How were these high-level wartime events conducted?

What role did they play?

What challenges did their organizers encounter?

Every detail had to be carefully managed: ensuring secure and effective negotiations among the countries' leaders and drafting strategic agreements and treaties that would determine the fate of millions. Despite the complex relations within the anti-Hitler coalition and differing perspectives among its leaders, the Victory Conferences profoundly influenced the conclusion of the war and shaped the political and economic landscape of the postwar world.

The project highlights the meticulous preparation involved and the work of the conference organizing committees, uncovering little-known facts about these high-level diplomatic meetings.

The project receives informational support from Kommersant Events, RBC Conferences, the Russian Convention Bureau Association, and the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Comprehensive details about each conference can be found on the project’s website: 9may.roscongress.org

THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS CONFERENCE LIES IN THE FORMATION OF AN ALLIANCE AMONG NATIONS WHOSE COMBINED FORCES AND RESOURCES WOULD ENABLE THEM TO DEFEAT THE COMMON AGGRESSOR AND PREVENT NAZI GERMANY FROM ISOLATING AND DESTROYING ITS ENEMIES INDIVIDUALLY.

CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS ARRANGED FOR DELEGATES TO VISIT KEY INDUSTRIAL SITES, HOSPITALS, AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS IN MOSCOW.

IN THE OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUÉ, THIS MEETING WAS, FOR THE FIRST TIME, DESCRIBED AS THE CONFERENCE OF THE THREE GREAT POWERS, WHICH BECAME THE CORE OF THE ANTI-HITLER COALITION.

During World War II, Soviet diplomacy focused on three key objectives:
1. Establishing the anti-Hitler coalition
2. Securing the opening of a second front
3. Addressing the post-war world order

The Conference of the representatives of three powers — the USSR, Great Britain and the USA — which met in Moscow on 29 September 1941 and was held till 1 October 1941, has, on the basis of the statements made by the said representatives and of the investigation of submitted data, arrived at the unanimous decision concerning the provision of supplies, which will be made available at British and USA centres of production for the Soviet Union by Great Britain and the United States of America within the period beginning from October 1941 till the end of June 1942. Great Britain and the USA will give aid to the transportation of these materials to the Soviet Union. The list is as follows:

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE MEETING WAS TO DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION TO HASTEN THE END OF THE WAR AND TO DISCUSS THE OPENING OF A SECOND FRONT IN EUROPE, WHICH THE SOVIET UNION EAGERLY ANTICIPATED.

HOWEVER, ON THE VERY FIRST DAY OF NEGOTIATIONS, CHURCHILL DECLARED THAT OPENING A SECOND FRONT IN EUROPE IN 1942 WAS NOT FEASIBLE.

ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES OF THE CONFERENCE WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIRECT PERSONAL CONTACT BETWEEN STALIN AND CHURCHILL, MARKING THE BEGINNING OF A FRIENDLY ALLIANCE BETWEEN THEIR COUNTRIES.

Churchill remarked that everything was arranged with what he called "totalitarian lavishness", characterized by generosity, extravagance, and excess.

During the journey, he rolled down the side window of the government car and was surprised to see that it was at least 5 cm thick. Molotov, who accompanied him, explained that this was for security reasons.

However, what impressed Churchill the most was the presence of mixer taps in the bathtub and washbasins. Later he claimed that he took note of this system and adopted it in his own house, adding that if there is no water shortage, this is the best system.

Negotiations were held in Moscow between Joseph Stalin, Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR, and Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain, with Averell Harriman representing the President of the United States. The talks included key figures such as People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov and Marshal Kliment Voroshilov on the Soviet side, and British Ambassador Sir A. Clark Kerr, Chief of the Imperial General Staff Sir Alan Brooke, other senior British military representatives, and Sir Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on the British side.

Several important decisions were made concerning the war against Hitler’s Germany and its European allies. Both governments reaffirmed their determination to pursue this just war of liberation with full strength and resolve until Hitlerism and all similar tyrannies were completely eradicated.

The discussions took place in an atmosphere of warmth and complete openness, reaffirming the close friendship and mutual understanding among the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and the United States, in full alignment with their alliance commitments.

THE CONFERENCE ESTABLISHED THE GROUNDWORK FOR STRENGTHENING COOPERATION AMONG THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE SOVIET UNION, AND THE UNITED STATES, AIMING TO CREATE A ROBUST ALLIANCE OF PEACE-LOVING NATIONS IN THE POSTWAR ERA.

FOLLOWING GERMANY’S DEFEAT, THE SOVIET UNION EXPRESSED ITS READINESS TO ASSIST IN THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN.

DURING DINNER ON 30 OCTOBER, STALIN ASSURED HULL WITH CLEAR CONFIDENCE: "WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE."

"A KEY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MOSCOW CONFERENCE WAS THAT IT MARKED THE FIRST OCCASION ON WHICH THE THREE LEADING ALLIED POWERS REACHED COMMON AND MEANINGFUL DECISIONS."

PRAVDA NEWSPAPER, 2 NOVEMBER 1943

In his message to Churchill, Roosevelt described the conference as the true beginning of British-Russian-American cooperation, which should lead to Hitler’s swift defeat.

The Third Moscow Conference was the longest meeting of the three powers during the war and covered a wide range of issues. It played a significant role in strengthening the anti-Hitler coalition, achieving compromise on several diplomatic matters, and largely set the stage for the outcomes of the subsequent Tehran Conference between the leaders of the USSR, the United States, and Great Britain.

The organizers of the Third Moscow Conference also placed great emphasis on informal gatherings with foreign guests.

On 27 October, members of the American and British delegations were invited to a concert at the Central House of the Red Army, and they also had the opportunity to attend a performance of the ballet Swan Lake at the Bolshoi Theatre.

THE DECISIONS MADE AT THE TEHRAN CONFERENCE HELD IMMENSE INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE, ACCELERATING THE END OF THE WAR AND LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR LASTING PEACE. THE MEETING OF THE THREE LEADERS IN TEHRAN ESTABLISHED A FOUNDATION FOR CONTINUED DIALOGUE AMONG THE THREE LARGEST POWERS OF THE ANTI-HITLER COALITION.

A CRITICAL TOPIC — THE OPENING OF A SECOND FRONT IN EUROPE, WHICH HAD REMAINED UNRESOLVED DURING THE MOSCOW CONFERENCES — WAS BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT AND MOVED FROM MERE INTENTIONS TO CONCRETE PLANNING.

DURING THE CONFERENCE, CHURCHILL PRESENTED STALIN WITH A LARGE TWO-HANDED SWORD ON BEHALF OF KING GEORGE VI AND THE BRITISH PEOPLE, AS A TOKEN OF HOMAGE TO THE HEROES AND HEROINES OF THE LEGENDARY BATTLE OF STALINGRAD.

The blade bore the inscription: "TO THE STEEL-HEARTED CITIZENS OF STALINGRAD THE GIFT OF KING GEORGE VI IN TOKEN OF THE HOMAGE OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE"

The Tehran Conference was conducted with the utmost security and maximum comfort.

A triple security cordon was established around the negotiation area.

An opaque canvas corridor was constructed between the Soviet and British embassies, which faced each other.
During the conference, all communications in Tehran were blocked, and the work of media was prohibited.

According to the memoirs of Soviet intelligence officer Gevork Vartanian, Joseph Stalin was the only leader who, after the conference concluded, personally visited the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to thank him for his hospitality. The young shah, unprepared for such a distinguished guest, attempted to kneel and kiss Stalin’s hand, but Stalin prevented this gesture and helped the shah to his feet.

The decisions made at the conference represented not only a significant achievement for Stalin, who secured the opening of a second front in Europe, but also a major success for the entire anti-Hitler coalition.

THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD’S LEADING NATIONS RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPARING FOR PEACE WELL IN ADVANCE. TO ACHIEVE THIS, A CONFERENCE WAS CONVENED TO ESTABLISH THE FINANCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND TRADE POLICIES OF THE ALLIED COUNTRIES AND TO SWIFTLY ADDRESS THE DEVASTATING AFTERMATH OF THE WAR.

A MAJOR OUTCOME OF THE CONFERENCE WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) AND THE INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT (IBRD).

THE U.S. DOLLAR WAS PEGGED TO GOLD AT A RATE OF 0.88 571 GRAMMES PER DOLLAR. OTHER CURRENCIES WERE PEGGED TO THE US DOLLAR AND COULD ONLY VARY WITHIN A NARROW BAND OF 0.75% ABOVE OR BELOW THE SET RATE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE DOLLAR EMERGED AS THE SOLE GLOBAL RESERVE CURRENCY.

BY MID-1944, THE OUTCOME OF WORLD WAR II WAS LARGELY ASSURED IN FAVOUR OF THE ALLIED POWERS OF THE ANTI-HITLER COALITION. THIS CREATED AN URGENT NEED TO ESTABLISH AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO MAINTAINING PEACE AND GLOBAL SECURITY.

THE CONFERENCE RESULTED IN THE SIGNING OF THE FINAL DOCUMENT TITLED “PROPOSALS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GENERAL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION”.

KEY BODIES PLANNED FOR THE NEW ORGANIZATION INCLUDED:

• GENERAL ASSEMBLY
• SECURITY COUNCIL
• INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
• SECRETARIAT

THE ORGANIZATION’S PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES WERE TO TAKE EFFECTIVE COLLECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST BREACHES OF THE PEACE AND TO RESOLVE INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES THROUGH PEACEFUL MEANS.

THE AGREEMENTS REACHED AT DUMBARTON OAKS LARGELY SHAPED THE POSTWAR INTERNATIONAL ORDER.

ON 27 SEPTEMBER 1944, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER WINSTON CHURCHILL REQUESTED JOSEPH STALIN TO ARRANGE A MEETING IN MOSCOW, PROMPTED BY CONCERNS THAT THE RED ARMY’S SUCCESSFUL OFFENSIVES ON THE EUROPEAN FRONTS MIGHT IMPACT BRITAIN’S INTERESTS IN THE BALKANS. STALIN AGREED TO RECEIVE THE BRITISH DELEGATION, LEADING TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FOURTH MOSCOW CONFERENCE.

IN HIS MEMOIRS, CHURCHILL NOTED THAT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH STALIN HAD NEVER BEEN BETTER THAN DURING HIS OCTOBER 1944 VISIT.

ARCHIVES CONTAIN A DRAFT AGREEMENT ON THE PARTITION OF EASTERN EUROPE, PERSONALLY PREPARED BY CHURCHILL AND STALIN.

THE PARTIES AGREED TO DIVIDE INFLUENCE OVER THE REGION AS FOLLOWS: ROMANIA – USSR 90%, OTHERS 10%; GREECE – GREAT BRITAIN 90%, USSR 10%; HUNGARY AND YUGOSLAVIA – SPLIT EVENLY 50/50%; BULGARIA – USSR 75%, OTHERS – 25%.

On the evening of 9 October, during his visit, Winston Churchill held his first meeting and discussion with Stalin. Churchill began by raising the Polish question, describing it as one of the most challenging issues, and requested permission to include the Polish Prime Minister-in-exile, Stanisław Mikołajczyk, the Polish ambassador in Moscow, Tadeusz Romer, and Professor Stanisław Grabski, chairman of the National Council (Rada Narodowa) in London, in the talks. Stalin responded by suggesting the invitation of representatives from the Polish Committee of National Liberation, the provisional executive body of the Krajowa Rada Narodowa, which had been established under Soviet guidance by Poles residing in the USSR at that time.

Churchill then placed a paper on the table marked with his personal initials, WSC, and explained, according to the original English record, that this "dirty document" contained a list of Balkan countries alongside the proposed division of influence among the great powers. He remarked that if the Americans saw it, they would be shocked by how bluntly he had presented it, but that Stalin, as a realist, would understand the stakes involved.

The document outlined Churchill’s proposal for dividing spheres of influence in the Balkans as follows:

Later, Churchill told Eden he had "forgotten" to include Albania, which he suggested should also be split evenly at 50/50%.

This "percentage agreement" proposed by Churchill did not surprise Stalin, nor did the fact that Greece was the key issue.

According to eyewitnesses, Stalin then marked the document with a blue pencil checkmark and returned it to Churchill.

After a pause, Churchill remarked, "Wouldn't it be considered too cynical that we so easily resolved issues affecting millions of people? Let’s burn this paper." Stalin replied, "No, keep it."

Churchill folded the paper in half and tucked it into his pocket. Interestingly, when the document was later prepared for cabinet review, the "percentages," their explanation, and the phrase "dirty document" were removed from the official record.

The sheet with the "percentages" was first publicly mentioned in Churchill’s memoirs.

This discrepancy has been noted by several prominent British historians, including D. Dilks, J. Roberts, and R. Jenkins.
The most detailed and objective account remains the Soviet record of the conversation.

DURING PREPARATIONS, THE YALTA CONFERENCE WAS CODENAMED "ARGONAUT", A TERM COINED BY CHURCHILL.

IN A LETTER TO ROOSEVELT, CHURCHILL EXPRESSED THAT THEY WERE THE DIRECT DESCENDANTS OF THE ARGONAUTS WHO, ACCORDING TO GREEK MYTHOLOGY, HAD SAILED TO THE BLACK SEA IN SEARCH OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.

STALIN ALSO APPRECIATED THIS VIVID METAPHOR.

THE CONFERENCE RESULTED IN DECISIONS ON THE POLISH AND YUGOSLAV QUESTIONS AND THE SIGNING OF A DECLARATION OF LIBERATED EUROPE. ON THE FINAL DAY, A TRILATERAL AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED OUTLINING THE TERMS OF THE USSR’S ENTRY INTO THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN.

WHILE THE AGREEMENTS MADE AT YALTA COULD NOT PREVENT THE DIVISION OF EUROPE, THEY ESTABLISHED THE FOUNDATION FOR A NEW WORLD ORDER THAT PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCED POSTWAR EUROPE.

Preparations for the Yalta Conference took less than two months. Hundreds of workers, supervised by NKVD and NKGB officers, restored the Crimean palaces that had been looted by the Nazis and repaired damaged areas to ensure the summit meetings could take place comfortably.

At the Livadia Palace, the main venue for the negotiations, 2,500 workers were deployed. All residents within a 30-kilometer radius were evacuated, and German prisoners of war were removed from the vicinity. The access routes to Yalta from the Saky airfield and Simferopol railway station were also refurbished.

Along the southern coast of the Black Sea, a triple ring of warships was stationed, supported by about 300 combat aircraft. The conference site was guarded continuously by a double security cordon, with a third cordon added at night.

Roosevelt’s apartment was decorated in his preferred sky blue. The bathroom walls were repainted multiple times because US experts felt the initial shades clashed with the sea view, trying seven different colours before selecting the right one.

In contrast, British specialists did not raise such concerns when preparing Churchill’s apartment.

For tactical reasons, Stalin chose not to meet Roosevelt and Churchill at the airfield, delegating this task to Molotov. Roosevelt, displeased by this breach of protocol and with Churchill’s agreement, openly expressed his dissatisfaction to the Soviet leader.

Stalin responded by recalling that the Allies had also delayed opening a second front in Europe, implying he had the right to take his time as well.

To emphasize his point, Stalin deliberately arrived late to the first official meeting on 4 February, a gesture the Allies clearly understood.

ON 12 APRIL, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT, WHO MAINTAINED A FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SOVIET UNION, PASSED AWAY AND WAS SUCCEEDED BY HARRY TRUMAN.

THIS RAISED A CRUCIAL QUESTION: WOULD THE USSR, THE US, AND THE UK BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR COOPERATIVE POLICY AND ACT TOGETHER ON KEY INTERNATIONAL ISSUES IN THE POSTWAR WORLD?

PRESIDENT TRUMAN URGED THE CONFERENCE DELEGATES TO "BUILD A NEW WORLD — A FAR BETTER WORLD — ONE IN WHICH THE ETERNAL DIGNITY OF MAN IS RESPECTED."

ON 24 OCTOBER 1945, THE UN CHARTER WAS RATIFIED BY ALL PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER SIGNATORY STATES.

THIS DATE IS NOW CELEBRATED ANNUALLY AS UNITED NATIONS DAY.

Andrei Gromyko, the USSR Ambassador to the United States, stated that their country would not accept a UN Charter that might lead to new military conflicts between nations.

Unlike earlier international conferences, which were conducted solely in French or English, the San Francisco Conference operated in five languages: English, French, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish.

This recognition of Russian as an official diplomatic language reflected the USSR’s status as a global leader.

The conference’s final plenary session was held in a solemn atmosphere. Delegates gathered around a large round table displaying two historic documents: the United Nations Charter and the Statute of the International Court of Justice. Flags of 50 countries were arranged in a circle around the hall. Each head of delegation took turns signing the documents, with a total of 153 signatures affixed.

THE CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON DETERMINING THE FATE OF POSTWAR GERMANY, OUTLINING THE FUTURE STRUCTURE OF EUROPE, AND PLANNING THE SOVIET UNION’S ENTRY INTO THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN.

During the conference, the delegations developed a unified policy regarding Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Finland — countries that had previously been allied with Germany.

ON 8 AUGUST 1945, VYACHESLAV MOLOTOV INFORMED THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR NAOTAKE SATO THAT THE USSR WAS DECLARING WAR ON JAPAN.

AT MIDNIGHT ON 9 AUGUST, THE RED ARMY LAUNCHED A SIMULTANEOUS INVASION OF JAPAN ON THREE FRONTS — EAST, WEST, AND NORTH OF MANCHURIA.

The most challenging aspect of Operation Palma – the code name for the preparations for the Potsdam Conference – was arranging Stalin’s travel to Berlin, as he was known to dislike flying. European railways use a narrower gauge than Russian railways, which meant that at Brest, train carriages typically had to be switched to European wheels.
However, this was not an option for Stalin, and no one was willing to risk the potential consequences. As a result, the entire 828-kilometre route from the USSR border to Potsdam was converted to Soviet railway standards.

Three trains were organized for the journey. Stalin travelled on the main train, which was guarded by 90 officers.
Ahead of Stalin’s train was another carrying 40 operatives, while a third train followed with military officials and NKVD personnel numbering 70. Police units were stationed at every station along the route, and over 17,000 NKVD officers were assigned to guard the railway tracks.

On average, there were 4 to 6 guards per kilometre between Moscow and Brest, increasing to 7 to 10 guards per kilometre from Brest to Germany. Within 40 kilometres of the conference location, the security density rose to 15 guards per kilometre.

The interiors for the delegations were colour-coded: white for the Soviet delegation, blue for the American delegation, and pink for the British delegation.

A specially made round conference table, six meters in diameter and produced by the Lux factory, was brought from Moscow for meetings held in the Grand Hall of the palace.

To cater to the needs of the high-ranking Soviet delegation members, a cattle farm, poultry farm, and vegetable farm were established seven kilometres from Potsdam, alongside bakeries, all staffed by personnel sent from Moscow.

According to Harry Truman’s memoirs describing what Stalin served his allies, the sequence of offerings began with caviar, vodka, and cognac, followed by melon with champagne. Between these, there were smoked fish, fresh fish, game, chicken, duck, and fruit. Toasts were made frequently – at least 25, counted by Harry Truman.
On 16 July, Churchill and Truman spent the entire day touring Berlin, visiting sites including the Reich Chancellery and Hitler’s bunker.

Stalin was invited to see Hitler’s corpse, which had been discovered by then. Initially, he agreed, but the next morning he declined, suggesting that Molotov and Beria should go instead. They did visit the ruined bunker.

Stalin was also offered a visit to Sachsenhausen, where his son Yakov had died, but he refused, stating, “I did not come here on personal business.”


In addition to unprecedented security measures, the Allies implemented strict registration and accreditation procedures for conference participants, issuing passes with varying levels of access to the delegates.