Order of the Day, August 23, 1943

Issued by Marshal Stalin, Supreme Commander-in- Chief, and addressed to the Colonel-General Koniev, Army General Vatutin and Army General Malinovsky

To-day, August 23, the troops of the Steppe Front, with the active assistance of the troops of the Voronezh and south-western fronts on the flanks, as a result of fierce engagements, crushed enemy resistance and captured the city of Kharkov by storm. Thus the second capital of the Ukraine, our own Kharkov, has been liberated from the yoke of the German-fascist blackguards.

In offensive engagements for the capture of the city of Kharkov our troops displayed a high degree of military training, valour and skill in manoeuvring. Troops under the command of Major-General Managarov, Lieutenant-General Kriuchenkin, Lieutenant-General Shumil-ov, Lieutenant-General Gagen and Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Rotmistrov and airmen commanded by Lieutenant-General of Aviation Goryunov distinguished themselves in the fighting for the city of Kharkov, also units of the 33rd Infantry Corps of Guards under the command of Major-General Kozlov and the 34th Infantry Corps under the command of Major-Gen-eral Kolchigin.

To mark the liberation of Kharkov the name "Kharkov" is conferred on the 89th Byelgorod Infantry Division of Guards, the 252nd, 84th, 299th, 116th, 375th and 183rd Infantry Divisions and the 15th, 28th and 93rd Infantry Divisions of Guards, and henceforth they are named: the 89th Byelgorod-Kharkov Infantry Division of Guards, the 252nd Kharkov Infantry Division, the 84th Kharkov Infantry Division, the 116th Kharkov Infantry Division, the 183rd Kharkov Infantry Division, the 15th Kharkov Infantry Division of Guards, the 28th Kharkov Infantry Division of Guards and the 93rd Kharkov Infantry Division of Guards. As a mark of celebration of the occasion of the victory achieved at Kharkov, to-day August 23, at 21.00, the capital of our Motherland – Moscow – will salute on behalf of the Motherland, with 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns, our gallant troops which liberated Kharkov.

For the splendid offensive operations I thank all troops under your command which took part in the operation for the liberation of Kharkov. Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the fight for the liberty and independence of our Motherland.

Death to the German invaders!

Stalin

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union