Russia marks Stalingrad 70 years on - From: AAP - February 03,
2013 THE city of Volgograd has been renamed Stalingrad for a day
as Russia marks the 70th anniversary of a brutal battle in which
the Red Army defeated Nazi forces and changed the course of
World War II. President Vladimir Putin called the battle "one of
the greatest examples of world heroism" during a stirring
address to Volgograd veterans that played up the nationalist
themes of his third Kremlin term. "Stalingrad will forever
remain the symbol of the unity and invincibility of our people,"
said Mr Putin. "It is a symbol of true patriotism - a symbol of
the great victory of the Soviet soldier-liberator." Commuter
buses emblazoned with pictures of the feared Soviet dictator
Joseph Stalin ran across the southern city as patriotic Russians
honoured what many view as the Soviet people's greatest
achievement. "I remember the sadness of the war and the victory
of the Soviet soldiers," said World War II veteran Alexander
Kudlyayev as he joined 10,000 o