Even today Volgograd it still probably better known by its Soviet name - Stalingrad - due to the ferocious and pivotal battle fought here during the Second World War. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most brutal and bloodiest battles in military history, where up to two million people perished. The city was virtually destroyed and rebuilt as a showpiece Soviet city. Today the city has been renamed but it still immensely proud of its military past and was awarded the title a Hero-City of the Soviet Union. It is an essential place to visit for all those interested in the history of the Second World War.