“The cornerstone of the Eastern Front”, “the indestructible bastion of the Wehrmacht”, “the gateway to Berlin” - this is how the German command assessed its positions in the Rzhev region, where in 1941 - 1943. One of the longest and bloodiest battles of the Second World War unfolded, lasting a total of about 15 months. And in the Red Army, this grandiose battle was dubbed the “Rzhev meat grinder” - our losses here were so great (up to 2 million people) and so inconsistent with the results achieved that after the war the Rzhev massacre was virtually consigned to oblivion, and this conspiracy of silence was broken only recently. This book provides a unique opportunity to look at the “Rzhev Nightmare” from the other side of the front, through the eyes of the commander of the 6th Wehrmacht Infantry Division, which actively participated in the decisive battles of the campaign. Despite a number of inaccuracies, controversial assessments and ambiguous conclusions, this book is rightfully considered the most important source on the history of the longest and merciless battle on the Eastern Front.