THE 80th anniversary of the Nazi surrender that ended the battle of Stalingrad was marked today by communists in Russia and elsewhere.

Though the city was renamed Volgograd in 1961, the name Stalingrad remains inextricably linked to the momentous battle that turned the tide of World War II.

The bitter fighting in Stalingrad lasted for five months, from August 1942 to February 1943, and was one of the bloodiest battles in history, with a staggering death toll of about two million.

Today, as communists in Russia commemorated the Nazis’ defeat, they also called for more to be done to remember the sacrifices made.

Communist Party of the Russian Federation general secretary Gennady Zyuganov tweeted: “It’s time for Putin to restore the true name of the hero city — Stalingrad.”

In Britain, the Young Communist League recalled “the unfathomable sacrifices made by the Soviet people in their defeat of Nazi fascism.”

Communist Party of Britain general secretary Rob Griffiths said: “The working class and peoples of Britain celebrated joyously when the Russian people and the Soviet Red Army prevailed, because they knew this would be a turning point in the international struggle against the Nazis and fascism.

“So it was — and this should never be forgotten, whatever our views on the Ukraine war today.”