"The capital of our Motherland is the hero city of Moscow." These words turned into a kind of cliche, and it, like any literary stamp, gradually replaces the deep meaning that was originally embedded in this concept. What does “hero city” mean? Does this high rank have any advantages? What, solid heroes live here? But what about other cities, villages, villages, towns? Are there few heroes born?
These and other questions have arisen constantly in recent decades, and today it is time to try to answer them, although this will not be easy.
Hero's title and his brief history
Only at the end of World War II did the concept of “hero city” appear. Moscow, although the capital, received this status not immediately and not the first.
In itself, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded in our country since 1934, and was supported by a government letter. In 1939, a more visible symbol appeared in the form of an insignia - a golden star. Only the bravest ones, primarily polar explorers, were awarded this award. When the Great Patriotic War began, exploits became a mass phenomenon both at the front and in the rear, and in territories occupied by the enemy. The advance of the fascist hordes in the summer and autumn of 1941 went quite quickly, but in some areas it stalled, meeting a courageous rebuff from the troops and population. This phenomenon was first assessed by Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin, and this happened at the very end of the war, a few days before the surrender of Germany, on May 1. It was then that the phrase "hero city" sounded. Moscow was not mentioned, they were called Stalingrad, Leningrad, Odessa and Sevastopol. Official decrees were not issued either, everything was limited to a verbal declaration.
The first hero cities
Before the war, Odessa was actually a border city. Romania was within dozens of kilometers, the distance to it could be considered symbolic, even after part of modern Moldova became part of the USSR. In October 1941, the front line continued to remain stable on a stretch passing almost along the outskirts of the city. Around the same time, Wehrmacht officers were already looking through binoculars to the Kremlin stars. The city was abandoned by Soviet troops on the orders of the Headquarters. A huge role in the defense of Odessa was played by the population of the city.
Leningrad was surrounded a little later than Odessa. Every student knew about what the townspeople had to endure: blockade, hunger, bombing, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, unbearable torment. At the same time, industrial enterprises continued to work and produce weapons for the defenders of this great city. He remained unconquered, the occupier’s foot did not set foot on its glorious streets.
Sevastopol ... This word speaks in every Russian heart, it has become a symbol of glory of the Red Army and Navy. The enemy entered it, suffering huge losses, after a long siege that diverted large forces from the attack on Moscow and the Caucasus.
Stalingrad became the place where 22 Nazi divisions found their end. In order to simply cross the street, the Germans here needed to suffer more losses than when capturing entire European countries.
These are the cities that Stalin had in mind when he coined the expression "hero city". Moscow, however, also excelled.
Other Hero Cities
There are currently thirteen of them, including the Brest Hero Fortress. If, according to the original plan of this high rank, settlements were awarded that resisted the enemy during the defense with the mass assistance of the local population, then later on they departed from this rule. In 1961, Kiev was declared a hero city by a decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces, although after two months of defense it was virtually surrendered without a fight. There is an explanation for this, the First Secretary N. S. Khrushchev personally participated in the hostilities, and he was simply "made nice." For approximately the same reasons, they became heroes of the cities of Novorossiysk and Kerch, only there another "Secretary General" led, all the time, this time L. I. Brezhnev. Of course, there were fights there, and very fierce, but they took place near Kharkov, both near Yelnya and near Rzhev ... And Kursk? And indeed, based on historical realities, then few cities from Brest to the Volga deserve this title. Battles thundered everywhere, and they were all terrible.
Few people may wonder why Moscow is a hero city. It’s easy to explain.
The value of Moscow
The Second World War was saturated with symbolism. The French leadership signed surrender in an old carriage, in which the Germans had once been dishonored. Hitler compared himself with Frederick, then with Barbarossa, and his army carried the words “God be with us” on the plaques of belts. For the Nazis, Moscow and Leningrad also became symbols, possessing which they hoped to crush the USSR and Russia. From a military-economic point of view, even a hypothetical fall in the capital did not at all mean victory for Hitler to end the war. The Soviet Union had a titanic industrial base in the Urals and beyond, huge spaces made it possible to conduct hostilities and exhaust the enemy, dispersing forces over millions of square kilometers of occupied territories. However, the surrender of the capital would mean the loss of the most important symbol of the country, the erosion of the moral core and the collapse of hope. This was well understood by Hitler, Stalin, and millions of Soviet people.
Three important factors
These moral factors partly explain why Moscow is a hero city. Other circumstances can be briefly added. In the event of the fall of the Soviet capital, according to intelligence, Japan could enter the war. This time. Until the fall of 1941, German troops advanced only forward, it seemed that nothing could stop them, only detain them. These are two. The whole world watched with excitement the unfolding drama in the East, and the fate of further assistance to the USSR depended on how it developed. These are three. Most likely, there were other factors, but these are considered the most important.
The defeat of the Germans near Moscow
Moscow became the first place on the geographical map where the Wehrmacht suffered a crushing fiasco. It was a rout. The losses were devastating both in personnel and in technology. The moral collapse seemed even more catastrophic. Pre-printed invitations to the "parade of winners" immediately lost their relevance and were shown to the whole world as evidence of shameless arrogance. This alone is enough to claim in December 1941 that Moscow is a hero city. Photos of snow-covered fields dotted with broken German technology and the corpses of the invaders inspired hope for the peoples of the occupied countries and raised serious doubts about the correctness of the political course among Hitler's allies. Japan never entered the war.
Official status
The assignment of the title "Hero City" to Moscow took place on the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the Victory in 1965. Together with the capital, another five cities received the symbolic award (including four listed by I.V. Stalin twenty years earlier, and Kiev), as well as the Brest Fortress, about which the Soviet people learned of the garrison’s feat shortly before. Many modern people may find it difficult to understand the reasons for the enthusiasm of the townspeople who learned about this joyful event. The title did not give any material benefits, however, people rejoiced. However, the flights of Soviet cosmonauts evoked the same stormy emotions as when Moscow was awarded the title of a hero city. Yes, it is difficult for our contemporaries, especially young ones ...
Eventually
So still, what gives this high rank to ordinary Muscovites? Maybe they, as “heroes,” are entitled to some kind of privilege or discount when paying utility bills? No, this status does not provide material benefits. Moreover, he imposes certain duties. Knowing that our capital, the hero city of Moscow, played such an important role in the victory over a terrible, treacherous, cruel and powerful enemy, and feeling their involvement in a common history, every Muscovite, like an Odessa citizen, a Kievite or a Petersburger, should now with dignity carry the memory of the valor and dedication of glorious ancestors. And if necessary, become a hero.