The Great Patriotic War - Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk
|
|
|
| The battles for Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk were three of the most pivotal events in the Second World War (or the Great Patriotic War as it is known in Russia). The stakes were high. In the summer of 1941 the German blitzkrieg had carried all before it - and if Hitler's forces had captured Moscow they might well have won the war in the east. But the staunch defence of Moscow Russia's capital in the winter of 1941-42 heralded the beginning of the Soviet fight-back. |
 |
| A second German onslaught in the summer of 1942 saw great advances in southern Russia and the Ukraine, as Hitler strove to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus. But his offensive ground to a halt at Stalingrad, Stalin's namesake city on the Volga, and this titanic battle marked the turning point of the war. In a remarkable turnaround of fortunes, the German attackers were first surrounded and then destroyed in the ruined city of Stalingrad, and the Red Army commenced its drive westwards. In a last ditch attempt to stem the Russian tide, Hitler launched a last massive offensive at Kursk in July 1943, which led to the greatest tank battle in history. |
| 'After Stalingrad, I am no longer afraid', one Red Army soldier stated simply, yet powerfully. It is hard for us to imagine the intensity of the fighting on the eastern front. Before the second world war, one Soviet veteran was terrified by the sight of blood. 'When my mum asked me to kill a hen, I just couldn't do it', he said. But at Kursk in 1943, when German tanks 'ironed' his trench, rolling over it and then reversing, to bury the defenders in the collapsed earth, he summoned the will to push his way out of the clay soil, clutching two Molotov cocktails, and then blew up their assailant. |
 |
Our Great Patriotic War Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk tour to Russia led by historian Mike Jones provides a unique opportunity to visit some of the most extraordinary battlefields and museums of the Second World War. On our way into Moscow, we see the massive tank traps, which show how close the Germans got to the city in December 1941. We stand on the Mamaev Kurgan - the hill that dominated Stalingrad - and view the course of the fighting and pay tribute to the slain. The hill was bombed and shelled so heavily it would literally change shape before the defenders' eyes. And we walk the now tranquil fields of Ponyri and Prokhorovka - the northern and southern salients at Kursk - where in 1943 the tide of the Great Patriotic War finally turned. |
Itinerary
| Day 1 |
(Saturday): We begin with Titan HiTours VIP Home Departure Service™ to the airport. Fly London-Moscow. Check into our hotel for a 3 night stay. |
|
| Day 2 |
Drive out to the massive tank Museum at Kubinka with its huge collection of WW2 armoured vehicles, which has only recently been open to Westerners. |
|
| Day 3 |
Visit the Museum of the Defence of Moscow. After lunch we visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. |
|
| Day 4 |
This morning we take a tour around central Moscow, including the GUM department store, the Lubyanka, Red Square and Lenin's tomb. There will be an opportunity for some free time before we catch the late evening flight to Volgograd (Stalingrad) and check into our hotel for three nights. |
|
| Day 5 |
Drive to the river Don, and visit the 'meeting of the armies' memorial near Kalach. Return to Volgograd mid-afternoon and visit the new museum in the basement of the Univermag Department Store, where the German commander Paulus had his last HQ. |
|
| Day 6 |
Full exploratory tour of the Stalingrad battlefield, including the Mamaev Kurgan, the Factory District, the Grain Elevator, 'Lyudnikov's Island', Pavlov's House and the Stalingrad Panorama Museum. |
|
| Day 7 |
We take a boat trip up the Volga past the giant Mother Russia monument and up to the Factory District. There will be an opportunity for some free time before our return flight to Moscow. Check into our Moscow hotel for one night. |
|
| Day 8 |
This morning we will visit the Central Armed Forces museum, which traces the history of the Russian army from its earliest days up to the present. In the afternoon we visit the Izmailovo Flea Market and Arbat Street before we catch the overnight train to Kursk. |
|
| Day 9 |
We visit the battle of Kursk museum, and follow the 'death ride' of the Fourth Panzer Army, viewing preserved trenches and gun emplacements, and touring the battlefield and museum at Prokhorovka, scene of the greatest tank battle in history. Check into our hotel in Kursk. |
|
| Day 10 |
We drive to Ponyri station, and look at events on the 'northern shoulder' of the Kursk battle. Return by overnight train to Moscow. |
|
| Day 11 |
Arrive in Moscow. This morning we explore the Kremlin before meeting with veterans from the Great Patriotic War over lunch at the Central Headquarters of the Russian Army Veterans Association in Moscow. Check in to our Moscow hotel for one night. |
|
| Day 12 |
Fly Moscow - London. On arrival at the airport Titan staff will greet you and transfer you to your Titan transport for the return journey to your front door. |
|
