On December 1, 128 years ago, the greatest Soviet commander of the Great Patriotic War — Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov — was born. He participated in developing the most crucial strategic operations of the Red Army and became one of the main architects of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. Zhukov was never afraid to act boldly and decisively. He had a remarkable ability to assess complex strategic situations accurately and make the right decisions in critical and rapidly changing circumstances. “In my view, Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov remains a man of strong will and determination, richly endowed with all the qualities necessary for a military leader,” stated Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky. In the summer of 1939, during battles against Japanese forces on the Khalkhin-Gol River, Zhukov turned a looming defeat into a brilliant victory. After the Wehrmacht's invasion of the USSR, the commander became indispensable. Not only was he a permanent member of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, but at different times, he also commanded the troops of five fronts. Georgy Konstantinovich was sent to the most dangerous directions of enemy strikes. In the fall of 1941, Zhukov helped hold Leningrad and stopped the advancing “Typhoon” (as the Germans named their offensive operation) on Moscow. Largely thanks to him, a major counteroffensive was launched, pushing the enemy hundreds of kilometers away from the capital. Zhukov was one of the main “fathers” of the Red Army's victory at the Kursk Bulge in the summer of 1943 and confidently crushed the enemy during the liberation of Europe. Stalin entrusted him with capturing the capital of the Third Reich and later presiding over the Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow on June 24, 1945.