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«On the verge of disaster» dedicated to the Day of Sorrow and to pay tribute to memory of war victims in Ukraine.

On 24 june 2014 in Kirovohrad regional art museum was hold the exposition for the Day of Sorrow and to pay tribute to memory of war victims in Ukraine.

 

73 years ago Germany fascist, finished victorious campaign in the countries of Continental Europe and attacked Soviet Union. It was commited to make their crucial step for reaching their main purpose -world supremacy. As usual, on 22 june 1941th  very morning Soviet and Fascist patrols met each other at the bridge which was extended over river Bug. And suddenly fascist started to shoot with submachine gun, killed them in point-blank unexpectedly caught Red army soldiers.  Thus began a new phase of ІІ World War, which lasted 1418 days and nights. For all Soviet Union nations, it turned to Great Patriotic War. Fascist Germany and their allies brought a terrible attack to USSR: 190 divisions- 5,5 million people, more than 4 thosands, 47 thosands guns and mortars, 4,5  thosands planes, almost 200 ships. The Soviet Army was able to put 3 mil. Soldiers and commanding officers, 1800 heavy and medium tanks, 1540 planes of new design.

So began the battle of two Titans, two sworn friends, two terrible emperor, who didn't have nobody to match. Even deep-rooted enemies of Bolshevism in Washington and London know it well- only Soviet Union could put down the curtain on repacious plan of  Third Reich. So when the prime minister of Great Britain Winston Churchil delivered speech in the parlaiment, he said: «If German tanks are not stopped on the Russian fields, than already nobody and nowhere will  stop them».

 

Hitler prepared to the war with Stalin carefully, and, it seemed, everything was predicted and thought rightly over. On 18 December 1940 he signed directives № 21 with coded name «Barbarossa», the strategic base of which became the theory of blitzkrieg-flash-like war against Soviet Union. According to this document, crushing defeat was predicted of Red Army during 1,5-2 months, in the worst case- during the five month, and headway of German troops to the line of Arkhanhelsk-Kuibyshev-Astrakhan. Later they planned full disestablishment of Soviet State and creation at this terrytory 4 new province. Terrible destine waited for Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv and a number of other Soviet cities, which wanted to blow up, or-to flood.

 

It was planned mass elimination of entire nations, which Hitler contemptly called «inferior nations», that don't have rights to exist. So, at the great meeting on

30 March 1941 he frankly claimed, that it was necessary to eliminate 30 millions Slavic people, and then number of population would be regulated in the number, which is necessary for serving to Aryan race. In May 1940 it was set up the derectives  about plan development  «Ost» according to which the territories of the Baltic states, Belorussia, Ukraine and european part of Russia was planned to settle with German people and after colonization integrate with Germany, and dwellers of this regions, after apropriate filtration, move to West Siberia.

 

It seemed, that there were created all te conditions for successful realization of their plan. 12 countries of Europe were captured. Other european countries were allies considered Hitler as Messiah, which was sent to save Europe from Red Emperor-Stalin. Fascist in their hand had economic and human resources of this countries, even in such neutral countries like Sweden and Switzerland. It is left only to capture Great Britain and USA, but it was-matter of time. Authorities of German were so confident in quick crushing defeat of Soviet Union, that since spring of 1941 started to plan further military operations for the end of 1940 and  to the beginning 1941- conquering of  Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Suez Canal, India, Afghanistan and landing of assualt force to the the Britain islands. Historical document convincingly assure, that after crushing defeat USSR and solving «English problem», Hitler's troops in union with Japan planned to make intervention to the American continent.

 

The beginning of Hitler's war against Red Empire became triumphal for Germany and disastrous for USSR. Likewise the other victims of German «blitzkrieg», already at the beginning of 1941 Bolshevist Russia practically lost all their army, and it seemed, that nothing can stop Wermacht on the way to Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv. But the further development of events made unexpected turn for the German plans, substantially reduce the degree of previous euphoria. Thus, for example, instead of strategic space, which had to appeared after encirclement Soviet of 6-d and 12-d armies near Uman, German troops met new Soviet infantry division which had number «223», wchich was formed in Kharkov after the war. The same thing started to take place also at the other areas of East front. With broken defense appeared new Soviet divisions with bigger numbers. It turned out, that German underestimate her enemy, his military and undustrial capacity, inexhautsible human resources. Big territory of USSR became a problem for fascist, which, firstly created good conditions for evacuation of industrial objects to the East with following arranging of military weapon production, secondly- it gave opportunity to the Soviet troops to retreat constantly, foiled enemy plans as for Polish or French variants. In addition, Rea Army, gradually gaining strength, started to do worthy resist, reducing the speed of attack. For Wermacht - soldier, which used to win in first round by knockout, a gong sounded. Ahead was second round, which was full of uncertainty.

 

But to have opportunity to take a breath and win even some time, Red Army paid a big price. Already in the first month of the war, it was lost 1 million people, 300 thosand died and 700 thousand are taken captive. During the period from June to December 1941 Soviet military casualities sumed up 3 mil. 138 thousand soldiers, 6 millions units of infantry weapons, 20 thousand tanks, 10 thousand planes. The territory of USSR, captured by Wermacht, exaggerated 1,5 square kilometers – three times as much the territory of France. To compare - during the same period casialities of German land forces sumed up approximately 750 thousand people, aviation- a few thousand planes.

Year of 1941 was «marked» with big number of Soviet captives, who became victims of unprecendented by scale encirclement (so called «pockets»). Thus in belorussian  «pocket» (June – July) 328 thousand soldiers and commanding officers were taken captive, in Smolensk (July – August) – 310 thousands, near Uman (August) -103 thousands, near Kyiv (September) – 665 thousands, near Viazma and Briansk (October) – 663 thousands. Big pockets of Soviet troop, unfortunately, were continued and in 1942: in particular – near Kerch (May) –

150 thousands and near Kharkov (May) – 240 thousands.

 

The precise data about total number of Soviet captives is still unknown. Western and native researches can only call out only rough figures – approximate 5 mil. during 1941-1945, and approximately 3 millions for the first two years of the war. Russian researches have today such calculations – 4 mil. 059 thousands during the whole war, 2 mil. (49%) during 1941.

 

Historics and people who don't indiferent to history still are distressed by question – what is the reason of unfortunate beginning of war for USSR? We should note, that there are a few reasons and they consist in next thing.

At the time Third Reich was powerful industrial empire, because German earlier than USSR started to create industrialization. In addition practically all european countries industry worked on it. As a result of «Walking over the Europe», Wermacht got the weapon more than 200 enemy's divisions. Only in France Hitler's people captured 5 thousand tanks and armoured personnel carrier and almost 3 thousands planes.

 

Germany had two-year, in addition- very good, war experience in Europe and was much more ahead in professional training than Soviet troop. In this plan big negative role also has played «Great Purge» in 1937-1938 in USSR, which annihilate many talanted and ambitious professionals of military scince.

 

Considarable part of Soviet military weapon differ much in quality from German. It has to do with aviation, infantry weapon, antitank and antiaircraft artillery, and especially – radio communication.

Soviet Authorities couldn't make single plan of actions in a case of war - should be applied preventive attack on the enemy and whether there are posibilities for such an attack? Where is line of defense situated and how to act, if enemy penetrate deeply to the Soviet territory? These or other questions were not solved definitely. The fatal thing was Stalin's belief in the fact, that Hitler keep to pact of non-agression, at least, up to 1942, in any case – up to the finishing of war with Great Britain. As a result element of surprise had worked, which almost led the country on the verge of disaster.

 

The purpose of «On the verge of disaster» exposition is reflection the most tragic period of Great Patriotic War and we wished to compel you to think over about consiquences of excessive ambitions of  separate politicains, wchich could sacrifice by millions human lifes in sake of realization their repacious plans.

Very symbolic meaning has picture «Alarm» by Petro Kodiev (1954), because it reflects alarm of storks, the bird of peace and calmness, from gunfire and explosions of fierce battle, that symbolizes the end of peace and the biggining of war. The other pictures of this artist «Sketch to the picture «Оcupation» (1954) don't leave you indiferent, which eloquently illustrates terrible state of peace population, that  became the victims of fascist occupation.

Tragedy of first war month, critical situation, in which Red army find themselves and their irresistable desire at any cost stop the attack of fascist is delivered with talent in works  of Volodymyr Parchevskyi «To carrion vultures – fire!» (1965), Oleksandr Foinyckyi «The ship is going down» (1962) and Leonid Kornieiev «The Height» (1995).

And final accord of the exhibition became one more picture of above mentioned artist Petro Kodiev - «Tge field of war glory» (1956), because it touches on theme memory, in particular – about those people, who first met the attack of enemy on 1941 and by their firmness made a base for so far Victory.

 

 

Oleh Yurchenko – senior research associate of

Kirovohrad regional art museum