During the fierce street battles from September to November 1942, a small platoon (up to 30 men) from the 42nd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 13th Guards Rifle Division defended an apartment building on 9 January Square. The defense of the house was led by Lieutenant Ivan F. Afanasiev. The house was well fortified, with windows bricked up and converted into embrasures, minefields set up with the assistance of sappers, and a trench dug leading to the rear of the mill building. For a period of 58 days, the platoon of the house under the command of Ivan F. Afanasyev, despite sustained attacks by the Nazis, artillery shelling, and aerial bombardments, maintained their position until the commencement of the general offensive by Soviet troops. The House of Soldier’s Glory remained an impregnable fortress for the Germans throughout the course of the war. The name of the house was derived from that of Sergeant Yakov F. Pavlov, who was the first to occupy the house as part of a reconnaissance group. In November 1942, when the counter-offensive commenced, Ivan F. Afanasyev and his troops advanced across the square, seized control of the house at the opposite end (referred to as the “Milk House”) and repelled four counterattacks by the enemy.