5th March 1942
Pleskau (Pskov)

Pleskau (Pskov)

Pskov is a city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, located about 20 kilometers (12 mi) east of the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River.

During World War I, Pskov became the headquarters for Russia's Northern Front, commanded by Nikolai Ruzsky. On 15th March 1917, aboard the Imperial train, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated here. After the Russo-German Brest-Litovsk Peace Conference (22nd December 1917 – 3rd March 1918), the Imperial German Army invaded the area.

Pskov was also occupied by the Estonian army between 25th May 1919 and 28th August 1919 during the Estonian War of Independence when the White Russian commander Stanisław Bułak-Bałachowicz became the military administrator of Pskov. He personally ceded most of his responsibilities to a democratically elected municipal duma and focused on both cultural and economical recovery of the war-impoverished city. He also put an end to censorship of press and allowed for creation of several socialist associations and newspapers.

Under the Soviet government, large parts of the city were rebuilt, many ancient buildings, particularly churches, were demolished to give space for new constructions. During World War II, in June 1940, the Soviet 8th Army invaded Estonia and Latvia from the city. The medieval citadel provided little protection against modern artillery of the Wehrmacht, and Pskov suffered substantial damage during the German occupation from 9th July 1941 until 23rd July 1944. The Germans operated a forced labour camp for Jewish men and women. In February 1944, thousands of people were killed during Russian bombings of the city. A huge portion of the population died during the war, and Pskov has since struggled to regain its traditional position as a major industrial and cultural centre of western Russia.

Source: Wikipedia

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