About the book: 2015 / 70 years ago, soldiers of the Red Army hoisted the Soviet flag over the Reichstag. The Great Patriotic War, which claimed millions of lives and broke millions of destinies, ended with the unconditional victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany... The book you are holding in your hands is an example of real Russian documentary. The author visited Germany and the former Soviet republics, met with participants and eyewitnesses of the terrible events of 1941–1945 to show both sides of this monstrous war. This is a story about heroes and traitors, about ordinary soldiers and officers, about pain and mutual assistance. What did the enemy believe? How did the German propaganda machine work and how difficult was it to fight it? What price are we still paying for this great victory? After all, more than half a century has passed, and the consequences of some Stalinist decisions still affect our relations with our closest neighbors - Ukraine, Georgia, and the Baltic countries. The author of the book tried to figure out whether it was possible to avoid some fatal mistakes, and in this he is helped by participants in military operations, historians and former intelligence officers.