in 1942-43, they laid down their heads to block the nazis’ only exit from the demyansk cauldron.s. 1943, old rusa was liberated . soviet troops occupied dimyansk in february later, in february 1944, when soviet troops entered the city, only four intact buildings remained here, in fact it was a dead city. in old russia there are many monuments reminiscent of a difficult period great patriotic war. in 2017 , the victory commanders museum opened here. it is dedicated to ivan danilovich chernyakhovsky, army general, twice hero of the soviet union. chernyakhovsky was the youngest front commander in the history of the red army. they prophesied the glory of a new hero for him. for him, the patriotic war began in the northwestern regions.