Artillery Day Celebrated with a Gun Salute near Minsk on 18 November.

The Artillery Day celebrations commemorated a significant date in the Great Patriotic War.

Artillery Day was celebrated at the Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex on 18 November 2017.

The Artillery Day celebrations commemorated a significant date in the Great Patriotic War. On 19 November 1942, the Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad began, changing the course of the war and marking the beginning of the path to the Great Victory. All types of artillery were used extensively during the counter-offensive.

On Artillery Day, the complex hosted engaging entertainment programmes in special interactive zones, where visitors could test their skills and win gifts and souvenirs. Visitors enthusiastically took part in competitions featuring tasks that tested their knowledge of military matters. A children's room and an interactive show by Motya the Clown were also available for the complex's youngest visitors.

Military vehicle displays, a photo zone, a cinema and the ‘Fire a Gun’ and ‘Fire from a Tank’ attractions were open. Visitors could also enjoy horse and tank rides. The cafés and hot-food outlets remained open throughout the event.

The highlight of the celebrations was a military-historical reenactment featuring period military vehicles.

The weather was relatively warm, with no rain or snow. The sun broke through at times, allowing spectators to immerse themselves fully in the atmosphere of a reenacted battle from the Battle of Stalingrad.

The reenactment depicted the fourth and final German assault on Stalingrad.

Soviet artillerymen played a major role in repelling this assault, selflessly engaging enemy armoured vehicles over open sights, often at the cost of their own lives.

When the Red Army launched its counter-offensive, the Axis forces were encircled, with some destroyed and others taken prisoner. The Nazis had not suffered a defeat on such a scale since the beginning of the war. This defeat marked the beginning of the downfall of Hitler's Germany and the eventual victory of the Allied anti-Hitler coalition in the Second World War. The Red Army and the heroic efforts of the entire Soviet people played the decisive role in this victory.

*The event was held with the support of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus.

A short photo report from the reenactment can be found below.