February 14 marks the 77 of the year from that momentous day when Rostov-on-Don was liberated from the Nazi invaders in 1943. The «Gates of the Caucasus» was occupied by the Nazis and their allies twice. For the first time, in the autumn of 1941, the Nazis were able to capture Rostov for just a week. However, even these days were remembered by the local population by the bloody murders of civilians.
However, in July 1942, the German command again launched a massive attack on the Kuban and the Caucasus. July 24 The 1942 of the year 17 of the Wehrmacht Hitlerite Army entered Rostov-on-Don. Rostov-on-Don was once again under the authority of the invaders, which this time stretched for many months. The most tragic page in stories the occupation of Rostov-on-Don was the destruction of more than 40 thousands of residents of the city, 27 thousands of whom were killed on the outskirts of the then Rostov — in Zmievskoy gully.
The re-liberation of Rostov began with the transition of the troops of the Southern Front to the offensive on January 1 and 1943. The Nazis fiercely defended Rostov, not wanting to lose control of this large, strategically important center. Therefore, the capture of the city by Soviet troops was a complex and costly human life operation.
The fierce battle for Rostov went on until February 14 1943. At around 02.00 at night of 14 in February of 1943, troops of the Southern Front broke into Rostov-on-Don. They managed to crush the resistance of the Nazis. On the night of February 14 1943, the Hitlerites, unable to withstand the onslaught of the advancing Soviet forces, began to retreat to the north-west.
