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Author : N. Yablokov
Historian
The book "The Great Patriotic War: An Illustrated
Chronicle" by Igor Bondarenko and Dmitry
Klimov does not claim to be an all-embracing and
detailed academic publication. Rather, the authors
have made an attempt to present in a concise form
a daily chronicle of the most disastrous war in the
history of mankind, by relating concrete episodes
of the Soviet troops' struggle on the fronts, pictur-
ing war heroes and presenting combat materiel, as
well as describing major military operations. Of particular value is their day-by-day presentation
of major events. Such an approach can significantly limit the possibility of an arbitrary interpre-
tation of history by those who up until now cannot "forgive" our nation for winning WWII and
keep trying to get their own back on "paper battlefields."
History, like a mosaic, is composed of individual fragments and human lives. It is those precious
fragments so important for any historical research that have been included in the book. Regret-
tably, we can often hear today absurd deliberations of those who advocate Nazism, despite the
fact the relevant verdict was already reached at Nuremberg in 1945; facts, however, are stubborn
things, even if someone keeps trying to play with them, pursuing his self-interest. This publication
is based onfactual material, presenting unbiased assessments of the Great Patriotic War. Western
politicians and the so-called "researchers" had started making attempts at falsifying WWII in
Russia long before the final salvoes were fired.
Just a few researchers have paid attention to the fact that Nazi Germany's allies were reluctant
to start combat action against the USSR. The Third Reich had to force its allies into fighting, re-
sorting to all kind of compulsive means. Thus, Finland declared war on the Soviet Union only
four days after Germany's attack on the Soviet Union - on June 26, 1941 (p. 17).
The book contains data on the Soviet troops' military equipment. Specifically, about a heavy KV
tank which was regarded invulnerable. A lot of myths have been disseminated in the West about
it, also (regrettably) picked up by some Russian researches.
It is noteworthy that a foreword to the book has been written by the head of the Russian Imperial
House, Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna. It says, in particular, that
the "Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 has been a mega-victory of our people who paid a heavy
price to win over a powerful aggressor and defend the Motherland's independence.
The publication is also valuable in the sense that it contains a lot of authentic pictures of that
period, allowing better understanding of the dramatic and heroic nature of the wartime events
by creating the relevant emotional background and visual imagery relating to the narrated events.
Электронное приложение к журналу «
Международная жизнь
»
A Chronicle of the Great Victory