The Battle of Stalingrad Square is located near the Villet Boulevard in Paris. Residents of the French capital often call it Stalingrad Square. The population of the country respects the great battle on the Volga (1942-1943) and the feat of Soviet soldiers. By the way, the nearest metro station is called "Stalingrad".
Turning battle
As you know, the city of Volgograd until 1961 was called Stalingrad. Under this name, he entered world history. On February 2, 1943, the greatest battle of the Great Patriotic War took place here - the Battle of Stalingrad. It is called a turning, turning point. It was here that Hitler’s plans to conquer the whole world were scattered to dust.
Other battles played a huge role, in particular the Battle of Kursk. But Stalingrad became the first city from where the soldiers of the Third Reich massively went home. It was from here that the victorious expulsion of the enemy from the territory of the USSR began. Here the outcome of World War II took shape.
Many events of those fiery years are reflected in the toponymy of different countries. They involuntarily remind people of the past, as did Stalingrad Square in Paris. The history of its streets and squares with the advent of this name has become even more informative.
Warriors of Stalingrad avenged France
In the Great Patriotic War, different states took part. Some of them fought on the side of fascist Germany, others on the side of the Soviet Union. France, as you know, was an ally of the USSR. Back in 1942, the National Liberation Committee “The Fighting France” offered our country support in the form of the Normandy-Niemen air regiment. And although the pilots of the squadron did not take part in the battle on the outskirts of the Volga, upon learning of the victory, they were incredibly happy, like all their compatriots.
According to writer Jean-Richard Blok, near Stalingrad, Russians avenged the fall of France (the German invasion began in the spring of 1940 and ended in the summer of 1944). The memory of victorious events still lives in the hearts of the French of different generations. Place Stalingrad in Paris and other indirect evidence support this assumption.
In honor of the victory of the Red Army
The hundredth, one hundred and thirteenth and two hundred and ninety-fifth Hitler divisions, which invaded Paris in the early forties, were later destroyed precisely in Stalingrad. Our allies in the Great Patriotic War expressed sincere gratitude for this, transferring the name of the city on the Volga to their promised land. In 1946, Stalingrad Square appeared in Paris. The Rue d'Aubervilliers bus station was renamed a year earlier.
Many believe that this gesture of goodwill testifies to a lot, especially today, when the policies of some countries are aimed at discrediting a number of past events. The noise of ordinary peaceful life is Stalingrad Square in Paris. The metro station daily receives and escorts passengers hurrying about their business. Defenders of the Volga stronghold once fought for people to have a future, for peace on Earth.
The French never intended to come up with a different name for this corner of the capital, in spite of any global political trends. Stalingrad Square in Paris, the photo of which can be seen in the article, is not the only place in the country that bears the name of a hero city on the Volga that is directly related to the battle. There are dozens of organizations of the same name, including a branch of Credit Leoneson Bank, a large pharmacy, a cinema hall, etc.
Nationwide, this figure is even higher: there is an opinion that the bill goes to thousands! Among the objects with the mentioned verbal designation, gas stations, beauty centers, mills, ambulances, transport agencies, private companies, pharmacies and much more can be noted. You can visit the post office, enroll in a driving school, go to the stadium, go to the housing department, the council of people's deputies, call a taxi and find that they are all called "Stalingrad."
Walking in Paris
To get to the square, you need to drive to the north-eastern outskirts of Paris. On the right bank of the Seine, between the Canal Saint-Martin and the Lafayette Gallery, you will find a place whose name is fanned by the glory of Soviet soldiers. The square is located parallel to Villet Boulevard.
They say, more recently, a place inhabited by workers and emigrants, was famous for not too elegant customs. The contingent began to take shape at the beginning of the 20th century (since 1900). Today, the Stalingrad square in Paris (we’ll specify, since 1993 it has been called Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad) looks quite interesting, the square underwent a major renovation in 2006.
Park "La Villette"
Among the attractions of the district, any local resident will definitely name La Villette Park, which opened its doors to visits in 1985. Here, not only lush green flowerbeds, gardens, children's and adult playgrounds for amusements (attractions) are beautiful, but also other places. You can visit the science museum, a spherical 3D cinema.
In the park area stands the music school La Cite de la Musique. Grand tourists like the metal structure Grand Al. It turns out that it is older than the enduring symbol of France, the Eiffel Tower. Previously, an agricultural livestock market was located in the surrounding area. Now everything has changed. The noise of the shopping arcade has long been forgotten.
Pride for Stalingrad
Visitors drop by here at the next art exhibition or bright festival, attend other creative and social events. Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad is located west of the park. The main decoration of the square is the rotunda La Villette. The construction was erected more than two hundred years ago. It served as the front gate of the capital of France. Looking through the pictures of the city on the Seine, you will see that the Stalingrad square in Paris, whose photo often appears in the capital’s newspapers, looks quite modern.
There are many sights in France. Castles and museums can be found at almost every step. But at the same time, the inhabitants of the country do not deny world history in general and in particular. They are particularly proud to pronounce the Russian word "Stalingrad."
Volga stronghold in the memory of the French
Memory lives not only in the hearts of the gray-haired aces of Normandy, which are becoming less and less. Many young Parisians confirm that they also honor the heroic Soviet people. And although the area of Stalingrad in Paris is not too big, but is that really the point?
Millions of earthlings know about the battle on the Volga. Many people understand that in 1942-1943 there, in the steppe region, the fate of the whole world was decided. Arriving in Russia, on a land covered with the blood of a soldier, guests invariably visit the symbol of victory dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad - Mamaev Kurgan, where the sculpture "Mother Mother Calls!" Is installed. There are also French.
Walking to the memorial, listening to the guide’s story, they clearly realize why Stalingrad Square appeared in Paris. The former bus station "Rue d'Auberville", the first to receive a steel name, invisibly connects their country with Russia and the heroic city on the Volga.
Russians are also reverent about the heroic past of their country. Although alarms are available. A few years ago, on one of the official sites of Volgograd, a search for a new symbol of the city was initiated. Like, other times, different morals. Most of those who read the call considered such a substitution of values as an unacceptable thing.