About the book: 2011 / For a long time, the city of Smolensk played a special role in the military history of Russia, being the first to take the blow of the aggressors who sought to quickly capture Moscow. From July 10 to September 10, 1941, the Battle of Smolensk unfolded near the walls of the city, in which for two months the Red Army managed to fight on equal terms with the hitherto invincible German Wehrmacht. Having detained the enemy and disrupted the movement of Army Group Center to the capital, our troops nevertheless left Smolensk, which was liberated only in 1943. From August 7 to October 2, the troops of the Kalinin and Western Fronts carried out the strategic offensive Operation Suvorov, liberated the Smolensk and part of the Kalinin regions, the cities of Yelnya, Dukhovshchina, Roslavl, Smolensk from the invaders and entered the borders of Belarus. During difficult trials, the residents of the city proved themselves to be true patriots of their Motherland, so now Smolensk honors the high title of hero city.