Stalingrad as an object of local air defense: features and characteristics

Annotation

The Great Patriotic War necessitated the active development of civil defense systems in major cities of the USSR, but the organization of local air defense in Stalingrad is still an insufficiently studied topic. The relevance of the topic is due to the historical significance of the city as a strategic object, as well as the lack of specialized research analyzing the experience of the Moscow Military District for modern protection of the population. The purpose of this work is to identify the features of the organization and functioning of the MPVO system in Stalingrad in the pre–war years and the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War, taking into account regional and administrative factors. The study used recently declassified archival materials from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Volgograd Region (F. “Local Air Defense”), as well as published documents and sources. The results showed that at the beginning of the war, Stalingrad, which received the status of an MPVO point, became the center of concentration of infrastructure, which determined its security. An analysis of the sources revealed key aspects: the organization of district divisions of the MPVO, the training of residents, and the creation of crevices and shelters, taking into account local building features. Based on documentary sources, the network of public utilities providing water supply, sewerage, energy and communications in the face of air attacks was reconstructed. It was established that the MPVO functioned effectively due to interaction with industry (80 % of shelters were located at enterprises) and the mobilization of labor resources. The shortcomings of the MPO system have been identified. The article reflects the complex mechanism of adaptation of centralized IPO directives to local conditions and expands the understanding of the relationship between the industrial base, infrastructure and organizational solutions in providing IPO.

References

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