Latest news with #VolgogradInternationalAirport
Russia Today
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian airport gets historic ‘Stalingrad' name back
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree officially renaming Volgograd International Airport as 'Stalingrad'. The name change comes in response to a request from veterans of the Second World War and the Ukraine conflict, as well as local officials. 'In order to immortalize the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, I hereby decree… to assign Volgograd International Airport the historic name 'Stalingrad',' read the decree published by the Kremlin press service on Tuesday. The Great Patriotic War is the Russian term referring to the period from June 22, 1941, to May 9, 1945, during which the Soviet Union fought against Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front. The airport renaming in Volgograd comes less than two weeks before Russia celebrates 80 years since the victory over the Nazis. The city of Volgograd itself has kept its name despite the idea of reverting to the Soviet-era title of Stalingrad repeatedly being mooted in recent years. The city was the site of one of the fiercest battles of World War II, which historians believe changed the course of the conflict in the Soviet Union's favor and paved the way for the ultimate defeat of the Nazis. From 1925 until 1961, the city and its airport were named Stalingrad in honor of Joseph Stalin. In 1961, they were renamed as Volgograd after the river on whose banks they are located. There have been at least two major efforts to bring back the name Stalingrad, in 2013 and 2021, led mainly by the Communist Party. Over the past ten years, the city has occasionally used the name Stalingrad during ceremonies honoring wartime sacrifices as a gesture of respect. The presidential administration previously urged caution over calls to rename Volgograd as Stalingrad. Critics of the idea have argued that the step would provide a boost to Stalinists. The former Soviet leader remains a controversial figure in Russia, with some willing to overlook his role in repressing the population for the sake of his perceived achievements as a statesman. A 2023 survey by the state-run pollster VCIOM found that around 67% of Volgograd residents were wary of the name change and preferred retaining the city's current name.
The Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Putin names regional Russian airport Stalingrad
Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a decree late on Tuesday renaming the airport in Volgograd as Stalingrad, as the city was known when the Soviet army defeated the Nazi German forces in the biggest battle of World War 2. "To perpetuate the victory of the Soviet people in The Great Patriotic War of 1941 to 1945, I hereby decree to assign the historical name 'Stalingrad' to Volgograd International Airport," the decree published on the Kremlin's website said. World War 2, in which 22-million to 25-million Soviet citizens are estimated to have died, is known in Russia as The Great Patriotic War. For many Russians, Stalingrad conjures memories of the war's sacrifice and the murderous rule of dictator Josef Stalin. Putin has often compared his invasion of Ukraine to the fight against Nazis, presenting the war to Russians as a "special military operation" to "demilitarise" and "denazify" Ukraine. Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union and itself suffered devastation at the hands of Adolf Hitler's forces, rejects the parallels as spurious pretexts for a war of imperial conquest. In a fiery 2023 speech in Volgograd marking the 80th anniversary of the battle of Stalingrad, Putin lambasted Germany for helping to arm Ukraine and reiterated that he was ready to draw on Russia's entire arsenal, which includes nuclear weapons. Stalingrad, which was renamed Volgograd in 1961, was the bloodiest battle of the war when the Soviet Red Army, at a cost of more than one million casualties, broke the back of German invasion forces in 1942 and 1943. Reuters
TimesLIVE
30-04-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Putin names regional Russian airport Stalingrad
Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a decree late on Tuesday renaming the airport in Volgograd as Stalingrad, as the city was known when the Soviet army defeated the Nazi German forces in the biggest battle of World War 2. "To perpetuate the victory of the Soviet people in The Great Patriotic War of 1941 to 1945, I hereby decree to assign the historical name 'Stalingrad' to Volgograd International Airport," the decree published on the Kremlin's website said. World War 2, in which 22-million to 25-million Soviet citizens are estimated to have died, is known in Russia as The Great Patriotic War. For many Russians, Stalingrad conjures memories of the war's sacrifice and the murderous rule of dictator Josef Stalin. Putin has often compared his invasion of Ukraine to the fight against Nazis, presenting the war to Russians as a "special military operation" to "demilitarise" and "denazify" Ukraine. Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union and itself suffered devastation at the hands of Adolf Hitler's forces, rejects the parallels as spurious pretexts for a war of imperial conquest. In a fiery 2023 speech in Volgograd marking the 80th anniversary of the battle of Stalingrad, Putin lambasted Germany for helping to arm Ukraine and reiterated that he was ready to draw on Russia's entire arsenal, which includes nuclear weapons. Stalingrad, which was renamed Volgograd in 1961, was the bloodiest battle of the war when the Soviet Red Army, at a cost of more than one million casualties, broke the back of German invasion forces in 1942 and 1943.
Daily Maverick
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Putin names regional Russian airport Stalingrad
'In order to perpetuate the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, I hereby decree … to assign the historical name 'Stalingrad' to Volgograd International Airport,' the decree published on the Kremlin's website said. World War Two, in which around 22-25 million Soviet citizens are estimated to have died, is known in Russia as The Great Patriotic War. For many Russians, Stalingrad conjures memories both of the war's sacrifice and the murderous rule of dictator Josef Stalin. Putin has often compared his invasion of Ukraine to the fight against Nazis, presenting the war to Russians as a 'special military operation' to 'demilitarize' and 'denazify' Ukraine. Ukraine – which was part of the Soviet Union and itself suffered devastation at the hands of Adolf Hitler's forces – rejects those parallels as spurious pretexts for a war of imperial conquest. In a fiery 2023 speech in Volgograd marking the 80th anniversary of the battle of Stalingrad, Putin lambasted Germany for helping to arm Ukraine and reiterated that he was ready to draw on Russia's entire arsenal, which includes nuclear weapons. Stalingrad, which was renamed Volgograd in 1961, was the bloodiest battle of the war, when the Soviet Red Army, at a cost of over 1 million casualties, broke the back of German invasion forces in 1942-43.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin names regional Russian airport Stalingrad
(Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a decree late on Tuesday renaming the airport in Volgograd as Stalingrad, as the city was known when the Soviet army defeated the Nazi German forces in the biggest battle of World War Two. "In order to perpetuate the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, I hereby decree ... to assign the historical name 'Stalingrad' to Volgograd International Airport," the decree published on the Kremlin's website said. World War Two, in which around 22-25 million Soviet citizens are estimated to have died, is known in Russia as The Great Patriotic War. For many Russians, Stalingrad conjures memories both of the war's sacrifice and the murderous rule of dictator Josef Stalin. Putin has often compared his invasion of Ukraine to the fight against Nazis, presenting the war to Russians as a "special military operation" to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine. Ukraine - which was part of the Soviet Union and itself suffered devastation at the hands of Adolf Hitler's forces - rejects those parallels as spurious pretexts for a war of imperial conquest. In a fiery 2023 speech in Volgograd marking the 80th anniversary of the battle of Stalingrad, Putin lambasted Germany for helping to arm Ukraine and reiterated that he was ready to draw on Russia's entire arsenal, which includes nuclear weapons. Stalingrad, which was renamed Volgograd in 1961, was the bloodiest battle of the war, when the Soviet Red Army, at a cost of over 1 million casualties, broke the back of German invasion forces in 1942-43.
