Footsteps of WWII · Russia & Belarus
Panorama Museum & Gerhardt's Mill, Volgograd
Museum · Sep 1942 – Jan 1943
The story
The Panorama Museum on the Volga embankment is the main museum of the Battle of Stalingrad, with eight halls, four dioramas, a circular panorama painting and about 4,000 exhibits, among them the rifle of the sniper Vasily Zaitsev. Beside it stands the shell of Gerhardt's (or Grudinin's) mill. Bombed and set on fire on 14 September 1942, it was taken that night by men of General Rodimtsev's 13th Guards Rifle Division, newly ferried across the Volga. By 20 September the 3rd Battalion, 42nd Guards Rifle Regiment, held it as a strongpoint, and it stayed semi-encircled for 58 days. It was deliberately left unrestored after the war.
What to look for
Start with the scarred, roofless mill, its brick walls pitted by bullets and shells, then go into the museum for the dioramas, Zaitsev's rifle and the panorama on the top floor. Pavlov's House is across the square, which shows how close the lines were.
Plan your visit
FCDO advises against all travel to Russia. Museum open Tuesday–Friday and Sunday 10:00–18:00, Saturday to 20:00, closed Mondays; ticket office closes 30 minutes earlier. Tickets sold online and on site. Mill seen from outside. Check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Pavlov's House, Volgograd · under 1 km
- Mamayev Kurgan and 'The Motherland Calls' · 3 km
- Rossoshka war cemeteries · 30 km
All 160 sites in Footsteps of WWII →
Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The whole Second World War in Europe, from the first shots at Westerplatte on 1 September 1939 to the German surrender in May 1945: Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, Stalingrad, Berlin and the camps, in 15 areas from Britain to Russia.
Open the guide