summary:
The Pavlov Building is a four-story apartment building in the center of Stalingrad. It is built on the bank of the Volga River and overlooks the "January 9th Square" (a large square that commemorates the Bloody Sunday). In September 1942, the building was attacked by the Germans, and a platoon of the Soviet 13th Guard Rifle Division was ordered to defend it. This platoon was commanded by Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, and he served as the platoon commander because all the lieutenants or senior non-commissioned officers in the platoon were injured or killed. The strategic significance of this building is that it can guard a key area on the Volga River. And its tactical advantage is that it is located at a crossroads, providing the defending side with a view of one kilometer to the north, south, and west. [1] At the beginning of the defense, Pavlov and his men found 10 civilians hiding in the basement and armed them. A few days later, he received reinforcements and supplies, equipped with machine guns, anti-tank rifles and mortars, making it a 25-person but not full platoon. In order to comply with Stalin's Order No. 227-"No step back", Sergeant Pavlov was ordered to build fortifications and guard the building. He ordered the building to be surrounded by four layers of barbed wire and minefields, and machine guns were arranged at every window facing the square. In the early defense, Pavlov discovered that the PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle he placed on the roof was extremely effective against German tank ambushes. Once the tanks entered the building, the thinner armor on the top of their turrets was exposed to the fire of anti-tank guns, and they were too close to the building to raise the elevation angle of the artillery to counterattack. [2] In order to better communicate inside the building, Pavlov’s soldiers pierced the walls of the basement and the floor between the floors, and dug a communication trench leading to the location of other Soviet troops. In the case of German air strikes and shelling, supplies were brought in trenches or by boat crossing the river. Nevertheless, food, especially water, is very scarce. The Germans attacked the building several times a day. Every time German infantry and tanks tried to cross the square and approach the building, Pavlov and his men responded fiercely. Pavlov and his men continued to fight in the building from September 27 to November 25, 1942, until the Soviet army launched a full counterattack in Stalingrad and finally won the battle.
Symbolic meaning: the status quo of the Pavlov building. The inscription reads: This building combines the great achievements of war and labor. We will defend and rebuild you, dear Stalingrad! The Pavlov Building became a symbol of the Soviet Union's heroic resistance in the Battle of Stalingrad. The German blitzkrieg tactics could not cope with the protracted war and the endless resistance of the Soviet army, which prevented the German army from effectively using its advantage to occupy this building. Therefore, the Pavlov Building stood out as a symbol of Soviet military resistance. This building is even called a fortress on the German map. After the battle, Vasily Trikoff jokingly stated that more German troops were killed in an attempt to capture the Pavlov building than they were killed during the capture of Paris. The Pavlov Building has now been rebuilt and a memorial building has been built using bricks left over from the fighting on the Volga River. Sergeant Pavlov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his heroic actions. ----From Wikipedia.
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