Home Stalingrad Sword of Stalingrad (pt I)
Sword of Honour
"As they reached the abbey church, which many were entering for the first time in their lives, all fell quite silent, as though they were approaching a corpse lying in state.

"The sword they had come to see stood upright between two candles, on a table counterfeiting an altar. Policemen guarded it on either side... Every day the wireless announced great Russian victories, while the British advance in Italy was coming to a halt. The people were suffused with gratitude to their remote allies and they venerated the sword as the symbol of their own generous and spontaneous emotion."

Excerpt taken from Unconditional Surrender (part of the 'Sword of Honour' trilogy by Evelyn Waugh)


The sword now resides at the Panorama Museum of The Battle of Stalingrad in Volgograd

During the dark days from the evacuation of the BEF from Dunkirk in 1940 through to 1942 the British people and allied nations had very little to cheer them up. The morale effect of the victory at Stalingrad can hardly be overstated.


The British wanted to demonstrate to the defenders of Stalingrad their gratitude for their sacrifice and bravery. A gift was needed which would adequately betoken the feelings of the King and the British people. It fell upon the awards and decorations section of the treaties department of the Foriegn Office to settle on the most suitable form of gift. After some discussion the idea of an inscribed sword was put forward and agreed upon. 

The sword was exhibited around the UK in as many major cities as could be fit into the schedule before it was finally presented at the Teheran conference. On 29th November 1943 Churchill presented Stalin, on behalf of the defenders of Stalingrad, with the sword. Also in attendance were Roosevelt, Voroshilov and Molotov.

Stalin receives the sword from Churchill on behalf of the defenders of Stalingrad

The following files are taken from the National Archives at Kew and give a great insight into the thinking that went behind the awarding of a sword, its inscription and also into the greatness of the  desire of the British cities that their people should have a chance to see the actual sword.
(Click a file to see it)
T2396First discussion of giving an award to Stalingrad. Also discussion of allocating a fixed number per year of various British military medals to be distributed amongst the Sovet armed forces.
T2397Discussion of the possibilities of awarding the Military Cross to Stalingrad
T2398
The first discussion of the idea of presenting a sword.
T2399 King George VI agrees in principle to the idea of presenting a 'sword of honour'.  
T2426A suggestion by a member of the public that the Victoria Cross be awarded to Stalingrad.
T2448 A report on the King's telegram to President Kalinin
T2476 President Kalinin's response to the King's telegram 
T2867The design of the sword is discussed and the British embassy in Moscow give their views
T3197
Goldsmiths Hall is approached and the idea of asking 4 artists to produce competing designs for the sword is mentioned.
 T3897Discussions begin regarding the nature of the inscription which is to be put on the sword.
T5257

Sir Archibald Clark-Kerr, the British Ambassador in Moscow, approves the inscription

T5726
Buckingham Palace suggest that the translation work be arranged by the Foreign Office
T6156
Professor Minns of Cambridge is approached to give his opinion on the translations produced by the Foreign Office
T6968
Agreement on the Russian translation is neared. The release from the RAF of Leslie Durbin , responsible for the gold and jewellery work,  is mentioned.
T6979
Professor Minns' suggestion for the translation is discussed in detail.
T7816Various discussions regarding the translation and the style of the lettering of the inscription.
T8567The suggestion is made that the sword be exhibited to the public before being sent to Russia
T9423
A version of the translated inscription is submitted.
T10078
Extended discussions about the duration of the series of exhibitions and where to exhibit. 
T10207The final stages of the sword's production.
T10771The idea of a general presenting the sword on January 31st 1944 is put forward.
T11169Various considerations regarding the cost of the sword.
T11941The questions of when and where the sword is to be exhibited and when and by whom it is to be given to Stalin are considered.
T12193A letter from Goldsmith's Hall to the Russian department of the FO regarding exhibition of the sword.
T12275
A Daily Mail article about a 'sneak preview' of the sword.
T12452Detailed discussions of the itinerary for the exhibition of the sword around the UK. Discussion of the merits of the appeals of various cities.
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