''The Battle of Stalingrad'' (russian: Сталинградская битва) is a 1949 two-part

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that war fi ...

about the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later re ...

, directed by Vladimir Petrov. The script was written by Nikolai Virta.

Plot

Film I

In the

Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

analyzes the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

's movements and concludes that the Germans aim to capture

Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

, who believes the city is the key to final victory, orders his generals take it at all costs. As the enemy approaches Stalingrad, the Red Army and the local population rally to defend it in bitter house-to-house combat, stalling the German advance. In Moscow, Stalin plans the counter-offensive.

Film II

The Wehrmacht launches a last, massive assault, intended to overwhelm the defenders of Stalingrad. As the Red Army is pushed back to the Volga, Stalin orders the commencement of

Operation Uranus Operation Uranus (russian: Опера́ция «Ура́н», Operatsiya "Uran") was the codename of the Soviet Red Army's 19–23 November 1942 strategic operation on the Eastern Front of World War II which led to the encirclement of Axis ...

. The German 6th Army is encircled, and efforts to relieve the Stalingrad pocket fail. General

Friedrich Paulus Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was a German field marshal during World War II who is best known for commanding the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943). The battle ended ...

, ordered by Hitler to hold to the end, refuses to surrender while his soldiers starve. The Soviets close on the city, battering the German forces as they advance. After Red Army soldiers enter his command post, Paulus orders his remaining troops to surrender. The Soviets hold a victory rally in liberated Stalingrad; in Moscow, Stalin looks at a map, setting his eyes on Berlin.

Production

The film is the last of the 'Artistic Documentaries', a series of propaganda epics that recreated the history of the Second World War with a Stalinist interpretation of the events. Like all of the other films in the genre, ''The Battle of Stalingrad'' consists mainly of battle scenes and staff meetings, reconstructing the campaign from the point of view of the soldiers and the generals, in a heroic manner fitting the state's ideology.

Reception

The movie won the Crystal Globe in the 1949

Karlovy Vary Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ( cs, Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary) is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become ...

Aleksei Dikiy Aleksei Dikiy (russian: Алексей Денисович Дикий) (24 February 1889 – 1 October 1955) was a Soviet actor and director who worked at Moscow Art Theatre and later worked with Habima Jewish theatre in Tel Aviv. He was arrested ...

, who portrayed Stalin, received the 1949 Gottwaldov Film Festival's prize, and director Vladimir Petrov won the Czechoslovak Workers' Film Festival Best Director Award. Petrov, cinematographer Yuri Yekelchik and four actors –

Nikolay Simonov Nikolay Konstantionovich Simonov (russian: Николай Константинович Симонов; December 4, 1901 – April 20, 1973) was a Soviet film and stage actor.Театральная энциклопедия. Гл. ред. С. С. М ...

Yuri Shumsky Yuri may refer to: People and fictional characters Given name *Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc. *Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...

and Vladimir Gaidarov – were awarded the

Stalin Prize Stalin Prize may refer to: * The State Stalin Prize in science and engineering and in arts, awarded 1941 to 1954, later known as the USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize (russian: links=no, Государственная премия СССР, ...

at 1950 for their role in the film. French critic

André Bazin André Bazin (; 18 April 1918 – 11 November 1958) was a renowned and influential French film critic and film theorist. Bazin started to write about film in 1943 and was a co-founder of the renowned film magazine '' Cahiers du cinéma'' in 1951, ...

wrote that the film portrayed Stalin as a super-human leader, showing him planning the Soviet war effort almost on his own: "Even if we grant Stalin a hyper-

Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

military genius... It would be childish to think that events in the Kremlin unfolded as they are seen here." Richard Taylor listed ''The Battle of Stalingrad'' as "a

personality cult A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, Mudde, Cas and Kaltwasser, Cristóbal Rovira (2017) ''Populism: A Very Short Introduction''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 63. is the result of an effort which is made to create an id ...

film".''Film Propaganda'', , page 48.

Cast

–

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

Maksim Shtraukh Maksim Maksimovich Shtraukh (russian: Макси́м Макси́мович Штра́ух; 1900–1974) was a Soviet and Russian film and theater actor. He was awarded the People's Artist of the USSR in 1965, Lenin Prize and Stalin Prize betwee ...

''–''

Vyacheslav Molotov Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov. ; (;. 9 March Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O._S._25_February.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O. S. 25 February">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dat ...

Viktor Khokhryakov Viktor Ivanovich Khokhryakov (russian: Виктор Иванович Хохряков; 1913–1986) was a Soviet Russian film actor, theater actor and director. He played the composer Alexander Glazunov in the 1954 film ''Rimsky-Korsakov''.Mitche ...

''–''

Georgy Malenkov Georgy Maximilianovich Malenkov ( – 14 January 1988) was a Soviet politician who briefly succeeded Joseph Stalin as the leader of the Soviet Union. However, at the insistence of the rest of the Presidium, he relinquished control over the par ...

*Mikhail Kvarelashvili –

Lavrentiy Beria Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (; rus, Лавре́нтий Па́влович Бе́рия, Lavréntiy Pávlovich Bériya, p=ˈbʲerʲiə; ka, ლავრენტი ბერია, tr, ; – 23 December 1953) was a Georgian Bolshevik ...

Nikolai Dorokhin Nikolai or Nikolay is an East Slavic variant of the masculine name Nicholas. It may refer to: People Royalty * Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855), or Nikolay I, Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855 * Nicholas II of Russia (1868–1918), or Nik ...

–

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...

* Vladimir Solovyov –

Mikhail Kalinin Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin (russian: link=no, Михаи́л Ива́нович Кали́нин ; 3 June 1946), known familiarly by Soviet citizens as "Kalinych", was a Soviet politician and Old Bolshevik revolutionary. He served as head of s ...

* Yuri Tolubeyev ''–''

Andrei Zhdanov Andrei Aleksandrovich Zhdanov ( rus, Андре́й Алекса́ндрович Жда́нов, p=ɐnˈdrej ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈʐdanəf, links=yes; – 31 August 1948) was a Soviet politician and cultural ideologist. After World War ...

Nikolai Ryzhov Nikolai or Nikolay is an East Slavic variant of the masculine name Nicholas. It may refer to: People Royalty * Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855), or Nikolay I, Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855 * Nicholas II of Russia (1868–1918), or Niko ...

''–''

Lazar Kaganovich Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich, also Kahanovich (russian: Ла́зарь Моисе́евич Кагано́вич, Lázar' Moiséyevich Kaganóvich; – 25 July 1991), was a Soviet politician and administrator, and one of the main associates of ...

*Garri Mushegyan –

Anastas Mikoyan Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan (; russian: Анаста́с Ива́нович Микоя́н; hy, Անաստաս Հովհաննեսի Միկոյան; 25 November 1895 – 21 October 1978) was an Armenian Communist revolutionary, Old Bolshevik an ...

Mikhail Derzhavin Mikhail Mikhajlovich Derzhavin(russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Держа́вин; 15 June 1936, Moscow – 10 January 2018, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian actor. Biography Mikhail Mikhajlovich Derzhavin was born in the famil ...

–

Kliment Voroshilov Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov (, uk, Климент Охрімович Ворошилов, ''Klyment Okhrimovyč Vorošylov''), popularly known as Klim Voroshilov (russian: link=no, Клим Вороши́лов, ''Klim Vorošilov''; 4 Februa ...

''–'' General

Aleksandr Vasilevsky Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky ( ru , Алекса́ндр Миха́йлович Василе́вский) (30 September 1895 – 5 December 1977) was a Soviet career-officer in the Red Army who attained the rank of Marshal of the Soviet ...

Vasili Merkuryev Vasili Vasilyevich Merkuryev (russian: Васи́лий Васи́льевич Мерку́рьев; 6 April 1904 – 12 May 1978) was a Soviet actor, stage director and drama teacher. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1960.

– General

Nikolay Voronov Nikolay Nikolayevich Voronov (; - 28 February 1968) was a Soviet military leader, chief marshal of the artillery (1944), and Hero of the Soviet Union (7 May 1965). He was commander of artillery forces of the Red Army from 1941 until 1950. Voro ...

Boris Livanov Boris Nikolayevich Livanov (russian: Бори́с Никола́евич Лива́нов; – 22 September 1972) was a Soviet and Russian actor and theatre director. People's Artist of the USSR (1948).Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (Xaverevich) Rokossovsky (Russian: Константин Константинович Рокоссовский; pl, Konstanty Rokossowski; 21 December 1896 – 3 August 1968) was a Soviet and Polish officer who becam ...

* Nikolai Kolesnikov – General

Andrey Yeryomenko , birth_date = , death_date = , image = Маршал Советского Союза Герой Советского Союза Андрей Иванович Ерёменко (cropped).jpg , image_size = , caption = Y ...

''–'' General

Vasily Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (russian: link=no, Васи́лий Ива́нович Чуйко́в; ; – 18 March 1982) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. He is best known for commanding the 62nd Army which saw he ...

* Vasily Orlov – General

Nikolay Krylov Nikolay Krylov may refer to: *Nikolay Krylov (marshal) (1903–1972), Soviet marshal *Nikolay Krylov (mathematician, born 1879) (1879–1955), Russian mathematician *Nikolay Krylov (mathematician, born 1941) (born 1941), Russian mathematician *Niko ...

* Sergei Brzhesky – General Aleksandr Rodimtsev *

Nikolai Plotnikov Nikolai Sergeyevich Plotnikov (russian: Николай Сергеевич Пло́тников; 5 November 1897 – 3 February 1979) was a Soviet film actor. He appeared in the 1949 biopic ''Ivan Pavlov''. Selected filmography * ''Dawn of Paris'' ...

– Commissioner Gurov * Boris Smirnov – Lieutenant Kaleganov *

Leonid Knyazev Leonid (russian: Леонид ; uk, Леонід ; be, Леанід, Ljeaníd ) is a Slavic version of the given name Leonidas. The French version is Leonide. People with the name include: *Leonid Andreyev (1871–1919), Russian playwright an ...

''–'' Sergeant

Yakov Pavlov Yakov Fedotovich Pavlov (russian: Я́ков Федо́тович Па́влов; 17 October 191728 September 1981) was a Soviet Red Army soldier who became a Hero of the Soviet Union for his role in defending the eponymous "Pavlov's House" duri ...

*Vladimir Golovin ''–'' General

Nikolai Vatutin Nikolai Fyodorovich Vatutin (russian: Никола́й Фёдорович Вату́тин; 16 December 1901 – 15 April 1944) was a Soviet military commander during World War II. Vatutin was responsible for many Red Army operations in Ukraine ...

* Aleksei Krasnopolsky – General Nikolai Trufanov * Mikhail Nazvanov – Colonel

Ivan Lyudnikov Ivan Ilyich Lyudnikov, (russian: Иван Ильич Людников; Krivaya Kosa (Don Host Oblast, Russian Empire), – Moscow 22 April 1976) was a Soviet Army Colonel General and Hero of the Soviet Union. Early life Ivan Lyudnikov was b ...

Nikolai Kryuchkov Nikolai Afanasyevich Kryuchkov (russian: Никола́й Афана́сьевич Крючко́в; 6 January 1911 – 13 April 1994) was a Soviet and Russian film actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1932 and 1993. Selected fi ...

''–'' Lieutenant Ivanov * Aleksandr Antonov ''–'' Colonel Popov *

Nikolay Cherkasov Nikolay Konstantinovich Cherkasov (russian: Никола́й Константи́нович Черка́сов; 14 September 1966) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1947). Career He was born in Saint Petersburg (lat ...

''–''

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

Viktor Stanitsyn Viktor Yakovlevich Stanitsyn (russian: Ви́ктор Я́ковлевич Стани́цын; 1897–1976) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor.Riley p.73 He appeared in a number of Soviet era films including portraying Winston Churchill ...

''–''

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

/General

Fyodor Tolbukhin Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin (russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Толбу́хин; 16 June 1894 – 17 October 1949) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. Early life and military career Tolbukhin was born into ...

* Konstantin Mikhailov ''–'' W. Averell Harriman *

Mikhail Astangov Mikhail Fyodorovich Astangov (russian: Михаи́л Фёдорович Аста́нгов), real surname Ruzhnikov () ( in Warsaw – 20 April 1965 in Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1955). ...

''–''

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

* Mikhail Garkavi –

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

* Nikolai Komissarov ''–'' Field Marshal

Wilhelm Keitel Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (; 22 September 188216 October 1946) was a German field marshal and war criminal who held office as chief of the '' Oberkommando der Wehrmacht'' (OKW), the high command of Nazi Germany's Armed Forces, duri ...

*Boris Svoboda ''–'' General

Alfred Jodl Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl (; 10 May 1890 – 16 October 1946) was a German ''Generaloberst'' who served as the chief of the Operations Staff of the '' Oberkommando der Wehrmacht'' – the German Armed Forces High Command – throughout World ...

*Nikolai Rybnikov ''–'' Field Marshal

Maximilian von Weichs Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von und zu Weichs an der Glon (12 November 1881 – 27 September 1954) was a field marshal in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. Born into an aristocratic family, Weichs ...

* Vladimir Vsevolodov ''–'' General Arthur Schmidt * Vladimir Gaidarov ''–'' Field Marshal

* Yevgeny Kaluzhsky ''–'' General

Wilhelm Adam Wilhelm Adam (28 March 1893 – 24 November 1978) was an officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. Following the German surrender after the Battle of Stalingrad, he became a member of the National Committee for a Free German ...

(first film) *Nikolai Nikolayevsky ''–'' General

(second film) *Vladimir Chernyavsky – General

Kurt Zeitzler Kurt Zeitzler (9 June 1895 – 25 September 1963) was a Chief of the Army General Staff in the ''Wehrmacht'' of Nazi Germany during World War II. Zeitzler was almost exclusively a staff officer, serving as chief of staff in a corps, army, and a ...

Rostislav Plyatt Rostislav Yanovich Plyatt (russian: Ростислав Янович Плятт; — 30 June 1989) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1961 and awarded the USSR State Prize in 1982. Biograph ...

''–'' General

Hermann Hoth Hermann Hoth (12 April 1885 – 25 January 1971) was a German army commander, war criminal, and author. He served as a high-ranking panzer commander in the Wehrmacht during World War II, playing a prominent role in the Battle of France and on t ...

Sergei Blinnikov Sergei Blinnikov (russian: Серге́й Капито́нович Бли́нников) was a Soviet actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1963),

–

Alexander Poskrebyshev Alexander Nikolaevich Poskrebyshev (russian: Александр Николаевич Поскрёбышев; 7 August 1891 – 3 January 1965) was a Soviet politician and a state and Communist Party functionary. A member of the Communist Party ...

(uncredited) *

Yuri Levitan Yuri Borisovich Levitan (russian: Юрий Борисович Левитан, 2 October 1914 – 4 August 1983) was the primary Soviet radio announcer during and after World War II. He announced on Radio Moscow all major international events i ...

– Narrator

References

External links

Part I
an
Part II
on the

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

. *
The Battle of Stalingrad
' on Kino-teatr.ru.

on ostfilm.de. {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Stalingrad Mosfilm films 1940s Russian-language films Soviet epic films Soviet biographical films Soviet historical action films 1948 films 1949 films Crystal Globe winners Biographical action films 1940s historical action films Films about the Battle of Stalingrad Films about Joseph Stalin Films scored by Aram Khachaturian Films released in separate parts Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler Cultural depictions of Franklin D. Roosevelt Cultural depictions of Lavrentiy Beria Cultural depictions of Nikita Khrushchev Cultural depictions of Winston Churchill Soviet black-and-white films 1940s biographical films Soviet World War II films Russian World War II films