Vicinity of Mamaev Kurgan Painting

Mamaev Kurgan is a place that is most directly connected with the events of World War II, with the period of the Battle of Stalingrad. For 140 days and nights, the troops of the 62nd Army under the command of V.I. Chuikov (13, 52 guards rifle divisions, 95, 112, 284 divisions, 10 divisions of the NKVD troops, etc.) stood to death on the slopes of the Mamaev Kurgan, which occupied a key position in battles for Stalingrad. Therefore, whoever owned the mound at that time also owned the city. That is why, keeping this height in your hands was a matter of life or death. The fierce nature of the battles for this height is confirmed by the fact that immediately after the battle, on every square meter of the land of the Mamayev Kurgan, from 500 to 1250 fragments from shells were found. According to some estimates, the losses of both sides amounted to about two million people. The Mamayev Kurgan was of great strategic importance: from its top, an excellent view was opened, and, therefore, the possibility of shelling the territory, including the crossing of the Volga. To maintain this height for the troops of the 62nd Army and its commander, Lieutenant General V.I. Chuikov was a matter of life and death. During September 1942, the top of the Mamayev Kurgan repeatedly passed from hand to hand, and the Nazis stormed it 10-12 times a day. At the same time, the hardest battles were fought throughout the city, which was hit by a massive bombardment. As Marshal Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov later said twice, Hero of the Soviet Union, in total, the enemy concentrated 50 percent of the tank and motorized formations of the Soviet-German front and 35 percent of all infantry troops in the southern direction. The soldiers of the Red Army put up heroic resistance. The battles were fought literally for every inch of land. Grenades and Molotov cocktails rained down on the tanks from rooftops and windows. Of the thousands of buildings, only stone frames remained. "We will take him," Hitler vowed on September 30, and on November 7, he boldly declared that Stalingrad belonged to the Germans, "with the exception of a few very small parts." However, the memoirs of the German correspondent paint a different picture: “It is impossible to imagine what it means to conduct continuous battles all day and night, remaining in unprotected space. The fire of the Russian artillery does not stop for an instant. Tanks are shooting at us from all sides. Russian planes are bombing us. It is literally an avalanche of shells, creating a hell through which our infantry must break. The enemy's fury defies description. " Burned, dug by explosions, Mamayev Kurgan was completely black even in winter, literally charred. In January 1943, the battle for Hill 102 began with renewed vigor. On January 25, the top of Mamaev Kurgan again passed to the troops of the 62nd Army, which the next day united here with the 21st and 65th armies. The enemy troops were split into two and eliminated within a week. In the spring of 1943, not even the grass turned green here. On this frosty day, the tragedy is remembered. But the lives of many thousands of soldiers were given in the name of peace and the continuation of a peaceful life. Watercolor painted professional watercolors Daniel Smith on archival watercolor paper Arshes (100% cotton, cold pressed, 300 g / m2). Size: 20 х 26 cm (7,87 x 10,23 inch). The watercolor is not framed. A Certificate of Authenticity comes with the watercolor signed by Pavel Pugachev.