One of the most famous stories of the determination and heroism of the
Red Army during the defense of
Stalingrad is the story of a platoon of the 42nd Guards led by Sergeant Yakov Pavlov. Sergeant Pavlov had taken command of his platoon after their commander had been seriously wounded, and in September, 1942 they siezed a building near the banks of the Volga. They turned it into a fortress, defended by machine guns,
snipers, and anti-tank rifles. For 59 days the house was surrounded and under constant attack by the Germans but Pavlov's single platoon held out until they were finally relieved. Pavlov, though seriously wounded during the defense of the house, survived the
"Rattenkrieg", was promoted to lieutenant and made a
Hero of the Soviet Union for his stand at Stalingrad.
General Chuikov, commander of the 62nd army, was fond of pointing out that more Germans died trying to capture that single building than in the capture of
Paris. After the war, Pavlov, determined to never kill again, joined the Orthodox priesthood and became a monk. He died in 1981. "His" house was preserved after the war as a monument to the battle.
Go to http://www.stalingrad.com.ru/history/foto/chuikov_13-16/chuik-15.jpg if you want to see a picture of Pavlov's house.