THIS year the citizens of Britain, Europe and the whole world mark the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, the bloodiest conflict in the history of mankind.

The war fundamentally changed the political map of the world and the relations between peoples and continents. It made people look differently at their responsibility for the fate of the world.

Celebrations for those who survived and acts of remembrance for the deceased will take place in all corners of the globe as there is no place on Earth that was not touched by those dreadful years.

For the Soviet Union, WWII began when Germany invaded its territory at 4am on June 22 1941.

What became known to Soviet citizens as the Great Patriotic War was bitterly fought over the 1,418 days from that day to VE Day on May 9 1945.

As new materials emerge from the archives, historians are still piecing together the full story of this great conflict — but no-one can doubt the overwhelming contribution made by the Soviet people to victory.

The Soviet people withheld a truly monstrous onslaught from an enemy who aimed to destroy entire cities, countries and peoples.

By September 1941, Leningrad — the country’s second city — had been besieged and large areas of Soviet territory had been overrun, including the cities of Minsk and Kiev.

On December 2, German forces came within 20km of the centre of the capital, Moscow, but were thrown back by a massive Soviet offensive launched on December 5.

Hitler’s forces moved on towards Stalingrad where an epic struggle involving hundreds of thousands of combatants took place on the shores of the Volga river from August 1942 to February 1943.

To mark the heroism of the defenders, King George VI presented the city with a ceremonial sword of honour.

One of the most important battles of the war was fought around the city of Kursk in July 1943. Victory for the Soviet army marked a turning point in the war.

On June 22 1944 — shortly after the D-Day landings by US and British Commonwealth forces in Normandy — the Soviet army launched Operation Bagration.

By August this offensive had expelled nazi forces from almost all Soviet territory occupied during the course of the war.

The drive to Berlin and final victory began on January 12 1945 (the Vistula-Oder Operation).

In April 25 1945 Soviet and US forces made contact near Torgau in southern Germany. Two weeks later Berlin had fallen and nazi Germany had surrendered unconditionally.

Some 27 million Soviet soldiers and civilians paid with their lives defending their motherland, liberating eastern Europe and ensuring the final defeat of Hitler and nazi Germany.