions took place. 360 witnesses were questioned and about 200,000 affidavits were considered.
Total points
Memorial sites