Tula's designation as a Hero City dates to 1976, awarded for the city's resistance during the German siege of October–December 1941. The city held despite being nearly encircled, largely because its armaments factories — Tula had been Russia's primary small arms manufacturing center since the 17th century — kept producing weapons throughout the siege. Transdniester, internationally unrecognized and operating its own parallel monetary system since 1992, has issued this type as part of a broader Soviet Hero City commemorative series.
Tula's designation as a Hero City dates to 1976, awarded for the city's resistance during the German siege of October–December 1941. The city held despite being nearly encircled, largely because its armaments factories — Tula had been Russia's primary small arms manufacturing center since the 17th century — kept producing weapons throughout the siege. Transdniester, internationally unrecognized and operating its own parallel monetary system since 1992, has issued this type as part of a broader Soviet Hero City commemorative series.