DoM locations photos

[Baldie]

I think it will be interesting for the future players to actually see the locations where the battles will take place.

So here it is, the DoM locations as they are today:



The city of Rzhev where six major battles were fought in 1941 - 1943. They are known among Russian historians as a Rzhev Meatgrinder because of the heavy losses suffered by the Soviet and German forces. The civilan population in the city was reduced from about 55000 in 1941 to only 350 in 1943! Many people fled the city but many others were transported to the death camps in Germany or killed during the fighting or died from starvation



The city of Volokolamsk strategically located on the Riga - Moscow highway was founded in 1135 which makes him the oldest town in the Moscow Region (Moscow was founded 12 years later). The place of heavy fighting in 1941, it is most well known for the nearby village of Dubosekovo where the elements of 316th Rifle Division under Major General Ivan Panfilov held their ground against 2nd and 11th German Panzer Divisions.



A street in Moscow is named after Ivan Panfilov and his soldiers where this monument is located.



Tver (known in the Soviet times as Kalinin) is the city about 160 km (100 miles) from Moscow on the banks of the Volga river. The city itself was captured in October 1941 however stubborn defense gave the Soviets time to regroup and create a defensive line southeast from the city on the way to Moscow on the Leningrad highway. The city was recaptured in December 1941.



Istra was captured by the German forces in the end of November 1941 but was soon liberated. Now the city is most well known for its New Jerusalem monastery, the place of attraction for pilgrims and tourists alike.



The small town of Zvenigorod just 45 km (28 miles) northwest from Moscow. On the picture you can see a ravine which was turned into an anti-tank battery position during in 1941 by the citizens.

Now we're getting closer to Moscow! More to follow right away!

[Baldie]

Ok now some places much closer to Moscow (and of course the city itslef).



The monument to the defenders of Moscow in the cuty of Khimki, 8km (5 miles) from Moscow. This anti-tank hedgehog marks the closest place to Moscow reached by the Germans. However recent research has revealed that it's not true. The German army actually advanced much closer to Moscow, there is some evidence that advance recon squads even entered the city!



Khimki, the closest location on the Northwestern approach to Moscow. Now it's a huge city with the population of 230000, a major scientific, business and industrial center.



Leningradskiy bridge which crosses the Moskva - Volga channel. On the left is the Northen Administrative District of Moscow. The dockside cargo cranes are at the Northen River port. On the other side of the channel is the Northwestern Administrative District. The downtown is further down the Leningrad highway. There is some evidence that a German recon squad crossed this bridge on October, 16, 1941. The squad was destroyed by the ad hoc force of police and local militia on the left side of the bridge. That proves the Germans did actually enter the modern city limits (but not these of the 1941).


Some witnesses said they saw a German motorcycle squad here, near the Sokol subway station. The station itself existed at the time (you can see the small white building which is the station entrance built in 1938) and was the furthest from the downtown. You can see the station on this Moscow subway map here:



Green line in the north, fourth from the top.

There is much controversy about whether the Germans actually reached this place or not. There is no documentary proof but if it's true then they did really enter the city.


And now just some aerial views of the northern and northwestern outskirts of Moscow:













Traffic jams in the city are enormous. That's the problem the city government trying to solve for the last 10-15 years, to no avail.





That's it for now. I hope you liked the views! If you want some more photos please let me know what you would like to see. Perhaps monumets or war museums? I'll be happy to tell and show you more.



A small bonus - Heroes of the Panfilov Division street in the northwest of Moscow.



The same street. My house is to the right

[BradTSS]

These are awesome!

Are these your photos? This is a really neat idea. Please keep them coming.

Thanks,
Brad

[Baldie]

Thanks Brad!

Most of them not, but I'll try to find some more in my old HD, I should have some.

I also plan to add some memorials and monuments, we have many of them here especially in my area.

Glad to hear you liked it!

[jeffd]

Wow, thanks very much for these. I've been playing Moscow for a long time and seen all these places on the map. It's fascinating to see what some of them look like in real life. I would be very interested in seeing some of the memorials- learning about the battle has given me a tremendous respect for all the defenders of Moscow. Thanks again!

[Baldie]

Thanks Jeff!

I'll upload some more soon!

[Baldie]

OK, some new photos at last.



Vyazma, a small town 210 km (130 miles) from Moscow was a place of intense fighting in 1941. During the Operation Typhoon about 400 000 Soviet soliers were killed in or around Vyazma. The town was captured in October 1941. Two German concentration camps were bulit in Vyazma where about 80 000 people met their deaths.Vyazma was liberated only in March 1943.



A monumet in Vyazma dedicated to fallen soldiers.



A city of Gagarin, known before 1968 az Gzhatsk, was captured by the Germans in October 1941 and liberated in March 1943. It is most well known as the birthplace of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. It was renamed in honor of him shortly after his death in a plane crash.



A city of Ruza, also captured in October 1941. It was liberated in January 1942 during the counteroffensive.



Moskva River near Ruza.



As a comparison, how it looks like in Moscow.



A city of Klin, 65 km (40 miles) from Moscow. It was captured in November 1941 during the final German push to Moscow. However it was recaptures in less than a month.

[Baldie]

And now some more Moscow photos!



One of the many monuments to Marshall Georgiy Zhukov, the most successful though controversial Soviet commander in WWII, located on the namesake avenue.



Marshall Zhukov ave itself.



A monument to the Volunteer Militia. Militia divisions though poorply armed and understrength, played a critical role in delaying the Whehrmacht advance. Totally volunteer in nature these units consisted of ordinary Moscow citizens - workers, students, office clerks, sometimes even women. Police officers, by contrast, were organized into special NKVD divisions which were much better trained and equipped. They were known for their tenacity in combat and strict discipline.



Defenders of the Sky square. This monuments in Krylatskoe, in western Moscow, marks one of the positions of anti-aircraft batteries defending the city from Luftwaffe air raids.



Strogino, nowthsetern Moscow, another place where AA batteries were positioned.



Monument to General Dmitriy Karbyshev on the namesake boulevard. Captured in 1941, General Karbyshev was offered to cooperate by the Germans but refused to. He froze to death in one of the Nazi concentration camps.



Monument to General Berzarin. He participated in the Battle of Vyazma, held some important commands during the war. His army was the first Soviet command to enter Berlin in 1945.

Thank you and hope you liked it!

[daviddunham]

After having played the game a lot, these are especially cool! Спасибо.

[jeffd]

Wow, thank you again! These were fascinating. Have to say that the one taken in (former) Gzhatsk is my favorite- Yuri Gagarin has always been one of my heroes, but I didn't know his hometown was on the Drive on Moscow map!

Beyond that, I think it's good to be reminded that these places aren't just names on a map, and of what really happened there. I love making wargames, but we must never forget our debt to the real history or our duty to get it right.

[Baldie]

Well said Jeff! That's absolutely true. It's a shame that many historical battlfields and monuments are not always well-preserved here especially compared to what you guys have in the US, when even places of some small skirmishes of the Civil War are well kept and you can always find some memorials or even small museums.

A little bonus for you - Gagarin monument at the namesake square in Moscow:

[jeffd]

Yuri! If ever a man deserved a statue...

It is interesting to look at the differences in historical preservation, but our record over here is far from perfect. Some of the Civil War battlefields have been well preserved, like Gettysburg and Antietam, but others like Chancellorsville and Nashville are gone. A lot of the war in the East was fought in northern Virginia and central Pennsylvania, which have stayed pretty rural even up to the present day.

[Baldie]

Well Chancerlosville is hard to preserve because of the terrain I think... Though I don't know how the Wilderness looks like now - I've never been in Virginia.
On Gettysburg - yes, it's truly awesome. I've been there for one day when I studied at Lycoming engines courses in Williamsport, PA. Really enjoyed there - lots of monuments, huge museum with cyclorama and a great bookstore!