THE Russian city once known as Stalingrad yesterday marked the end of one of modern warfare's bloodiest battles with a military parade, a concert and a visit from President Vladimir Putin.
The city – which was renamed Volgograd in 1961 and which lies 560 miles south of Moscow – suffered six months of intensive fighting, beginning with massive air strikes, as Nazi forces tried to push deep into the Soviet Union and reach its Caucasus oil fields. At least 1.2 million people are estimated to have died before the fighting ended on February 2, 1943.
We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
