Russia's preceding Victory appearances were in EP9 and EP11; EP22 opens as the country marshals its sea, land, and air forces in April–May 1944. At last, it seems possible to push the Axis powers out of the Crimean Peninsula, including the “prize beyond price,” their strategically important Black Sea harbor at Sevastopol, lost to the Germans in July 1942.

Six of the twelve Rodgers themes appear here, as many as in any Victory installment. EP22's recording session on 18 February 1953 preceded its 5 April 1953 airdate by barely six weeks, and Bennett saved a little time by incorporating almost four minutes of musical re-uses. These passages are mostly his energetic music for combat scenes—lots of notes not to have to write!—comprising 173 of EP22's total of 944 bars.

Part One, in keeping with Bennett's Victory scoring for Soviet locales, is heavily minor-key. EP22 opens with a new “Russian” theme [A] at 1:08 that is soon repeated and transformed extensively. In this chapter it's labeled “RUS-22” for reference. The opening minutes of EP22 make much use of RUS-22, along with Rodgers's SONG-SEAS at 1:44. At 2:31 is another “Russian” tune [B], heard previously in EP9 (1:35), followed by RUS-22 again at 2:41. German dive-bombers attack at 2:53, with Bennett's music [C] much like what he had written for the Luftwaffe in EP2 (9:11). RUS-22 returns at 3:02.

The conflict continues and another new tune [D] appears at 3:25 and 4:26, sounding as if in 7/4 meter. The Germans are gradually routed as “Along 2,000 miles of Russian front—from the Baltic to the Crimea—the myth of Nazi invincibility crumbles.” The musical accompaniment is Rodgers's SUB at 4:49, its setting suggesting the dimming of fortunes for Germany and its Axis partners. Yet another minor-mode “Russian” melody [E] appears at 5:24 and 5:45 as the fighting continues. The SUB theme, bleakly treated as at 4:49, accompanies Germany's evacuation in landing craft originally built for an invasion of England. Though the fighting eventually ends, “For the Russian people, the aftermath of triumph is heartbreak. Where the German army fights, there the SS murders and the Gestapo slaughters. The heaps of innocent executed hostages are monuments to man's inhumanity to man.” Part One, and EP22's coverage of Russia's Crimean Offensive, end with more RUS-22 at 7:24 and then [F] at 7:45, with its steely string harmonics.