Tula is a hero city of the Great Patriotic War

One of the goals of the Nazi occupiers in 1941 was the capture of Moscow. Due to the significant preponderance of manpower and military equipment, by October, the aggressor's troops had rapidly advanced deep into Russia.

The plans of the German command were to capture Tula. If carried out, the enemy troops would be able to approach Moscow from the south-eastern side. Before the assault on Tula, the 2nd Tank Army, led by General Guderian, captured Orel during a massive offensive. From here to Tula there was not much left — 180 km. At that time, the NKVD regiment was engaged in the protection of defense enterprises in the city, the 732nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment was covering the settlement from the air. Fighter battalions were also formed, which voluntarily included Soviet citizens — workers and employees. There were no other military units. Due to the lack of military power, additional forces were deployed to Tula: the 34th border regiment and the 5th airborne corps, redirected from the rear of the Bryansk front.

After the defeat of Orel by enemy troops, martial law was imposed in Tula. Active preparations for fierce and bloody battles have begun. Tula equipped trenches, a line of anti-tank ditches was dug in the city, a powerful system of defensive fortifications was erected, hedgehogs and shafts were placed. Workers' extermination squads were formed, led by the heroes of Tula, Captain A.P. Gorshkov and miner G.A. Ageev. In parallel, measures were launched to evacuate defense enterprises.

The enemy sent the best troops to capture Tula: the Great Germany regiment, 1 motorized and 3 tank divisions. With courage and bravery, the heroes of the Workers' Guard stood up for the defense of the city, anti-aircraft gunners and Chekists took part in the battles.

The attacks of the Fascists were notable for their tenacity and particular brutality. About a hundred enemy tanks were involved in the battles. However, all attacks were adequately repelled — the Germans were unable to break through the defenses on the front lines. The Soviet defenders demonstrated courage and fearlessness: in just one day of fighting, the heroes managed to eliminate 31 tanks and a large number of enemy infantry.

Meanwhile, each of the residents of Tula made a contribution to the defense of the city.Telephone exchange staff helped restore communication between army units, treated the wounded in hospitals, and repaired military equipment and weapons in factories. The Soviet soldiers were provided with food and warm clothes.

Thanks to the unity of the people, the courage and valor of the soldiers, the city managed to stand up. The Fascists' plans to capture Tula failed. For their fearlessness and bravery, about 250 Tulyaks received the highest degree of distinction in the USSR — they were awarded the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union." In 1976, on December 7, Tula was awarded the title of "Hero City" and awarded the "Golden Star".

Several memorials were dedicated to the events of the Second World War in Tula. One of the most outstanding is the 4—meter monument to heroic fighters, opened on Victory Square in 1968. It is made in the form of a militia member and a fighter who stand side by side and hold machine guns in their hands. The monument embodies the unity of the people and the army to achieve a common goal — victory over fascism. Obelisks — 3 bayonets - rose next to this monument, which became a symbol of victorious weapons. The memorial harmoniously complements the eternal flame.

In memory of the gunsmith workers who forged victory weapons and the dead residents of the Proletarian district during the Second World War, a 5-meter stele monument to the Proletarians was erected in 2000. It symbolizes a blast furnace and a half-drawn sword with a Gold Star on the hilt.

During the Second World War, about 250 Tulyaks and residents of the region especially distinguished themselves. They were awarded the title of Heroes of the USSR for their military services. The Monument to the Heroes of the Soviet Union in Tula has perpetuated the memory of these people. The memorial complex was established in 1967. It is a curved 15-meter-high concrete wall, 4 meters high. It has marble memorial plaques with the names of 84 Tula soldiers who died in battle. The monument's ensemble includes a 3.8m-high sculpture of Mother Motherland. In 2004, steles with the names of full cavaliers of the Order of Glory and heroes of Tula who died in peacetime were installed on both sides of the main wall.

The 732nd anti-aircraft artillery Regiment made an invaluable contribution to the defense of the city and the nearby approaches to the capital. By the end of October, it included 3 divisions and a searchlight battalion. It was armed with 85 mm guns with an anti-aircraft fire control device. In terms of characteristics, this weapon was not inferior to the best foreign analogues. A little later, another anti-aircraft machine gun battalion joined the regiment. On September 27, 1941, the Germans shot down an enemy strategic bomber that was on its way to attack Moscow. In the autumn of October, the regiment was transferred to cover Tula from the Oryol highway. At the end of October 1941, Hitler's infantry brigade and a couple of tank divisions rushed to storm the city.Several military formations participated in the decisive battle: the 732nd anti-aircraft Regiment, the Tula Workers' Regiment and the 69th brigade of the NKVD troops. They managed to stop the enemy and wait for reinforcements. The city was saved!

The collapse of the plan to capture Tula from the southern borders forced the enemy to change the course of the attack — enemy troops began to attack the eastern part of the city. In order to disrupt the offensive, the Russian command decided to transfer the 16th regimental battery to Venev, a town located 50 km east of Tula. From November 22 to November 24, there were fierce battles — during a stubborn defense, the battery simultaneously repelled air attacks by Nazi bombers and fought with approaching tanks. Tula managed to defend itself again, but the price was terrifying: 6 out of 66 tactical military units survived the bloody battle. 45 soldiers were awarded state awards for their heroic fortitude and fearlessness. In 1966, an 85-mm anti—aircraft cannon was installed in the city center, and in 1995, a BM-13 Katyusha rocket artillery combat vehicle based on a 3-axle ZIS truck.

Tula is known as a key forge of Russian weapons, which is why it is called the weapons capital of Russia. In 1969, Nikita Demidov, a metal worker, was introduced to Peter the Great. The tsar appreciated the highest skill of the craftsman and gave permission for the construction of a metallurgical plant in Tulitsa. During the battles with the Swedes, the Demidovsky plant became the only supplier of large-caliber rifles and cannons for the Russian troops. In 1712, Peter the Great issued a decree to build a state-owned arms factory, which has not stopped working for more than 3 centuries.

In 1912, the city celebrated the 200th anniversary of the founding of the arms factory. A monument to the Great Peter was erected in honor of this significant event. It is a three-meter-high sculpture made of bronze, unique in terms of scale. Initially, it was installed on the territory of the factory, and in 1930 it was moved outside the factory.

In the period from 1875 to 1894, the famous designer of small arms Sergey Mosin worked at the Tula arms factory. In 1958, a bust of the inventor was installed in Armory Square in memory of him. The work was done by V. Mukhina, a famous sculptor in the USSR. In 1996, a monument to Demidov was erected on the square, a waist—high figure holding a sword and a hammer, and a cannon nearby.

In 1980, in honor of the commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, a memorial plaque was erected on Lenin Avenue: "In 1941, the front line of the defense of Tula was held here." It is a fragment of the Kremlin wall made of red brick with a white stone base. Here, the valiant wars of the 6th battery of the 732nd anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment gave a tough rebuff to the tank divisions of the Center Group heading for Tula. Thanks to coordinated actions and fearless resistance, not a single tank was able to get into the city.

The history of Tula dates back many centuries: the first mentions of it are found in the annals of 1146. For many centuries, this city has been a reliable shield of the southern Moscow borders. At the beginning of the 16th century, Tula was annexed to the Moscow Principality. Soon, by decree of Vasily Ivanovich III, an oak fortress was laid here on the banks of the Upa, and after that a stone kremlin was erected.