Mezue ahịrịokwu na-esonụ: E hiwere 257th Rifle Division (nhazi nke abụọ) na Kalinin Oblast n'ọnwa Nọvemba na Disemba 1941, n'okpuru iwu nke Major General Karp Zheleznikov. Ngalaba ahụ malitere ịkpụzi dịka ntuziaka nke Northwestern Front nke ụbọchị 8 Nọvemba 1941 na mpaghara Kuzhenkino na Yedrovo. Ndị otu ya jiri ọnụọgụgụ ndị ahụ dị ka nhazi nke mbụ nke 257th Rifle Division. Ọ gụnyere 943rd, 948th, na 953rd Rifle Regiments, 793rd Artillery Regiment, na obere nkwado nkeji. E zigara 257th na 3rd Shock Army nke Northwestern Front, wee banye agha maka oge mbụ n'oge agha
Toropets <unk> Kholm na-awakpo na Jenụwarị 1942. Na 21 Jenụwarị, 257th, na-aga n'ihu na Velikiye Luki, banyere Snopovo, na-egbutu ụzọ dị n'etiti Kholm na Toropets. Zheleznikov merụrụ ụkwụ ya n'ihe mberede na 23 Jenụwarị ma chụpụ ya n'ihu, na onye isi ndị ọrụ nke ngalaba ahụ Lieutenant Colonel Aleksandr Letunov ghọrọ onye isi nke ngalaba ahụ. Ọchịagha Anatoly Dyakonov weghaara ọchịchị nke ngalaba na 29 Jenụwarị. N'oge mwakpo ahụ, ndị 257th mebiri ihe nchebe ndị German n'ebe ugwu ọdịda anyanwụ nke Ostashkov na njikọta na ndị ọzọ nke ndị agha, ma merie nguzogide siri ike iji zụlite mwakpo ahụ na Velikiye Luki. Site na ngwụcha Jenụwarị ruo Nọvemba, nkewa ahụ dịka akụkụ nke ndị agha nke atọ nke Kalinin Front na-agbachitere ọnọdụ dị n'ebe ugwu ọwụwa anyanwụ nke Velikiye Luki. N'oge opupu ihe ubi nke 1942, e debere Brigade Rifle nke 31 na battalion abụọ na-egwu ski n'okpuru njikwa nke nkewa, na-agbasawanye usoro nchekwa ya site na 40 ruo 80 km.