Walking along Stachek Avenue, you can stumble upon an old tram, standing on the side of the road. In fact, this is a monument to the besieged tram, a kind of symbol of the courage and valor of Leningraders. The first tram in the city was launched along Sadovaya Street in 1907, and a monument was erected on the centenary of this event.

 Ave. Stachek, 114

blockade temple

This church is consecrated in the name of the Assumption Holy Mother of God. It is also called the temple of memory of the Leningrad blockade.

 Malookhtinsky prospect, 52

Museum-Reserve "Breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad" 0+

Military Museum-Reserve "Breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad" opened in 1990, bringing together a diorama museum and parts of the South Ladoga area, where important events of the operation to lift the blockade of Leningrad took place.

 Leningrad region, Kirovsk, st. Pionerskaya, 1

Monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad

The composition was created according to the project of the people's architects of the USSR Speransky and Kamensky. On May 9, 1975, the grand opening of the monument took place.

 square of victory

A vertical obelisk made of granite is decorated with bronze high reliefs, at the top of the monument there is a “Golden Star of the Hero”. The monument was opened on the 40th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War.

 Nevsky prospect, 85

Museum "Cobona: Road of Life"

The exposition of the museum is dedicated to the feat of the heroes who, at the cost of their lives, defended the only path connecting the starving besieged Leningrad with the rest of the world.

 Leningrad region, Kirovsky district, village. Kobona, st. Staraya Ladoga Canal, 2nd line, 2

Memorial "Broken Ring"

Two semicircular arches symbolize the breaking of the blockade ring around Leningrad, and in the gap between them - the Road of Life.

 Leningrad region, Lomonosovsky district, pos. Kokkorevo

St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic named after Dmitry Shostakovich (Great Hall)

Cultural life continued in the besieged city. In particular, the premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 took place at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. It happened on August 9, 1942.

 st. Mikhailovskaya, 2

Museum "Nevsky Piglet"

One of the most heroic and bloodiest events of the Great Patriotic War found its reflection in the exhibition.

 Leningrad region, Vsevolozhsk district, the village of Nevskaya Dubrovka, st. Leningradskaya, 3

Stele and memorial plaque in memory of sailors of boat minesweepers on Elagin Island
Kirov Central Park of Culture and Leisure

Even before the declaration of war, the Nazi troops mined the exits to the Baltic Gulf. From 1942 to 1944, the Baltic Fleet was locked up in the Neva Bay. Thanks to the selfless feat of minesweepers, the Great Ship Fairway was cleared. The day of the breakthrough of the naval mine blockade of Leningrad - June 5, 1944 - became an official city holiday.

 Yelagin island, 4b

In 1941, Soviet sailors carried out the evacuation of groups of troops that ended up in the occupied territories. The transfer of personnel from Tallinn to Kronstadt took place on August 28-30 in conditions of heavy fire from the enemy. The success of the operation was a real feat.

 Kronstadt, Anchor Square, Wall of Memory

Evidence of the horrors that the blockade survivors experienced is the diary of a girl whose family died. The document became one of the symbols of the Great Patriotic War. Every year in memorable dates flowers are brought to the door of the apartment where the Savichevs lived in memory of the victims of the blockade.

 2nd line V.O., 13/6, apt. 1

The home front workers selflessly worked for victory, but if the need arose, they took up arms and joined the ranks of the fighters.

 st. Marshal Govorov, 29

Six such tablets remained from the wartime in St. Petersburg. They were stencilled and warned of the dangerous side of the street. During the shelling, such inscriptions saved many lives.

 Nevsky prospect, 14

During the tragic blockade period, the water surface became the only artery connecting the city with the rest of the country. The contribution of the Baltic sailors to the victory cannot be overestimated. A modest gift from Leningraders is a monument to courageous heroes.

 st. Mezhevoy canal, d. 5

A sign of recognition to the commander who led the defense and liberation of Leningrad. The bronze figure of the marshal was installed on January 25, 1999.

 sq. Strike

The siege of the city lasted for 900 days. Soldiers and sailors - soldiers of the Soviet Army and residents of Leningrad - stood up to defend him. They showed heroism and unparalleled courage, defended Leningrad in inhuman conditions and defeated the enemy. The commemorative obelisk is a tribute to the memory of all those who contributed to the victory.

 st. Leni Golikova, 15, building 5

The granite flower is part of the memorial to the Leningrad children who died during the siege. Opened October 28, 1968. The memorial also includes the mound "Tanya Savicheva's Diary" and Friendship Alley.

 3rd km of the Road of Life

Fierce fighting took place on a small foothold on the banks of the Tosna River in 1942. An area of ​​​​600 by 400 meters was literally stuffed with lead - fragments of shells and bombs. In the 1960s, a memorial complex was built on this site - eternal glory fallen soldiers.

 Leningrad region, Otradnoe

During the battles for the city, the Soviet people showed unparalleled heroism. Nikolai Pavlovich Tuzhik died a heroic death during the battle for the village of Kamenka on the Pulkovo Heights. At the cost of his life, he restored the operational telephone cable between military headquarters. A cross-monument (cenotaf) on his grave at the Volkovskoye cemetery was erected on the anniversary of his death - in 2013.

 Rasstanny pr-d, 3, Volkovskoye cemetery

A reminder of the massive shelling and bombardment that the city was subjected to - traces of shell fragments on the Anichkov Bridge. Left as evidence of a tragic period in the history of Leningrad.

 Nevsky prospect, Anichkov bridge

The blockade of Leningrad lasted exactly 871 days. This is the longest and most terrible siege of the city in the history of mankind. Almost 900 days of pain and suffering, courage and selflessness. After many years after breaking the blockade of Leningrad many historians, and even ordinary people, wondered if it was possible to avoid this nightmare? Escape, apparently not. For Hitler, Leningrad was a "tidbit" - after all, the Baltic Fleet and the road to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk are located here, from where help from the allies came from during the war, and if the city had surrendered, it would have been destroyed and wiped off the face of the earth. Was it possible to mitigate the situation and prepare for it in advance? The issue is controversial and deserves a separate study.

The first days of the siege of Leningrad

On September 8, 1941, during the offensive of the fascist army, the city of Shlisselburg was captured, thus the blockade ring was closed. In the early days, few believed in the seriousness of the situation, but many residents of the city began to thoroughly prepare for the siege: in just a few hours, all savings were withdrawn from the savings banks, the shops were empty, everything that was possible was bought up. Not everyone managed to evacuate when systematic shelling began, but they began immediately, in September, the evacuation routes were already cut off. There is an opinion that it was the fire that occurred on the first day blockade of Leningrad in the Badaev warehouses - in the storage of the city's strategic reserves - provoked a terrible famine during the blockade days. However, recently declassified documents give slightly different information: it turns out that there was no such thing as a "strategic reserve", since in the conditions of the outbreak of war to create a large reserve for such a huge city as Leningrad was (and at that time about 3 million people) was not possible, so the city ate imported food, and the existing stocks would only be enough for a week. Literally from the first days of the blockade, ration cards were introduced, schools were closed, military censorship was introduced: any attachments to letters were prohibited, and messages containing decadent moods were confiscated.

Siege of Leningrad - pain and death

Memories of the blockade of Leningrad people who survived it, their letters and diaries reveal a terrible picture to us. A terrible famine struck the city. Money and jewelry depreciated. The evacuation began in the fall of 1941, but only in January 1942 did it become possible to withdraw a large number of people, mostly women and children, through the Road of Life. There were huge queues at the bakeries, where daily rations were given out. Beyond hunger besieged Leningrad attacked other disasters: very frosty winters, sometimes the thermometer dropped to -40 degrees. Fuel ran out and water pipes froze - the city was left without electricity, and drinking water. Another problem for the besieged city in the first blockade winter was rats. They not only destroyed food supplies, but also spread all kinds of infections. People were dying, and they did not have time to bury them, the corpses lay right on the streets. There were cases of cannibalism and robbery.

Life of besieged Leningrad

Simultaneously Leningraders tried with all their might to survive and not let them die hometown. Not only that: Leningrad helped the army by producing military products - the factories continued to work in such conditions. Theaters and museums restored their activities. It was necessary - to prove to the enemy, and, most importantly, to ourselves: Leningrad blockade will not kill the city, it continues to live! One of the clearest examples of amazing selflessness and love for the Motherland, life, and hometown is the story of the creation of one piece of music. During the blockade, D. Shostakovich's most famous symphony was written, later called "Leningrad". Rather, the composer began to write it in Leningrad, and finished already in the evacuation. When the score was ready, it was taken to the besieged city. By that time, the symphony orchestra had already resumed its activities in Leningrad. On the day of the concert, so that enemy raids could not disrupt it, our artillery did not let a single fascist aircraft near the city! All the days of the siege, the Leningrad radio worked, which for all Leningraders was not only a life-giving source of information, but also simply a symbol of continuing life.

Road of Life - the pulse of the besieged city

From the first days of the blockade, the Road of Life - pulse began its dangerous and heroic work besieged LeningradA. In summer - water, and in winter - an ice path connecting Leningrad with the "mainland" along Lake Ladoga. On September 12, 1941, the first barges with food came to the city along this route, and until late autumn, until storms made navigation impossible, barges went along the Road of Life. Each of their flights was a feat - enemy aircraft constantly made their bandit raids, the weather conditions were often not in the hands of the sailors either - the barges continued their flights even in late autumn, until the very appearance of ice, when navigation was already impossible in principle. On November 20, the first horse and sledge convoy descended onto the ice of Lake Ladoga. A little later, trucks went along the ice Road of Life. The ice was very thin, despite the fact that the truck was carrying only 2-3 bags of food, the ice broke through and it was not uncommon for the trucks to sink. At the risk of their lives, the drivers continued their deadly journeys until the very spring. Military Highway No. 101, as this route was called, made it possible to increase the bread ration and evacuate a large number of people. The Germans constantly tried to break this thread connecting the besieged city with the country, but thanks to the courage and fortitude of the Leningraders, the Road of Life lived by itself and gave life to the great city.
The significance of the Ladoga highway is enormous, it has saved thousands of lives. Now on the shore of Lake Ladoga there is a museum "The Road of Life".

Children's contribution to the liberation of Leningrad from the blockade. Ensemble of A.E.Obrant

At all times there is no greater grief than a suffering child. Blockade children are a special topic. Having matured early, not childishly serious and wise, they, along with adults, did their best to bring victory closer. Children are heroes, each fate of which is a bitter echo of those terrible days. Children's dance ensemble A.E. Obranta - a special piercing note of the besieged city. In the first winter blockade of Leningrad many children were evacuated, but despite this, for various reasons, many children remained in the city. The Palace of Pioneers, located in the famous Anichkov Palace, switched to martial law with the outbreak of war. I must say that 3 years before the start of the war, the Song and Dance Ensemble was created on the basis of the Palace of Pioneers. At the end of the first blockade winter, the remaining teachers tried to find their pupils in the besieged city, and the ballet master A.E. Obrant created a dance group from the children who remained in the city. It is terrible even to imagine and compare the terrible blockade days and pre-war dances! Nevertheless, the ensemble was born. At first, the guys had to be restored from exhaustion, only then they were able to start rehearsals. However, already in March 1942, the first performance of the band took place. The fighters, who had seen a lot, could not hold back their tears, looking at these courageous children. Remember How long did the siege of Leningrad last? So during this considerable time the ensemble gave about 3,000 concerts. Wherever the guys had to perform: often the concerts had to end in a bomb shelter, since several times during the evening the performances were interrupted by air raid alerts, it happened that young dancers performed a few kilometers from the front line, and in order not to attract the enemy with unnecessary noise, they danced without music, and the floors were covered with hay. Strong in spirit, they supported and inspired our soldiers; the contribution of this team to the liberation of the city can hardly be overestimated. Later, the guys were awarded medals "For the Defense of Leningrad".

Breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad

In 1943, a turning point occurred in the war, and at the end of the year, Soviet troops were preparing to liberate the city. January 14, 1944 during the general offensive Soviet troops the final operation began lifting the blockade of Leningrad. The task was to inflict a crushing blow on the enemy south of Lake Ladoga and restore the land routes connecting the city with the country. Leningrad and Volkhov fronts by January 27, 1944, with the help of Kronstadt artillery, carried out breaking the blockade of Leningrad. The Nazis began to retreat. Soon the cities of Pushkin, Gatchina and Chudovo were liberated. The blockade was completely lifted.

Tragic and great page of Russian history, which claimed more than 2 million human lives. As long as the memory of these terrible days lives in the hearts of people, finds a response in talented works of art, is passed from hand to hand to descendants - this will not happen again! Siege of Leningrad briefly, but Vera Inberg succinctly described, her lines are a hymn to the great city and at the same time a requiem to the departed.

The offensive of the fascist troops on Leningrad, the capture of which the German command attached great strategic and political importance, began on July 10, 1941. In August, heavy fighting was already on the outskirts of the city. On August 30, German troops cut the railroads connecting Leningrad with the country. On September 8, 1941, the Nazi troops captured Shlisselburg and cut off Leningrad from the whole country from the land. An almost 900-day blockade of the city began, communication with which was maintained only through Lake Ladoga and by air.

Having failed in their attempts to break through the defenses of the Soviet troops inside the blockade ring, the Germans decided to starve the city out. According to all the calculations of the German command, Leningrad was to be wiped off the face of the earth, and the population of the city to die of hunger and cold. In an effort to implement this plan, the enemy carried out barbaric bombardments and artillery shelling of Leningrad: on September 8, the day the blockade began, the first massive bombardment of the city took place. About 200 fires broke out, one of them destroyed the Badaev food warehouses. In September-October, enemy aircraft made several raids a day. The purpose of the enemy was not only to interfere with the activities of important enterprises, but also to create panic among the population. To do this, during the hours of the beginning and end of the working day, especially intensive shelling was carried out. In total, during the blockade period, about 150 thousand shells were fired at the city and over 107 thousand incendiary and high-explosive bombs were dropped. Many died during shelling and bombing, many buildings were destroyed.

The autumn-winter of 1941-1942 is the most terrible time of the blockade. Early winter brought cold with it - heating, there was no hot water, and Leningraders began to burn furniture, books, and dismantled wooden buildings for firewood. The transport stopped. Thousands of people died from malnutrition and cold. But Leningraders continued to work - administrative offices, printing houses, polyclinics, kindergartens, theaters, a public library worked, scientists continued to work. 13-14-year-old teenagers worked, replacing their fathers who had gone to the front.

The struggle for Leningrad was fierce. A plan was developed that provided for measures to strengthen the defense of Leningrad, including anti-aircraft and anti-artillery. More than 4,100 pillboxes and bunkers were built on the territory of the city, 22,000 firing points were equipped in buildings, over 35 kilometers of barricades and anti-tank obstacles were installed on the streets. Three hundred thousand Leningraders participated in the detachments of the local air defense cities. Day and night they kept their watch at enterprises, in the courtyards of houses, on roofs.

In the difficult conditions of the blockade, the working people of the city gave the front weapons, equipment, uniforms, and ammunition. From the population of the city, 10 divisions of the people's militia were formed, 7 of which became personnel.
(Military Encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S.B. Ivanov. Military Publishing. Moscow. In 8 volumes -2004. ISBN 5 - 203 01875 - 8)

In autumn, on Lake Ladoga, due to storms, the movement of ships was complicated, but tugboats with barges made their way around the ice fields until December 1941, some food was delivered by aircraft. Hard ice on Ladoga was not established for a long time, the norms for issuing bread were again reduced.

On November 22, the movement of vehicles along the ice road began. This highway was called "Road of Life". In January 1942, traffic on the winter road was already constant. The Germans bombed and shelled the road, but they failed to stop the movement.

In winter, the evacuation of the population began. The first to take out were women, children, the sick, the elderly. In total, about a million people were evacuated. In the spring of 1942, when it became a little easier, the people of Leningrad began to clean up the city. Bread rations have increased.

In the summer of 1942, a pipeline was laid along the bottom of Lake Ladoga to supply Leningrad with fuel, and in the fall, an energy cable.

Soviet troops repeatedly tried to break through the blockade ring, but achieved this only in January 1943. South of Lake Ladoga, a corridor 8-11 kilometers wide was formed. By south coast Ladoga, in 18 days, a 33-kilometer-long railway was built and a crossing across the Neva was built. In February 1943, trains with food, raw materials, and ammunition went along it to Leningrad.

The memorial ensembles of Piskarevsky Cemetery and Seraphim Cemetery are dedicated to the memory of the victims of the blockade and the fallen participants in the defense of Leningrad, and the Green Belt of Glory was created around the city along the former blockade ring of the front.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

“In order for your conscience not to bite you, you need to do what honor commands ...”
Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

It seems to us that we know almost everything about the Great Patriotic War, because thousands of books have been written about it, hundreds of documentaries and feature films have been created, many paintings and poems have been written. But in reality, we only know what has long been emasculated and put on public display. There may also be some part of the truth, but not all.

We will now make sure that we know very little even about the most important, as we were told, events of that War. I want to draw your attention to the article Alexey Kungurov from Chelyabinsk under the name, which at one time was undeservedly ignored by all the world's media. In this short article, he cited several facts, which shatter the existing legend about the blockade of Leningrad. No, he does not deny that there were protracted and heavy battles, and there were a huge number of civilian casualties.

But he claims that blockade of Leningrad(total surroundings of the city) did not have, and provides convincing evidence for this assertion. He draws his conclusions by analyzing public, widely known information using logic and arithmetic. You can watch and listen to this in more detail in the recording of his Internet Conference “Managing history as a system of knowledge” ... In Leningrad at that time there were a lot of oddities and incomprehensibility, which we will now voice using many fragments from the named article by Alexei Kungurov.

Unfortunately, reasonable and justified explanations what was happening at that time in Leningrad, not found yet. Therefore, one has to hope that correctly formulated questions will help us to find or calculate the correct answers. In our additions to the materials of Alexei Kungurov, we will also use only publicly available and widely known information, repeatedly voiced and confirmed by photographic materials, maps and other documents. So, let's go in order.

Riddle one

Where did this term come from?

These maps clearly show the encircled area in which the city of Leningrad was located:

Riddle two

Why were there so few shells?

A. Kungurov's article begins with an analysis of what fell on the city during the blockade. 148,478 rounds. Historians describe these events as follows: “Leningraders lived in constant nervous tension, shelling followed one after another. From September 4 to November 30, 1941, the city was shelled 272 times for a total duration of 430 hours. Sometimes the population remained in bomb shelters for almost a day. On September 15, 1941, the shelling lasted 18 hours 32 meters, on September 17 - 18 hours 33 meters. In total, about 150 thousand shells were fired in Leningrad during the blockade ... "

Aleksey Kungurov, through simple arithmetic calculations, shows that this figure is taken from the ceiling and may differ from reality by several orders of magnitude! One artillery battalion of 18 large-caliber guns for those mentioned 430 hours shelling is able to do 232,000 rounds! But after all, the blockade, according to rooted data, lasted much longer than three weeks, and the enemy had several hundred times more guns. Therefore, the number of fallen shells, which the newspapers of that time wrote about, and then rewritten by everyone who wrote to us about the blockade, should have been several orders of magnitude higher if the blockade had taken place in the form to which we were all taught.

On the other hand, many photographs besieged Leningrad show that destruction in the central part of the city were minimal! This is possible only if the enemy was not allowed to attack the city with artillery and aircraft. However, judging by the maps referenced above, the enemy was only a few kilometers from the city, and a reasonable question is why the city and military factories were not completely turned into ruins in a couple of weeks, remains open.

Riddle three

Why was there no order?

Germans there was no order occupy Leningrad. Kungurov writes very clearly about this as follows: “Von Leib, the commander of the army of the North, was a competent and experienced commander. He had under his control 40 divisions(including tanks). The front in front of Leningrad was 70 km long. The density of troops reached the level of 2-5 km per division in the direction of the main attack. In such a situation, only historians who do not understand anything in military affairs can say that in these conditions he could not take the city. We have repeatedly seen in feature films about the defense of Leningrad how German tankers they drive into the suburbs, crush and shoot the tram. The front has been broken and there was no one in front of them. In their memoirs, Von Leib and many other commanders of the German Army stated that they were forbidden to take the city, gave the order to withdraw from advantageous positions ... "

Isn't it true that the German troops behaved very strangely: instead of easily capturing the city and advancing further (we understand that the militias that we were shown in the movies are not capable of providing serious resistance to regular troops in principle), the invaders almost 3 years stand near Leningrad, allegedly blocking all land approaches to it. And taking into account the fact that most likely there were no or very few counterattacks from the defenders, for the advancing German troops it was not a war, but a real sanatorium! It would be interesting to know the true reaction of the German command to this legend of the blockade.

The fourth riddle

Why did the Kirov Plant work?

"It is known that The Kirov plant worked all the time of the blockade. The fact is also known - he was in 3 (three!!!) kilometers from the front line. For people who did not serve in the army, I will say that a bullet from a Mosin rifle can fly at such a distance if you shoot in the right direction (I just keep quiet about artillery pieces of a larger caliber). From the area of ​​the Kirov Plant, but the plant continued to work under the very noses of the German command, and it was never destroyed (although, with this task could cope with one artillery lieutenant with a battery of not the largest caliber, with the right task and a sufficient amount of ammunition) ... "

Do you understand what is written here? It is written here that the fierce enemy, who continuously fired cannons and bombed the surrounded city of Leningrad for 3 years, did not bother to destroy the Kirov plant that produced military equipment during this time, although this could have been done for one day! How can this be explained? Either by the fact that the Germans did not know how to shoot at all, or by the fact that they did not have an order to destroy the enemy's factory, which is no less fantastic than the first assumption; either the German troops that were stationed near Leningrad were carrying out another function while unknown to us...

To understand what a city truly treated with artillery and aviation looks like, you can, which was shelled not for 3 years, but for much less time ...

Riddle five

How was the Kirov Plant supplied?

“The Kirov Plant produced various products: by 1943 they had mastered the production of IS-1 and . From the photos posted on the Internet, we can imagine (this is a large and mass production). In addition to the Kirov Plant, other Leningrad plants also worked, producing shells and other military products. Since the spring of 1942, Leningrad has resumed ... This is just a small piece of reality, very different from the historical myths written by professional historians ... "

In order for a large machine-building enterprise, such as the Kirov Plant, to work and produce products, it is necessary very serious, constant supply. And this should be not only electricity in the necessary and very large volumes, but also raw materials (thousands of tons of metal of the required grades), components of thousands of items, tools of thousands of items, food and water for workers, and a lot of other things.

In addition, it was necessary to go somewhere finished products ! These are not fountain pens! These are large products that could only be transported on their own, by sea or by rail. And the fact that the products were manufactured is confirmed by written evidence:

“Due to the shutdown of almost all power plants, some machines had to be set in motion manually, which increased the working day. Often, some of the workers stayed overnight in the workshop, saving time on urgent front-line orders. As a result of such selfless labor activity for the second half of 1941, the army received from Leningrad 3 million. shells and mines, more 3 thousand. regimental and anti-tank guns, 713 tanks, 480 armored vehicles, 58 armored trains and armored platforms.

2. The working people of Leningrad and other sectors of the Soviet-German front helped. In the autumn of 1941, during the fierce battles for Moscow, the city on the Neva sent troops of the Western Front over a thousand artillery pieces and mortars, as well as a significant number of other types of weapons. In the difficult situation of the autumn of 1941, the main task of the workers of the besieged city was to supply the front with weapons, ammunition, equipment and uniforms. Despite the evacuation of a number of enterprises, the power of the Leningrad industry remained significant. IN September 1941, the enterprises of the city produced over a thousand 76 mm guns over two thousand mortars, hundreds anti-tank guns and machine guns ... "

Strange blockade is obtained: On August 30, 1941, railway communication with the "mainland" was interrupted, and in the fall of 1941, " over a thousand artillery pieces and mortars, as well as a significant number of other types of weapons ...» How could such a colossal amount of weapons be taken out of "besieged" Leningrad to the Western Front, if there was no longer a railway connection? On rafts and boats across Lake Ladoga under continuous fire from German artillery and aircraft that dominated the air at that time? Theoretically, this is possible, but practically very unlikely ...

Leningrad blockade
	Leningrad, USSR
	The victory of the Red Army, the final lifting of the blockade of Leningrad
	Third Reich
	Finland
	blue division
Commanders
K. E. Voroshilov	W. von Leeb
G. K. Zhukov	G. von Küchler
I. I. Fedyuninsky	K. G. Mannerheim
M. S. Khozin	A. Munoz Grandes
L. A. Govorov
V. F. Tributs
Side forces
unknown	unknown
Military casualties 332,059 killed 24,324 non-combat casualties 111,142 missing Civilian casualties 16,747 shelling and bombing deaths 632,253 starved to death	Unknown

Leningrad blockade- military blockade by German, Finnish and Spanish (Blue Division) troops with the participation of volunteers from North Africa, Europe and the Italian naval forces during the Great Patriotic War of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). It lasted from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944 (the blockade ring was broken on January 18, 1943) - 872 days.

By the beginning of the blockade, the city did not have enough food and fuel supplies. The only way to communicate with Leningrad was Lake Ladoga, which was within the reach of the artillery and aircraft of the besiegers; the enemy’s united naval flotilla also operated on the lake. The capacity of this transport artery did not meet the needs of the city. As a result, the massive famine that began in Leningrad, aggravated by the especially harsh first blockade winter, problems with heating and transport, led to hundreds of thousands of deaths among residents.

After the blockade was lifted, the siege of Leningrad by enemy troops and fleet continued until September 1944. In order to force the enemy to lift the siege of the city, in June - August 1944, Soviet troops, with the support of ships and aircraft of the Baltic Fleet, carried out the Vyborg and Svir-Petrozavodsk operations, liberated Vyborg on June 20, and Petrozavodsk on June 28. In September 1944, the island of Gogland was liberated.

For mass heroism and courage in defending the Motherland in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, shown by the defenders of besieged Leningrad, according to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 8, 1965, the city was awarded the highest degree of distinction - the title of Hero City.

German attack on the USSR

The capture of Leningrad was integral part developed by Nazi Germany plan of war against the USSR - the plan "Barbarossa". It provided that Soviet Union must be completely destroyed within 3-4 months of the summer and autumn of 1941, that is, during a lightning war ("blitzkrieg"). By November 1941, German troops were to capture the entire European part THE USSR. According to the plan "Ost" ("East"), it was supposed to exterminate a significant part of the population of the Soviet Union within a few years, primarily Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians, as well as all Jews and Gypsies - at least 30 million people in total. None of the peoples inhabiting the USSR should have had the right to their own statehood or even autonomy.

Already on June 23, the commander of the Leningrad Military District, Lieutenant General M. M. Popov, ordered the start of work on the creation of an additional line of defense in the Pskov direction in the Luga region.

On July 4, this decision was confirmed by the Directive of the Headquarters of the High Command signed by G.K. Zhukov.

Finland's entry into the war

On June 17, 1941, a decree was issued in Finland on the mobilization of the entire field army, and on June 20, the mobilized army concentrated on the Soviet-Finnish border. On June 21-25, the naval and air forces of Germany acted from the territory of Finland against the USSR. On June 25, 1941, in the morning, on the orders of the Headquarters of the Air Force of the Northern Front, together with the aviation of the Baltic Fleet, they launched a massive attack on nineteen (according to other sources - 18) airfields in Finland and Northern Norway. Aircraft of the Finnish Air Force and the German 5th Air Army were based there. On the same day, the Finnish parliament voted for war with the USSR.

On June 29, 1941, Finnish troops, having crossed the state border, began a ground operation against the USSR.

Exit of enemy troops to Leningrad

In the first 18 days of the offensive, the 4th enemy tank group fought over 600 kilometers (at a rate of 30-35 km per day), crossed the Western Dvina and Velikaya rivers.

On July 4, units of the Wehrmacht entered the Leningrad Region, crossing the Velikaya River and overcoming the fortifications of the Stalin Line in the direction of Ostrov.

On July 5-6, enemy troops occupied the city, and on July 9 - Pskov, located 280 kilometers from Leningrad. From Pskov, the shortest route to Leningrad is along the Kievskoe Highway through Luga.

On July 19, by the time the advanced German units left, the Luga defensive line was well prepared in engineering terms: defensive structures were built with a length of 175 kilometers and a total depth of 10-15 kilometers. Defensive structures were built by the hands of Leningraders, mostly women and teenagers (men went into the army and the militia).

Near the Luga fortified area, there was a delay in the German offensive. Reports of the commanders of the German troops to the headquarters:

The command of the Leningrad Front took advantage of the delay of Gepner, who was waiting for reinforcements, and prepared to meet the enemy, using, among other things, the latest heavy tanks KV-1 and KV-2, just released by the Kirov Plant. In 1941 alone, more than 700 tanks were built and remained in the city. During the same time, 480 armored vehicles and 58 armored trains were produced, often armed with powerful ship guns. At the Rzhev artillery range, it was not found combat-ready ship's gun caliber 406 mm. It was intended for the lead battleship "Soviet Union", which was already on the slipway. This gun was used in the shelling of German positions. The German offensive was suspended for several weeks. The enemy troops failed to capture the city on the move. This delay caused a sharp discontent of Hitler, who made a special trip to Army Group North in order to prepare a plan for the capture of Leningrad no later than September 1941. In conversations with military leaders, the Fuhrer, in addition to purely military arguments, brought up many political arguments. He believed that the capture of Leningrad would give not only a military gain (control over all the Baltic coasts and the destruction of the Baltic Fleet), but also bring huge political dividends. The Soviet Union will lose the city, which, being the cradle of the October Revolution, has a special symbolic meaning for the Soviet state. In addition, Hitler considered it very important not to give the Soviet command the opportunity to withdraw troops from the Leningrad region and use them in other sectors of the front. He expected to destroy the troops defending the city.

In long exhausting battles, overcoming crises in different places, the German troops prepared for the assault on the city for a month. The Baltic Fleet approached the city with its 153 guns of the main caliber of naval artillery, as the experience of the defense of Tallinn showed, which, in its combat effectiveness, is superior to guns of the same caliber of coastal artillery, also numbering 207 barrels near Leningrad. The sky of the city was protected by the 2nd Air Defense Corps. The highest density of anti-aircraft artillery during the defense of Moscow, Leningrad and Baku was 8-10 times greater than during the defense of Berlin and London.

On August 14-15, the Germans managed to break through the wetlands, bypassing the Luga SD from the west and, having crossed the Luga River near Bolshoi Sabsk, entered the operational space in front of Leningrad.

On June 29, having crossed the border, the Finnish army began hostilities on the Karelian Isthmus. On July 31, a major Finnish offensive began in the direction of Leningrad. By the beginning of September, the Finns crossed the old Soviet-Finnish border on the Karelian Isthmus, which existed before the signing of the 1940 peace treaty, to a depth of 20 km, and stopped at the turn of the Karelian fortified area. Communication between Leningrad and the rest of the country through the territories occupied by Finland was restored in the summer of 1944.

On September 4, 1941, General Jodl, Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces, was sent to Mannerheim's headquarters in Mikkeli. But he was refused the participation of the Finns in the attack on Leningrad. Instead, Mannerheim led a successful offensive in the north of Ladoga, cutting the Kirov railway and the White Sea-Baltic Canal in the area of ​​Lake Onega, thus blocking the route for the supply of goods to Leningrad.

It was on September 4, 1941 that the city was subjected to the first artillery shelling from the city of Tosno occupied by German troops:

In September 1941, a small group of officers, on instructions from the command, was driving a lorry along Lesnoy Prospekt from the Levashovo airfield. A little ahead of us was a crowded tram. He brakes before the stop, where there is a large group of people waiting. A shell burst is heard, and many at the bus stop fall, covered in blood. The second gap, the third ... The tram is smashed to pieces. Piles of the dead. The wounded and maimed, mostly women and children, are scattered along the cobblestone pavement, moaning and crying. A blond-haired boy of seven or eight years old, who miraculously survived at a bus stop, covering his face with both hands, sobs over his murdered mother and repeats: - Mom, what have they done ...

On September 6, 1941, Hitler, by his order (Weisung No. 35), stops the advance of the North group of troops on Leningrad, which has already reached the suburbs of the city, and orders Field Marshal Leeb to give up all Hoepner tanks and a significant number of troops in order to start "as soon as possible" attack on Moscow. Subsequently, the Germans, having given their tanks to the central sector of the front, continued to encircle the city with a blockade ring, no more than 15 km from the city center, and switched to a long blockade. In this situation, Hitler, who really imagined huge losses, which he would have suffered by entering into urban battles, by his decision doomed his population to starvation.

On September 8, the soldiers of the "North" group captured the city of Shlisselburg (Petrokrepost). From that day began the blockade of the city that lasted 872 days.

On the same day, German troops unexpectedly quickly found themselves in the suburbs of the city. German motorcyclists even stopped the tram on the southern outskirts of the city (route No. 28 Stremyannaya St. - Strelna). At the same time, information about the closing of the encirclement was not reported to the Soviet high command, hoping for a breakthrough. And on September 13, Leningradskaya Pravda wrote:

This silence cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens, since the decision to bring food was taken too late.

Throughout the summer, day and night, about half a million people created defense lines in the city. One of them, the most fortified, called the "Stalin Line" passed through the Obvodny Canal. Many houses on the defensive lines were turned into long-term strongholds of resistance.

On September 13, Zhukov arrived in the city, who took command of the front on September 14, when, contrary to popular belief, replicated by numerous feature films, the German offensive had already been stopped, the front had been stabilized, and the enemy had canceled his decision to storm ..

Problems of evacuation of residents

The situation at the beginning of the blockade

The evacuation of the inhabitants of the city began already on 06/29/1941 (the first trains) and was of an organized nature. At the end of June, the City Evacuation Commission was established. Explanatory work began among the population about the need to leave Leningrad, as many residents did not want to leave their homes. Before the German attack on the USSR, there were no pre-developed plans for the evacuation of the population of Leningrad. The possibility of the Germans reaching the city was considered minimal.

First wave of evacuations

The very first stage of the evacuation lasted from June 29 to August 27, when Wehrmacht units seized the railway linking Leningrad with the regions lying to the east of it. This period was characterized by two features:

• The reluctance of residents to leave the city;
• Many children from Leningrad were evacuated to the regions of the Leningrad region. Subsequently, this led to the fact that 175,000 children were returned back to Leningrad.

During this period, 488,703 people were taken out of the city, of which 219,691 were children (395,091 were taken out, but later 175,000 were returned back) and 164,320 workers and employees who were evacuated along with enterprises.

Second wave of evacuations

In the second period, evacuation was carried out in three ways:

• evacuation through Lake Ladoga by water transport to Novaya Ladoga, and then to st. Volkhovstroy motor transport;
• evacuation by aircraft;
• evacuation along the ice road across Lake Ladoga.

During this period, 33,479 people were taken out by water transport (of which 14,854 people were non-Leningrad population), by aviation - 35,114 (of which 16,956 were non-Leningrad population), marching through Lake Ladoga and unorganized vehicles from the end of December 1941 until January 22 1942 - 36,118 people (population not from Leningrad), from January 22 to April 15, 1942 along the "Road of Life" - 554,186 people.

In total, during the second period of evacuation - from September 1941 to April 1942 - about 659 thousand people were taken out of the city, mainly along the "Road of Life" across Lake Ladoga.

Third wave of evacuation

From May to October 1942, 403 thousand people were taken out. In total, during the blockade period, 1.5 million people were evacuated from the city. By October 1942, the evacuation was completed.

Consequences

Consequences for evacuees

Part of the exhausted people taken out of the city could not be saved. Several thousand people died from the consequences of starvation after they were transported to the "mainland". Doctors did not immediately learn how to care for starving people. There were cases when they died, having received a large amount of high-quality food, which for an exhausted organism turned out to be essentially poison. At the same time, there could have been much more victims if the local authorities of the regions where the evacuees were placed had not made extraordinary efforts to provide Leningraders with food and qualified medical care.

Implications for City Leadership

The blockade became a cruel test for all city services and departments that ensured the vital activity of the huge city. Leningrad gave a unique experience of organizing life in conditions of famine. The following fact attracts attention: during the blockade, unlike many other cases of mass starvation, no major epidemics occurred, despite the fact that hygiene in the city was, of course, much lower than the normal level due to the almost complete absence of running water, sewerage and heating. Of course, the severe winter of 1941-1942 helped prevent epidemics. At the same time, researchers also point to effective preventive measures taken by the authorities and the medical service.

Autumn 1941

Failed blitzkrieg attempt

At the end of August 1941, the German offensive resumed. The German units broke through the Luga defensive line and rushed to Leningrad. On September 8, the enemy reached Lake Ladoga, captured Shlisselburg, taking control of the source of the Neva, and blocked Leningrad from land. This day is considered the day the blockade began. All rail, river and road communications were cut off. Communication with Leningrad was now supported only by air and Lake Ladoga. From the north, the city was blocked by Finnish troops, who were stopped by the 23rd Army near the Karelian UR. Only the only railway connection with the coast of Lake Ladoga from the Finland Station has survived - the Road of Life.

This partly confirms the fact that the Finns stopped on the orders of Mannerheim (according to his memoirs, he agreed to take the post of supreme commander of the troops of Finland on the condition that he would not lead an offensive against the city), at the turn of the state border of 1939, that is, the border that existed between The USSR and Finland on the eve of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, on the other hand, is disputed by Isaev and N. I. Baryshnikov:

As early as September 11, 1941, Finnish President Risto Ryti told the German envoy in Helsinki:

The total area taken in the ring of Leningrad and suburbs was about 5000 km².

According to G.K. Zhukov, “Stalin assessed the situation that had developed near Leningrad at that moment as catastrophic. Once he even used the word "hopeless." He said that, apparently, a few more days would pass, and Leningrad would have to be considered lost. After the end of the Elninsk operation, by order of September 11, G.K. Zhukov was appointed commander of the Leningrad Front, and began his duties on September 14.

The formation of the city's defense was led by the commander of the Baltic Fleet V.F. Tributs, K.E. Voroshilov and A.A. Zhdanov.

On September 4, 1941, the Germans began regular shelling of Leningrad, although their decision to storm the city remained in effect until September 12, when Hitler's order to cancel it followed, that is, Zhukov arrived two days after the cancellation of the assault order (September 14). The local leadership prepared the main factories for the explosion. All ships of the Baltic Fleet were to be scuttled. Trying to stop the enemy offensive, Zhukov did not stop at the most cruel measures. At the end of the month, he signed code number 4976 with the following text:

In particular, he issued an order that for unauthorized retreat and leaving the defense line around the city, all commanders and soldiers were subject to immediate execution. The retreat has stopped.

The soldiers who defended Leningrad these days fought to the death. Leeb continued successful operations on the nearest approaches to the city. Its purpose was to strengthen the blockade ring and divert the forces of the Leningrad Front from the help of the 54th Army, which had begun operations to unblock the city. In the end, the enemy stopped 4-7 km from the city, in fact, in the suburbs. The front line, that is, the trenches where the soldiers were sitting, was only 4 km from the Kirov Plant and 16 km from the Winter Palace. Despite the proximity of the front, the Kirov Plant did not stop working throughout the entire period of the blockade. A tram even ran from the factory to the front line. It was an ordinary tram line from the city center to the suburbs, but now it was used to transport soldiers and ammunition.

The beginning of the food crisis

The ideology of the German side

In Hitler's directive No. 1601 of September 22, 1941 "The future of the city of St. Petersburg" (German. Weisung Nr. Ia 1601/41 vom 22. September 1941 "Die Zukunft der Stadt Petersburg") clearly stated:

2. The Fuhrer decided to wipe the city of Leningrad off the face of the earth. After the defeat of Soviet Russia, the continued existence of this largest settlement is of no interest ... 4. It is supposed to surround the city with a tight ring and, by shelling from artillery of all calibers and continuous bombing from the air, raze it to the ground. If, due to the situation that has developed in the city, requests for surrender are made, they will be rejected, since the problems associated with the stay of the population in the city and its food supply cannot and should not be solved by us. In this war for the right to exist, we are not interested in saving at least part of the population.

According to Jodl's testimony during the Nuremberg Trials,

It should be noted that in the same Order No. S.123 there was the following clarification:

... not a single German soldier should enter these cities [Moscow and Leningrad]. Whoever leaves the city against our lines must be driven back by fire. Small unguarded passages that make it possible for the population to leave one by one for evacuation to the interior of Russia should only be welcomed. The population must be forced to flee the city by artillery and aerial bombardment. The more numerous the population of cities, fleeing deep into Russia, the more chaos the enemy will have and the easier it will be for us to manage and use the occupied regions. All senior officers must be aware of this desire of the Fuhrer

German military leaders protested against the order to shoot civilians and said that the troops would not comply with such an order, but Hitler was adamant.

Change in war tactics

The battles near Leningrad did not stop, but their character changed. German troops began to destroy the city with massive artillery shelling and bombing. Bombing and artillery strikes were especially strong in October-November 1941. The Germans dropped several thousand incendiary bombs on Leningrad in order to cause massive fires. They paid special attention to the destruction of food depots, and they succeeded in this task. So, in particular, on September 10, they managed to bomb the famous Badaev warehouses, where there were significant food supplies. The fire was grandiose, thousands of tons of food burned, molten sugar flowed through the city, soaked into the ground. Nevertheless, contrary to popular belief, this bombardment could not be the main cause of the ensuing food crisis, since Leningrad, like any other metropolis, is supplied “from the wheels”, and the city would only have enough food stocks destroyed along with warehouses for a few days. .

Taught by this bitter lesson, the city authorities began to pay special attention to the disguise of food stocks, which were now stored only in small quantities. So, famine became the most important factor determining the fate of the population of Leningrad. The blockade set German army, was deliberately aimed at the extinction of the urban population.

The fate of the townspeople: demographic factors

As of January 1, 1941, a little less than three million people lived in Leningrad. The city was characterized by a higher than usual percentage of the disabled population, including children and the elderly. It was also distinguished by an unfavorable military-strategic position associated with its proximity to the border and isolation from raw material and fuel bases. At the same time, the city medical and sanitary service of Leningrad was one of the best in the country.

Theoretically, the Soviet side could have the option of withdrawing troops and surrendering Leningrad to the enemy without a fight (using the terminology of that time, declare Leningrad an “open city”, as happened, for example, with Paris). However, if we take into account Hitler's plans for the future of Leningrad (or, more precisely, the absence of any future for him at all), there is no reason to assert that the fate of the city's population in the event of capitulation would be better than the fate of the real conditions of the blockade.

The actual beginning of the blockade

September 8, 1941 is considered the beginning of the blockade, when the land connection between Leningrad and the whole country was interrupted. However, the inhabitants of the city lost the opportunity to leave Leningrad two weeks earlier: the railway connection was interrupted on August 27, and tens of thousands of people gathered at the stations and in the suburbs, waiting for the possibility of a breakthrough to the east. The situation was further complicated by the fact that with the outbreak of the war, Leningrad was flooded with at least 300,000 refugees from the Baltic republics and neighboring Russian regions.

The catastrophic food situation of the city became clear on September 12, when the check and accounting of all edible stocks were completed. Food cards were introduced in Leningrad on July 17, that is, even before the blockade, but this was done only in order to restore order in the supply. The city entered the war with the usual supply of food. The rationing rates for food rationing were high, and there was no food shortage before the blockade began. The reduction in the norms for issuing products for the first time occurred on September 15. In addition, on September 1, the free sale of food was banned (this measure was in effect until mid-1944). While the "black market" was preserved, the official sale of products in the so-called commercial stores at market prices ceased.

In October, the inhabitants of the city felt a clear shortage of food, and in November a real famine began in Leningrad. First, the first cases of loss of consciousness from hunger on the streets and at work, the first cases of death from exhaustion, and then the first cases of cannibalism were noted. In February 1942, more than 600 people were convicted of cannibalism, in March - more than a thousand. It was extremely difficult to replenish food supplies: it was impossible to supply such a large city by air, and shipping on Lake Ladoga temporarily stopped due to the onset of cold weather. At the same time, the ice on the lake was still very weak, so that cars could drive over it. All these transport communications were under constant enemy fire.

Despite the lowest norms for issuing bread, death from starvation has not yet become mass phenomenon, and the bulk of the dead so far were victims of bombing and artillery shelling.

Winter 1941-1942

Ration of a Leningrader

Based on the actual consumption, the availability of basic food products on September 12 was (the figures are given according to the accounting data made by the trade department of the Leningrad City Executive Committee, the commissariat of the front and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet):

• Bread grain and flour for 35 days
• Cereals and pasta for 30 days
• Meat and meat products for 33 days
• Fats for 45 days
• Sugar and confectionery for 60 days

The norms for the release of goods on food cards, introduced in the city back in July, decreased due to the blockade of the city, and turned out to be minimal from November 20 to December 25, 1941. The size of the food ration was:

• Workers - 250 grams of bread per day,
• Employees, dependents and children under 12 - 125 grams each,
• The personnel of the paramilitary guards, fire brigades, fighter squads, vocational schools and schools of the FZO, who were on boiler allowance - 300 grams,
• The troops of the first line - 500 grams.

At the same time, up to 50% of the bread was made up of practically inedible impurities, which were added instead of flour. All other products almost ceased to be issued: already on September 23, beer production ceased, and all stocks of malt, barley, soybeans and bran were transferred to bakeries in order to reduce flour consumption. On September 24, 40% of bread consisted of malt, oats and husks, and later cellulose (at different times from 20 to 50%). On December 25, 1941, the norms for issuing bread were increased - the population of Leningrad began to receive 350 g of bread on a work card and 200 g on an employee, child and dependent. On February 11, new supply norms were introduced: 500 grams of bread for workers, 400 for employees, 300 for children and the unemployed. Impurities have almost disappeared from the bread. But the main thing is that the supply has become regular, products on the cards have begun to be issued in a timely manner and almost completely. On February 16, even high-quality meat was issued for the first time - frozen beef and lamb. There has been a turning point in the food situation in the city.

Date of establishment of the norm	Hot shop workers	Workers and engineers	Employees	Dependents	Children under 12

Resident alert system. Metronome

In the first months of the blockade, 1,500 loudspeakers were installed on the streets of Leningrad. The radio network carried information for the population about raids and air raids. The famous metronome, which went down in the history of the blockade of Leningrad as a cultural monument of the resistance of the population, was broadcast during the raids through this network. A fast rhythm meant an air alert, a slow rhythm meant a hang up. Announcer Mikhail Melaned also announced the alarm.

Deterioration of the situation in the city

In November 1941, the situation of the townspeople deteriorated sharply. Death from starvation has become massive. Special funeral services daily picked up about a hundred corpses alone on the streets.

Countless stories have been preserved of people falling from weakness and dying - at home or at work, in stores or on the streets. Elena Skryabina, a resident of the besieged city, wrote in her diary:

Death rules the city. People die and die. Today, when I was walking down the street, a man was walking in front of me. He could barely move his legs. Overtaking him, I involuntarily drew attention to the terrible blue face. I thought to myself, I'm probably going to die soon. Here one could really say that the seal of death lay on the face of a person. After a few steps, I turned around, stopped, followed him. He sat down on the pedestal, his eyes rolled back, then he slowly began to slide to the ground. When I approached him, he was already dead. People are so weak from hunger that they do not resist death. They die like they fall asleep. And the surrounding half-dead people do not pay any attention to them. Death has become a phenomenon observed at every step. They got used to it, there was complete indifference: after all, not today - tomorrow such a fate awaits everyone. When you leave the house in the morning, you stumble upon corpses lying in the gateway on the street. The corpses lie for a long time, as there is no one to clean them up.

D. V. Pavlov, authorized by the GKO to provide food for Leningrad and the Leningrad Front, writes:

Despite the low temperatures in the city, part of the water supply network worked, so dozens of water taps were opened, from which residents of neighboring houses could take water. Most of the Vodokanal workers were transferred to the barracks, but the residents also had to take water from damaged pipes and holes.

The number of victims of famine grew rapidly - every day more than 4,000 people died in Leningrad, which was a hundred times higher than the death rates in peacetime. There were days when 6-7 thousand people died. In December alone, 52,881 people died, while the losses for January-February were 199,187 people. Male mortality significantly exceeded female - for every 100 deaths, there were an average of 63 men and 37 women. By the end of the war, women made up the bulk of the urban population.

Cold exposure

Another important factor in the increase in mortality was cold. With the onset of winter, the city practically ran out of fuel supplies: electricity generation was only 15% of the pre-war level. The centralized heating of houses stopped, the water supply and sewerage froze or were turned off. Work has stopped at almost all factories and plants (except defense ones). Often come to workplace the townspeople could not do their work due to the lack of water supply, heat and energy.

The winter of 1941-1942 turned out to be much colder and longer than usual. The average daily temperature steadily dropped below 0 ° C already on October 11, and became steadily positive after April 7, 1942 - the climatic winter was 178 days, that is, half a year. During this period, there were 14 days with an average daily t > 0 °С, mainly in October. Even in May 1942, there were 4 days with a negative average daily temperature, on May 7 Maximum temperature during the day it rose only to +0.9 °С. There was also a lot of snow in winter: the height of the snow cover by the end of winter was more than half a meter. In terms of the maximum height of snow cover (53 cm), April 1942 is the record holder for the entire observation period, up to 2010 inclusive.

• The average monthly temperature in October was +1.4 °C (the average value for the period 1743-2010 is +4.9 °C), which is 3.5 °C below the norm. In the middle of the month frosts reached -6 °C. By the end of the month, snow cover had set in.
• The average temperature in November 1941 was −4.2 °С (the long-term average was −0.8 °С), the range of temperatures was from +1.6 to −13.8 °С.
• In December, the average monthly temperature dropped to −12.5°С (against the long-term average of −5.6°С). The temperature ranged from +1.6 to -25.3 °C.
• The first month of 1942 was the coldest of that winter. The average temperature of the month was −18.7°C (the average t for the period 1743-2010 was −8.3°C). The frost reached -32.1 °С, the maximum temperature was +0.7 °С. The average snow depth reached 41 cm (the average depth for 1890-1941 was 23 cm).
• The February average monthly temperature was -12.4 °C (the long-term average is -7.9 °C), temperature ranged from -0.6 to -25.2 °C.
• March was a little warmer than February - the average t = -11.6 °С (with the long-term average t = -4 °С). The temperature varied from +3.6 to -29.1 °C in the middle of the month. March 1942 was the coldest in the history of meteorological observations up to 2010.
• The average monthly temperature in April was close to the average values ​​(+2.8 °С) and amounted to +1.8 °С, while the minimum temperature was −14.4 °С.

In the book "Memoirs" by Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, it is said about the years of the blockade:

Heating and transport system

The main heating means for most inhabited apartments were special mini-stoves, potbelly stoves. They burned everything that could burn, including furniture and books. Wooden houses were taken apart for firewood. Fuel extraction has become an important part of the life of Leningraders. Due to the lack of electricity and the massive destruction of the contact network, the movement of urban electric transport, primarily trams, stopped. This event was an important factor contributing to the increase in mortality.

According to D.S. Likhachev,

"The candle burned from two ends"- these words expressively characterized the position of a city resident who lived in conditions of starvation rations and enormous physical and mental stress. In most cases, families did not die out immediately, but one at a time, gradually. While someone could walk, he brought food on the cards. The streets were covered with snow, which was not removed all winter, so it was very difficult to move along them.

Organization of hospitals and canteens for enhanced nutrition

By decision of the bureau of the city committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Leningrad City Executive Committee, additional medical nutrition was organized at increased rates in special hospitals created at factories and plants, as well as in 105 city canteens. The hospitals functioned from January 1 to May 1, 1942 and served 60 thousand people. From the end of April 1942, by decision of the Leningrad City Executive Committee, the network of canteens for enhanced nutrition was expanded. Instead of hospitals, 89 of them were created on the territory of factories, plants and institutions. 64 canteens were organized outside the enterprises. Food in these canteens was produced according to specially approved standards. From April 25 to July 1, 1942, 234 thousand people took advantage of them, of which 69% were workers, 18.5% were employees and 12.5% ​​were dependents.

In January 1942, a hospital for scientists and creative workers began to operate at the Astoria Hotel. In the dining room of the House of Scientists in winter months fed from 200 to 300 people. On December 26, 1941, the Leningrad City Executive Committee ordered the Gastronom office to organize a one-time sale at state prices without food cards to academicians and corresponding members of the USSR Academy of Sciences with home delivery: animal butter - 0.5 kg, wheat flour - 3 kg, canned meat or fish - 2 boxes, sugar 0.5 kg, eggs - 3 dozen, chocolate - 0.3 kg, cookies - 0.5 kg, and grape wine - 2 bottles.

By decision of the city executive committee, from January 1942, new orphanages were opened in the city. For 5 months, 85 orphanages were organized in Leningrad, which accepted 30 thousand children left without parents. The command of the Leningrad Front and the leadership of the city sought to provide orphanages with the necessary food. By a resolution of the Military Council of the Front of February 7, 1942, the following monthly norms for supplying orphanages per child were approved: meat - 1.5 kg, fats - 1 kg, eggs - 15 pieces, sugar - 1.5 kg, tea - 10 g, coffee - 30 g , cereals and pasta - 2.2 kg, wheat bread - 9 kg, wheat flour - 0.5 kg, dried fruits - 0.2 kg, potato flour - 0.15 kg.

Universities are opening their own hospitals, where scientists and other university employees could rest for 7-14 days and get enhanced nutrition, which consisted of 20 g of coffee, 60 g of fat, 40 g of sugar or confectionery, 100 g of meat, 200 g of cereals , 0.5 eggs, 350 g of bread, 50 g of wine per day, and the products were issued with cutting coupons from food cards.

Also, additional supply was organized for the leadership of the city and the region. According to the surviving evidence, the leadership of Leningrad did not experience difficulties in feeding and heating residential premises. The diaries of party workers of that time preserved the following facts: any food was available in the Smolny canteen: fruits, vegetables, caviar, buns, cakes. Milk and eggs were delivered from a subsidiary farm in the Vsevolozhsk region. In a special rest house, high-class food and entertainment were at the service of vacationing representatives of the nomenklatura.

The instructor of the personnel department of the city committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, Nikolai Ribkovsky, was sent to rest in a party sanatorium, where he described his life in his diary:

“For three days now I have been in the hospital of the city party committee. In my opinion, this is simply a seven-day rest house and it is located in one of the pavilions of the now closed rest house of the party activists of the Leningrad organization in Melnichny Creek. The situation and the whole order in the hospital is very reminiscent of a closed sanatorium in the city of Pushkin ... From the cold, somewhat tired, you tumble into the house, with warm cozy rooms, blissfully stretch your legs ... Every day meat - lamb, ham, chicken, goose, turkey, sausage; fish - bream, herring, smelt, and fried, and boiled and aspic caviar, balyk, cheese, pies, cocoa, coffee, tea, 300 grams of white and the same amount of black bread per day ... and to all this, 50 grams of grape wine, good port wine for lunch and dinner. The comrades say that the district hospitals are in no way inferior to the Gorkomovsky hospital, and that some enterprises have hospitals that make our hospital pale before them.

Ribkovsky wrote: “What is even better? We eat, drink, walk, sleep, or just sit back listening to the gramophone, exchanging jokes, playing dominoes or playing cards with the “tragus” ... In a word, we have a rest! ... And in total, having paid only 50 rubles for vouchers ”

At the same time, Ribkovsky argues that "such a rest, in the conditions of the front, a long blockade of the city, is possible only among the Bolsheviks, only under Soviet power."

In the first half of 1942, hospitals, and then canteens for enhanced nutrition, played a huge role in the fight against hunger, restoring the strength and health of a significant number of patients, which saved thousands of Leningraders from death. This is evidenced by the numerous reviews of the blockade survivors themselves and the data of polyclinics.

In the second half of 1942, in order to overcome the consequences of the famine, 12,699 patients were hospitalized in October and 14,738 patients in need of increased nutrition were hospitalized in November. As of January 1, 1943, 270,000 Leningraders received increased food security compared to the all-Union norms, another 153,000 people attended canteens with three meals a day, which became possible due to a more successful navigation than in 1941 in 1942.

Use of food substitutes

An important role in overcoming the problem of food supply was played by the use of food substitutes, the conversion of old enterprises to their production and the creation of new ones. The certificate of the secretary of the city committee of the CPSU (b) Ya.F Kapustin addressed to A. A. Zhdanov reports on the use of substitutes in the bread, meat, confectionery, dairy, canning industries, in catering. For the first time in the USSR, food cellulose produced at 6 enterprises was used in the baking industry, which made it possible to increase bread baking by 2,230 tons. As additives in the manufacture of meat products, soy flour, intestines, technical albumin obtained from egg white, animal blood plasma, and whey were used. As a result, an additional 1,360 tons of meat products were produced, including table sausage - 380 tons, jelly - 730 tons, albumin sausage - 170 tons and vegetable-blood bread - 80 tons. 320 tons of soybeans and 25 tons of cotton cake were processed in the dairy industry, which yielded an additional 2,617 tons of products, including: soy milk 1,360 tons, soy milk products (yogurt, cottage cheese, syrniki, etc.) - 942 tons. wood. The technology of preparing vitamin C in the form of an infusion of pine needles was widely used. Until December alone, more than 2 million doses of this vitamin were produced. In public catering, jelly was widely used, which was prepared from vegetable milk, juices, glycerin and gelatin. For the production of jelly, oat grinding waste and cranberry cake were also used. The food industry of the city produced glucose, oxalic acid, carotene, tannin.

Attempts to break the blockade. "The road of life"

Breakthrough attempt. Bridgehead "Nevsky Piglet"

In the autumn of 1941, immediately after the blockade was established, the Soviet troops undertook two operations in order to restore land communications between Leningrad and the rest of the country. The offensive was carried out in the area of ​​the so-called "Sinyavino-Slisselburg ledge", the width of which along the southern coast of Lake Ladoga was only 12 km. However, German troops were able to create powerful fortifications. The Soviet army suffered heavy losses, but did not manage to move forward. The soldiers who broke through the blockade ring from Leningrad were severely exhausted.

The main battles were fought on the so-called "Nevsky patch" - a narrow strip of land 500-800 meters wide and about 2.5-3.0 km long (this is according to the memoirs of I. G. Svyatov) on the left bank of the Neva, held by the troops of the Leningrad Front . The entire patch was shot through by the enemy, and the Soviet troops, constantly trying to expand this bridgehead, suffered heavy losses. However, it was by no means possible to surrender a patch - otherwise the full-flowing Nevuzanovo would have to be crossed, and the task of breaking the blockade would become much more complicated. In total, about 50,000 Soviet soldiers died on the Nevsky Piglet in 1941-1943.

At the beginning of 1942, inspired by the success in the Tikhvin offensive operation and clearly underestimating the enemy, the Soviet high command decided to attempt the complete liberation of Leningrad from the enemy blockade by the forces of the Volkhov Front, with the support of the Leningrad Front. However, the Luban operation, which initially had strategic objectives, developed with great difficulty, and ultimately ended in a severe defeat for the Red Army. In August - September 1942, Soviet troops made another attempt to break through the blockade. Although the Sinyavin operation did not achieve its goals, the troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts managed to thwart the plan of the German command to capture Leningrad under the code name "Northern Lights" (it. Nordlicht).

Thus, during the years 1941-1942, several attempts were made to break through the blockade, but all of them were unsuccessful. The area between Lake Ladoga and the village of Mga, in which the distance between the lines of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts was only 12-16 kilometers (the so-called "Sinyavino-Shlisselburg ledge"), continued to firmly hold the units of the 18th Wehrmacht Army.

"The road of life"

Main article:The road of life

"Road of Life" - the name of the ice road through Ladoga in the winters of 1941-42 and 1942-43, after reaching the thickness of the ice, allowing the transportation of goods of any weight. The road of life was actually the only means of communication between Leningrad and the mainland.

In the spring of 1942, when I was 16 years old, I just graduated from the school of drivers, and went to Leningrad to work on a "lorry". Just my first flight lay through Ladoga. Cars broke down one after another and food for the city was loaded into cars not just "to the eyeballs", but much more. It looked like the car was about to fall apart! I drove exactly half the way and I just had time to hear the cracking of ice, as my "lorry" was under water. They saved me. I don’t remember how, but I woke up already on the ice about fifty meters from the hole where the car fell through. I quickly began to freeze. They took me back in a passing car. Someone threw on me either an overcoat or something similar, but it did not help. My clothes began to freeze and I could no longer feel my fingertips. Passing by, I saw two more drowned cars and people trying to save the cargo. I was in the blockade area for another six months. The worst thing I saw was when the corpses of people and horses surfaced during the ice drift. The water looked black and red...

Spring-summer 1942

The first breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad

On March 29, 1942, a partisan convoy with food for the inhabitants of the city arrived in Leningrad from the Pskov and Novgorod regions. The event was of great propaganda value and demonstrated the inability of the enemy to control the rear of his troops, and the possibility of releasing the city by the regular Red Army, since the partisans managed to do this.

Organization of subsidiary plots

On March 19, 1942, the executive committee of the Lensoviet adopted the regulation “On personal consumer gardens of workers and their associations,” which provides for the development of personal consumer gardening both in the city itself and in the suburbs. In addition to the actual individual gardening, subsidiary farms were also created at enterprises. To do this, vacant plots of land adjacent to enterprises were cleared, and employees of enterprises, according to lists approved by the heads of enterprises, were provided with plots of 2-3 acres for personal gardens. Ancillary farms were guarded around the clock by the personnel of enterprises. Garden owners were assisted in acquiring seedlings and using them economically. So, when planting potatoes, only small parts of the fruit with a sprouted “eye” were used.

In addition, the Leningrad City Executive Committee obliged some enterprises to provide residents with the necessary equipment, as well as to issue agricultural benefits (“Agro-rules for individual vegetable growing”, articles in Leningradskaya Pravda, etc.).

In total, in the spring of 1942, 633 subsidiary farms and 1,468 associations of gardeners were created, the total gross harvest from state farms, individual gardening and subsidiary farms amounted to 77 thousand tons.

Reducing street deaths

In the spring of 1942, due to warming and improved nutrition, the number of sudden deaths on the streets of the city was significantly reduced. So, if in February about 7,000 corpses were picked up on the streets of the city, then in April - about 600, and in May - 50 corpses. In March 1942, the entire able-bodied population came out to clean up the city from garbage. In April-May 1942, there was a further improvement in the living conditions of the population: the restoration of communal services began. Many businesses have reopened.

Restoration of urban public transport

On December 8, 1941, Lenenergo cut off electricity supply and partial redemption of traction substations took place. The next day, by decision of the city executive committee, eight tram routes were abolished. Subsequently, individual cars were still moving along the streets of Leningrad, finally stopping on January 3, 1942 after the power supply was completely cut off. 52 trains remained frozen in the snow-covered streets. Snow-covered trolleybuses stood on the streets all winter. More than 60 cars were smashed, burned down or seriously damaged. In the spring of 1942, the city authorities ordered the removal of cars from highways. The trolleybuses could not go on their own, so we had to organize towing. On March 8, for the first time, voltage was given to the network. The restoration of the city's tram economy began, a freight tram was put into operation. On April 15, 1942, voltage was given to the central substations and a regular passenger tram was launched. In order to reopen freight and passenger traffic, it was necessary to restore approximately 150 km of the contact network - about half of the entire network in operation at that time. The launch of a trolleybus in the spring of 1942 was considered inexpedient by the city authorities.

official statistics

Incomplete figures official statistics: with a pre-war mortality rate of 3,000 people, in January-February 1942, about 130,000 people died in the city every month, 100,000 people died in March, 50,000 people died in May, 25,000 people in July, 7,000 people died in September . The radical decrease in mortality occurred due to the fact that the weakest have already died: the elderly, children, the sick. Now the main victims of the war among the civilian population were mostly those who died not from starvation, but from bombing and artillery attacks. In total, according to recent studies, for the first, most hard year The blockade killed approximately 780,000 Leningraders.

1942-1943

1942 Activation of the shelling. Counter-battery fight

In April - May, the German command during the operation "Aisstoss" unsuccessfully tried to destroy the ships of the Baltic Fleet standing on the Neva.

By the summer, the leadership of Nazi Germany decided to intensify hostilities on the Leningrad front, and, first of all, to intensify artillery shelling and bombardment of the city.

New artillery batteries were deployed around Leningrad. In particular, super-heavy guns were deployed on railway platforms. They fired shells at a distance of 13, 22 and even 28 km. The weight of the shells reached 800-900 kg. The Germans drew up a map of the city and outlined several thousand of the most important targets, which were shelled daily.

At this time, Leningrad turns into a powerful fortified area. 110 large defense centers were created, many thousands of kilometers of trenches, communication lines and other engineering structures were equipped. This created the opportunity to carry out covert regrouping of troops, the withdrawal of soldiers from the front line, and the pulling up of reserves. As a result, the number of losses of our troops from shell fragments and enemy snipers has sharply decreased. Reconnaissance and camouflage positions were established. Counter-battery combat with enemy siege artillery is being organized. As a result, the intensity of shelling of Leningrad by enemy artillery significantly decreased. For these purposes, the naval artillery of the Baltic Fleet was skillfully used. The positions of the heavy artillery of the Leningrad Front were pushed forward, part of it was transferred across the Gulf of Finland to the Oranienbaum bridgehead, which made it possible to increase the firing range, and to the flank and rear of the enemy artillery groups. Thanks to these measures, in 1943 the number of artillery shells that fell on the city decreased by about 7 times.

1943 Breaking the blockade

On January 12, after artillery preparation, which began at 9:30 and lasted 2:10, at 11:00, the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front and the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front went on the offensive and by the end of the day advanced three kilometers towards each other. friend from east and west. Despite the stubborn resistance of the enemy, by the end of January 13, the distance between the armies was reduced to 5-6 kilometers, and on January 14 - to two kilometers. The enemy command, striving to keep Workers' settlements No. 1 and 5 and strong points on the flanks of the breakthrough at any cost, hastily transferred its reserves, as well as units and subunits from other sectors of the front. The enemy grouping, located to the north of the settlements, several times unsuccessfully tried to break through the narrow neck to the south to their main forces.

On January 18, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts united in the area of ​​Workers' settlements No. 1 and 5. On the same day, Shlisselburg was liberated and the entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga was cleared of the enemy. A corridor 8-11 kilometers wide, cut along the coast, restored the land connection between Leningrad and the country. For seventeen days, automobile and railway (the so-called "Victory Road") roads were laid along the coast. Subsequently, the troops of the 67th and 2nd Shock armies tried to continue the offensive in a southerly direction, but to no avail. The enemy continuously transferred fresh forces to the Sinyavino area: from January 19 to 30, five divisions and a large amount of artillery were brought up. To rule out the possibility of the enemy's re-entry to Lake Ladoga, the troops of the 67th and 2nd shock armies went on the defensive. By the time the blockade was broken, about 800 thousand civilians remained in the city. Many of these people were evacuated to the rear during 1943.

Food plants began to gradually switch to peacetime products. It is known, for example, that already in 1943, the Confectionery Factory named after N. K. Krupskaya produced three tons of sweets of the well-known Leningrad brand “Mishka in the North”.

After breaking through the blockade ring in the Shlisselburg area, the enemy, however, seriously fortified the lines on the southern approaches to the city. The depth of the German defense lines in the area of ​​the Oranienbaum bridgehead reached 20 km.

1944 Complete liberation of Leningrad from enemy blockade

On January 14, the troops of the Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic fronts began the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation. By January 20, Soviet troops had achieved significant success: the units of the Leningrad Front defeated the Krasnoselsko-Ropshinsky enemy grouping, and parts of the Volkhov Front liberated Novgorod. This allowed L. A. Govorov and A. A. Zhdanov to turn to I. V. Stalin on January 21:

JV Stalin granted the request of the command of the Leningrad Front and on January 27 a salute was fired in Leningrad to mark the final liberation of the city from the blockade, which lasted 872 days. The order to the victorious troops of the Leningrad Front, contrary to the established order, was signed by L. A. Govorov, and not by Stalin. None of the commanders of the fronts during the Great Patriotic War was awarded such a privilege.

Results of the blockade

Population loss

During the years of the blockade, according to various sources, from 300 thousand to 1.5 million people died. So, at the Nuremberg trials, the number of 632 thousand people figured. Only 3% of them died from bombing and shelling; the remaining 97% starved to death.

Most of the inhabitants of Leningrad who died during the blockade are buried at the Piskarevsky memorial cemetery located in the Kalininsky district. The area of ​​the cemetery is 26 hectares, the walls are 150 m long and 4.5 m high. Lines of the writer Olga Berggolts, who survived the siege, are carved on the stones. In a long row of graves lie victims of the siege, who number 640,000 people who died of starvation in this cemetery alone, and more than 17,000 people who fell victim to air raids and artillery shelling. Total number casualties among the civilian population in the city for the entire time of the war exceeds 1.2 million people.

Also, the bodies of many dead Leningraders were cremated in the ovens of a brick factory located on the territory of the current Moscow Victory Park. A chapel was built on the territory of the park and a monument "The Trolley" was erected - one of the most terrible monuments of St. Petersburg. On such trolleys, the ashes of the dead were taken to nearby quarries after burning in the furnaces of the plant.

The Serafimovskoye cemetery was also a mass burial place for Leningraders who perished and died during the siege of Leningrad. In 1941-1944 more than 100 thousand people were buried here.

The dead were buried in almost all cemeteries of the city (Volkovsky, Krasnenkoe and others). During the battle for Leningrad died more people than England and the United States lost during the entire war.

Title of Hero City

By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of May 1, 1945, Leningrad, together with Stalingrad, Sevastopol and Odessa, was named a hero city for the heroism and courage shown by the inhabitants of the city during the blockade. On May 8, 1965, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Hero City of Leningrad was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

Damage to cultural monuments

Enormous damage was done to historical buildings and monuments of Leningrad. It could have been even larger if very effective measures had not been taken to disguise them. The most valuable monuments, for example, the monument to Peter I and the monument to Lenin at the Finland Station were hidden under sandbags and plywood shields.

But the greatest, irreparable damage was caused to historical buildings and monuments located both in the suburbs of Leningrad occupied by the Germans, and in close proximity to the front. Thanks to the dedicated work of the staff, a significant number of storage items were saved. However, buildings not subject to evacuation and green spaces, directly on the territory of which hostilities were fought, were extremely damaged. The Pavlovsk Palace was destroyed and burned down, in the park of which 70,000 trees were cut down. The famous Amber Room, presented to Peter I by the King of Prussia, was completely taken out by the Germans.

The now restored Fedorovsky Sovereign Cathedral has been turned into ruins, in which a hole gaped in the wall facing the city for the entire height of the building. Also, during the retreat of the Germans, the Great Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo burned down, in which the Germans set up an infirmary.

Irreplaceable for the historical memory of the people was the almost complete destruction of the cemetery of the Holy Trinity Primorsky male desert, which was considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, where many Petersburgers were buried, whose names entered the history of the state.

On long years(until the 90s) the palace complex of Oranienbaum fell into disrepair.

Social aspects of life under blockade

Plant Institute Foundation

In Leningrad, there was the All-Union Institute of Plant Growing, which possessed and still possesses a gigantic seed fund. Of the entire selection fund of the Leningrad Institute, which contained several tons of unique grain crops, not a single grain was touched. 28 employees of the institute died of starvation, but they kept materials that could help the post-war restoration of agriculture.

Tanya Savicheva

Tanya Savicheva lived in a Leningrad family. The war began, then the blockade. In front of Tanya, her grandmother, two uncles, mother, brother and sister died. When the evacuation of children began, the girl was taken out along the "Road of Life" to the "Mainland". Doctors fought for her life, but medical help came too late. Tanya Savicheva died of exhaustion and illness.

Easter in a besieged city

During the blockade, three churches were opened in the city: the Prince Vladimir Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior and St. Nicholas Cathedral. In 1942, Easter was very early (March 22, old style). All day on April 4, 1942, the shelling of the city went on, intermittently. On Easter night from April 4 to April 5, the city was subjected to a brutal bombardment, in which 132 aircraft participated.

Easter matins were held in the churches: under the roar of shell explosions and broken glass.

Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) emphasized in his Paschal message that April 5, 1942 marked the 700th anniversary of ice battle in which Alexander Nevsky defeated the German army.

"Dangerous Side of the Street"

Main article:Citizens! During shelling, this side of the street is the most dangerous

During the blockade, there was no area in Leningrad that could not be reached by an enemy shell. Areas and streets were identified where the risk of becoming a victim of enemy artillery was greatest. Special warning signs were placed there with, for example, the text: “Citizens! During shelling, this side of the street is the most dangerous.” Several inscriptions have been recreated in the city to commemorate the blockade.

Cultural life of besieged Leningrad

In the city, despite the blockade, continued cultural and intellectual life. In the summer of 1942, some educational institutions, theaters and cinemas were opened; there were even several jazz concerts. During the first blockade winter, several theaters and libraries continued to operate - in particular, the State Public Library and the library of the Academy of Sciences were opened throughout the entire period of the blockade. The Leningrad radio did not interrupt its work. In August 1942, the city philharmonic was reopened, where classical music began to be performed regularly. During the first concert on August 9 at the Philharmonic, the orchestra of the Leningrad Radio Committee conducted by Karl Eliasberg performed for the first time the famous Leningrad Heroic Symphony by Dmitry Shostakovich, which became the musical symbol of the blockade. During the entire blockade in Leningrad, functioning churches worked.

Genocide of Jews in Pushkin and other cities of the Leningrad Region

The policy of extermination of the Jews pursued by the Nazis also affected the occupied suburbs of besieged Leningrad. So, almost the entire Jewish population of the city of Pushkin was destroyed. One of the punitive centers was located in Gatchina:

The Soviet Navy (RKKF) in the defense of Leningrad

The Red Banner Baltic Fleet (KBF; commander - Admiral V.F. Tributs), the Ladoga Military Flotilla (formed on June 25, 1941, disbanded on November 4, 1944; commanders : Baranovsky V.P., Zemlyanichenko S.V., Trainin P.A., Bogolepov V.P., Khoroshkhin B.V. - in June - October 1941, Cherokov V.S. - from October 13, 1941) , cadets of naval schools (separate cadet brigade of the VMUZ of Leningrad, commander Rear Admiral Ramishvili). Also, at various stages of the battle for Leningrad, the Chudskaya and Ilmenskaya military flotillas were created.

At the very beginning of the war was created Naval Defense of Leningrad and the Lake District (MOLiOR). On August 30, 1941, the Military Council of the Troops of the North-Western Direction determined:

On October 1, 1941, MOLiOR was reorganized into the Leningrad Naval Base (Admiral Yu. A. Panteleev).

The actions of the fleet proved to be useful during the retreat in 1941, defense and attempts to break through the blockade in 1941-1943, break through and lift the blockade in 1943-1944.

Ground Forces Support Operations

Areas of activity of the fleet, which were important at all stages of the Battle of Leningrad:

Marines

Personnel brigades (1st, 2nd brigades) of the marines and sailors' units (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th brigades formed the Training Detachment, Main Base, Crew) from ships that were laid up in Kronstadt and Leningrad took part in the battles on land . In a number of cases, key areas - especially on the coast - were heroically defended by unprepared and small naval garrisons (the defense of the Oreshek fortress). Parts of the marines and infantry units, formed from sailors, proved themselves in breaking through and lifting the blockade. In total, 68,644 people were transferred from the KBF in 1941 to the Red Army for operations on the land fronts, in 1942 - 34,575, in 1943 - 6,786, not counting the part of the marines that were part of the fleet or temporarily transferred to the command of military commands.

Naval and coastal artillery

Naval and coastal artillery (345 guns with a caliber of 100-406 mm, more than 400 guns were brought in when necessary) effectively suppressed enemy batteries, helped repel land attacks, and supported the offensive of troops. Naval artillery provided extremely important artillery support during the breakthrough of the Blockade, destroying 11 fortification sites, the enemy's railway echelon, as well as suppressing a significant number of his batteries and partially destroying a tank column. From September 1941 to January 1943, the naval artillery opened fire 26,614 times, having used up 371,080 shells of 100-406 mm caliber, while up to 60% of the shells were spent on counter-battery combat.

Artillery guns of the Krasnaya Gorka fort

Fleet Aviation

Bomber and fighter aviation of the fleet operated successfully. In addition, in August 1941, a separate air group (126 aircraft) was formed from units of the KBF Air Force, operationally subordinate to the front. During the breakthrough of the Blockade, more than 30% of the aircraft used belonged to the fleet. During the defense of the city, more than 100 thousand sorties were made, of which about 40 thousand were to support ground forces.

Operations in the Baltic Sea and Lake Ladoga

In addition to the role of the fleet in battles on land, it is worth noting the direct activity in the waters of the Baltic Sea and Lake Ladoga, which also influenced the course of battles in the land theater:

"The road of life"

The fleet ensured the functioning of the "Road of Life" and water communication with the Ladoga military flotilla. During the autumn navigation of 1941, 60 thousand tons of cargo were delivered to Leningrad, including 45 thousand tons of food; more than 30 thousand people were evacuated from the city; 20,000 Red Army men, Red Navy men and commanders were transported from Osinovets to the eastern shore of the lake. In the navigation of 1942 (May 20, 1942 - January 8, 1943), 790 thousand tons of cargo were delivered to the city (almost half of the cargo was food), 540 thousand people and 310 thousand tons of cargo were taken out of Leningrad. In the navigation of 1943, 208 thousand tons of cargo and 93 thousand people were transported to Leningrad.

Naval mine blockade

From 1942 to 1944, the Baltic Fleet was locked up within the Neva Bay. His combat operations were hampered by a minefield, where, even before the declaration of war, the Germans secretly set up 1060 anchor contact and 160 bottom non-contact mines, including to the north-west of the island of Naissaar, and a month later there were 10 times more of them (about 10,000 mines) , both own and German. The action of submarines was also hampered by mined anti-submarine nets. After several boats were lost in them, their operations were also stopped. As a result, the fleet carried out operations on the enemy's sea and lake communications mainly by forces of submarines, torpedo boats, and aviation.

After the blockade was completely lifted, minesweeping became possible, where, according to the armistice, Finnish minesweepers also participated. From January 1944, a course was set for cleaning the Bolshoi Ship Fairway, then the main outlet to the Baltic Sea.

On June 5, 1946, the Hydrographic Department of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet issued Notice to Navigators No. 286, which announced the opening of navigation during daylight hours along the Great Ship Fairway from Kronstadt to the Tallinn-Helsinki fairway, which by that time had already been cleared of mines and had access to Baltic Sea. Since 2005, by a decree of the government of St. Petersburg, this day has been considered an official city holiday and is known as Day of the breakthrough of the naval mine blockade of Leningrad . Combat trawling did not end there and continued until 1957, and all the waters of Estonia became open for navigation and fishing only in 1963.

Evacuation

The fleet carried out the evacuation of bases and isolated groupings of Soviet troops. In particular - evacuation from Tallinn to Kronstadt on August 28-30, from Hanko to Kronstadt and Leningrad on October 26 - December 2, from the north-west region. coast of Lake Ladoga to Shlisselburg and Osinovets on July 15-27, from about. Valaam to Osinovets on September 17-20, from Primorsk to Kronstadt on September 1-2, 1941, from the islands of the Bjerki archipelago to Kronstadt on November 1, from the islands of Gogland, Bolshoi Tyuters and others on October 29 - November 6, 1941. This made it possible to preserve the personnel - up to 170 thousand people - and part of the military equipment, partially remove the civilian population, and strengthen the troops defending Leningrad. Due to the unpreparedness of the evacuation plan, errors in determining the routes of the convoys, the lack of air cover and preliminary trawling, due to the actions of enemy aircraft and the death of ships, there were heavy losses in our own and German minefields.

Landing operations

Landing operations were carried out, diverting enemy forces at the beginning of the war (a number of them ended tragically, for example, the Peterhof landing, the Strelna landing) and allowing a successful offensive in 1944. In 1941, the Red Banner Baltic Fleet and the Ladoga Flotilla landed 15 landings, in 1942 - 2, in 1944 - 15. Of the attempts to prevent enemy landing operations, the most famous are the destruction of the German-Finnish flotilla and the reflection of the landing during the battle for about. Dry in Lake Ladoga on October 22, 1942.

Memory

For merits during the defense of Leningrad and the Great Patriotic War as a whole, 66 formations, ships and units of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet and the Ladoga Flotilla were awarded government awards and distinctions during the war. At the same time, the irretrievable losses of the personnel of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet during the war amounted to 55,890 people, of which the main part falls on the period of the defense of Leningrad.

On August 1-2, 1969, the Komsomol members of the Smolninsky RK VLKSM installed a memorial plaque with the text from the records of the defense commander for the gunnery sailors who defended the "Road of Life" on Sukho Island.

For seamen minesweepers

Losses of minesweepers during the Second World War:

• blown up by mines - 35
• torpedoed submarines - 5
• from air bombs - 4
• from artillery fire - 9

In total - 53 minesweepers. To perpetuate the memory of the lost ships, the sailors of the BF trawling brigade made commemorative plaques and installed them in the Mine Harbor of Tallinn on the pedestal of the monument. Before the ships left the Mine Harbor in 1994, the boards were removed and transported to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

May 9, 1990 at the TsPKiO im. S. M. Kirov, a memorial stele was opened, installed at the base during the years of the blockade of the 8th division of boat minesweepers of the Baltic Fleet. In this place, every May 9 (since 2006, also every June 5), veteran minesweepers meet and lower a wreath in memory of the fallen from a boat into the waters of the Middle Nevka.

On June 2, 2006, a solemn meeting dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the breakthrough of the naval mine blockade was held at the St. Petersburg Naval Institute - the Naval Corps of Peter the Great. The meeting was attended by cadets, officers, teachers of the institute and combat trawling veterans of 1941-1957.

On June 5, 2006, in the Gulf of Finland, the meridian of the lighthouse of Moshchny Island (formerly Lavensaari), by order of the commander of the Baltic Fleet, was declared a memorial place for "glorious victories and the death of the ships of the Baltic Fleet." When crossing this meridian, Russian warships, in accordance with the Ship Charter, give military honors "in memory of the minesweepers of the Baltic Fleet and their crews who died while clearing minefields in 1941-1957."

In November 2006, a marble plaque "GLORY TO THE MINERS OF THE RUSSIAN FLEET" was installed in the courtyard of the Naval Corps of Peter the Great.

June 5, 2008 at the pier on the Middle Nevka in the TsPKiO im. S. M. Kirov, a memorial plaque was opened on the stele “To the Minesweepers Sailors”.

Memory

Dates

• September 8, 1941 - Day of the beginning of the Blockade
• January 18, 1943 - Day of breaking the Blockade
• January 27, 1944 - Day of the complete lifting of the Blockade
• June 5, 1946 - Day of the breakthrough of the sea mine blockade of Leningrad

Blockade awards

The front side of the medal depicts the outlines of the Admiralty and a group of soldiers with rifles at the ready. On the perimeter there is an inscription "For the defense of Leningrad". The reverse side of the medal depicts a hammer and sickle. Below them is the text in capital letters: "For our Soviet Motherland." In 1985, about 1,470,000 people were awarded the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad". Among those awarded with it are 15 thousand children and teenagers.

Established by the decision of the Leningrad City Executive Committee "On the establishment of the sign" To a resident of besieged Leningrad "No. 5 dated January 23, 1989. On the front side - an image of a broken ring against the background of the Main Admiralty, a tongue of flame, a laurel branch and the inscription "900 days - 900 nights"; on the reverse - a sickle and a hammer and the inscription "To a resident of besieged Leningrad". As of 2006, there were 217,000 people living in Russia who were awarded the badge "Inhabitant of besieged Leningrad". It should be noted that the commemorative badge and the status of a resident of besieged Leningrad were not received by all those born during the siege, since the above decision limits the period of stay in the besieged city to four months, which is necessary to receive them.

Monuments of the defense of Leningrad

• Eternal flame
• Obelisk "To the Hero City of Leningrad" on Vosstaniya Square
• Monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad on Victory Square
• Memorial route "Rzhevsky corridor"
• Memorial "Cranes"
• Monument "Broken Ring"
• Monument to the traffic controller. On the Road of Life.
• Monument to the children of the blockade (opened on September 8, 2010 in St. Petersburg, in the square on Nalichnaya Street, 55; authors: Galina Dodonova and Vladimir Reppo. The monument is a figure of a girl in a shawl and a stele symbolizing the windows of besieged Leningrad).
• Stele. Heroic defense of the Oranienbaum bridgehead (1961; 32nd km of the Peterhof highway).
• Stele. Heroic defense of the city in the zone of the Peterhof highway (1944; 16th km of the Peterhof highway, Sosnovaya Polyana).
• Sculpture "Grieving Mother". In memory of the liberators of Krasnoe Selo (1980; Krasnoe Selo, 81 Lenin Ave., square).
• Monument-cannon 76-mm (1960s; Krasnoe Selo, 112 Lenin Ave., park).
• Pylons. Heroic defense of the city in the zone of the Kievskoe highway (1944; 21st km, Kyiv highway).
• Monument. To the Heroes of the 76th and 77th Fighter Battalions (1969; Pushkin, Aleksandrovsky Park).
• Obelisk. Heroic defense of the city in the zone of the Moscow highway (1957).

Kirovsky district

• Monument to Marshal Govorov (Stachek Square).
• Bas-relief in honor of the dead Kirovites - residents of besieged Leningrad (Marshal Govorov St., 29).
• The front line of defense of Leningrad (pr. Narodnogo Opolcheniya - near the Ligovo railway station).
• Military burial "Red Cemetery" (Stachek Ave., 100).
• Military burial "Southern" (Krasnoputilovskaya st., 44).
• Military burial "Dachnoye" (pr. People's Militia, d. 143-145).
• Memorial "Siege Tram" (corner of Stachek Ave. and Avtomobilnaya Street next to the bunker and the KV-85 tank).
• Monument to the “Dead Gunners” (Kanonersky Island, 19).
• Monument to the Heroes - sailors-Baltic (Megeve Canal, d. 5).
• Obelisk to the defenders of Leningrad (corner of Stachek Avenue and Marshal Zhukov Avenue).
• Caption: Citizens! During shelling, this side of the street is most dangerous at house number 6, building 2 along Kalinina street.

Blockade Museum

• The State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad - was, in fact, repressed in 1952 in the course of the Leningrad case. Reopened in 1989.

To the Defenders of Leningrad

• Green Belt of Glory
• Cross-monument to signalman Nikolai Tuzhik

Residents of the besieged city

• Citizens! During shelling, this side of the street is the most dangerous
• Monument to the loudspeaker at the corner of Nevsky and Malaya Sadovaya.
• Traces from German artillery shells
• Church in memory of the days of the siege
• Memorial plaque on house 6 on Nepokorennykh Avenue, where there was a well from which the inhabitants of the besieged city drew water
• The Museum of Electric Transport of St. Petersburg has a large collection of blockade passenger and freight trams. The collection is currently in danger of being reduced.
• Blockade substation on the Fontanka. There is a memorial plaque on the building To the feat of the trammen of besieged Leningrad. After the harsh winter of 1941-1942, this traction substation provided energy to the network and ensured the movement of the revived tram“. The building is being prepared for demolition.

Events

• In January 2009, the action "Leningrad Victory Ribbon" took place in St. Petersburg, timed to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the final lifting of the blockade of Leningrad.
• On January 27, 2009, the Candle of Memory action was held in St. Petersburg to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the complete lifting of the Siege of Leningrad. At 19:00, the townspeople were asked to turn off the lights in their apartment and light a candle in the window in memory of all residents and defenders of besieged Leningrad. City services lit torches on the Rostral columns of the arrows of Vasilevsky Island, which from afar looked like giant candles. In addition, at 19:00, all FM radio stations in St. Petersburg broadcast a metronome signal, and 60 metronome strikes sounded through the city's public address system of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the radio broadcasting network.
• Tram commemorative runs are held regularly on April 15 (in honor of the launch of the passenger tram on April 15, 1942), as well as on other dates associated with the blockade. The last time the blockade trams came out on March 8, 2011, in honor of the launch of a freight tram in the besieged city.