How many years since the blockade. Museum of Breaking the Siege of Leningrad

Hello to all lovers of facts and events. Today we will briefly tell you interesting facts about the blockade of Leningrad for children and adults. The defense of besieged Leningrad is one of the most tragic pages in our history and one of the most difficult events. The unprecedented feat of the inhabitants and defenders of this city will forever remain in the memory of the people. Let's briefly talk about some of the unusual facts related to those events.

The most severe winter

The most difficult time of the siege was the first winter. She was very stern. The temperature repeatedly dropped down to -32 °C. The frosts were lingering, the air remained cold in a row for many days. Also, due to a natural anomaly in the city, almost during the entire first winter, there was never a thaw usual for this area. Snow continued to lie for a long time, complicating the life of the townspeople. Even by April 1942, the average thickness of its cover reached 50 cm. The air temperature remained below zero almost until May.\

The blockade of Leningrad lasted 872 days

No one still can believe that our people held out for so long, and this is taking into account the fact that no one was ready for this, since at the beginning of the blockade there was not enough food and fuel to hold out normally. Many did not survive the hunger and cold, but Leningrad did not succumb. And in 872 he was completely liberated from the Nazis. During this time, 630 thousand Leningraders died.

Metronome - the beating heart of the city

For the timely notification of all residents of the city about shelling and bombing on the streets of Leningrad, the authorities installed 1,500 loudspeakers. The sound of the metronome has become a real symbol of the living city. The rapid record of the rhythm meant the approach of enemy aircraft and the imminent start of the bombardment.

The slow rhythm signaled the end of the alarm. The radio worked around the clock. By order of the leadership of the besieged city, residents were forbidden to turn off the radio. It was the main source of information. When the announcers stopped broadcasting the program, the metronome continued its countdown. This knock was called the heartbeat of the city.

One and a half million evacuees

During the entire blockade, almost 1.5 million people were evacuated to the rear. This is about half of the population of Leningrad. There were three major waves of evacuations. Approximately 400 thousand children were taken to the rear during the first stage of the evacuation before the siege began, but many were then forced to return back, as the Nazis occupied these places in the Leningrad Region, where they took refuge. After the blockade ring was closed, the evacuation continued through Lake Ladoga.

Who besieged the city

In addition to the directly German units and troops that carried out the main actions against the Soviet troops, other military formations from other countries also fought on the side of the Nazis. On the north side, the city was blocked by Finnish troops. Also at the front were Italian formations.

They served torpedo boats operating against our troops on Lake Ladoga. However, the Italian sailors did not differ in particular efficiency. In addition, the Blue Division, formed from the Spanish phalangists, also fought in this direction. Spain was not officially at war with the Soviet Union, and there were only volunteer units at the front on its side.

Cats that saved the city from rodents

Almost all domestic animals were eaten by a resident of besieged Leningrad already in the first blockade winter. Due to the lack of cats, rats have bred terribly. Food supplies were under threat. Then it was decided to get cats from other regions of the country. In 1943, four carriages arrived from Yaroslavl. They were filled with smoky-colored cats - they are considered the best rat-catchers. The cats were distributed to the inhabitants and after a short time the rats were defeated.

125 grams of bread

It was this minimum ration that children, employees and dependents received during the most difficult period of the siege. The share of the workers accounted for 250 grams of bread, 300 grams were given to members of the fire brigades who put out fires and bombs - “lighters”, students of schools. 500 grams were received by fighters at the forefront of defense.

Blockade bread consisted largely of cake, malt, bran, rye and oatmeal. It was very dark, almost black in color and strongly bitter. Its nutritional properties were not enough for any adult. People could not last long on such a diet and died en masse from exhaustion.

Losses during the blockade

There is no exact data on the dead, however, it is believed that at least 630 thousand people died. According to some estimates, the death toll reaches 1.5 million. The greatest losses occurred in the first blockade winter. During this period alone, more than a quarter of a million people died from hunger, disease and other causes. Statistically, women are more resilient than men. The proportion of the male population in the total number of deaths is 67%, and women 37%.

pipeline under water

It is known that in order to supply the city with fuel, a steel pipeline was laid along the bottom of the lake. In the most difficult conditions, with constant shelling and bombing, in just a month and a half, more than 20 km of pipes were installed at a depth of 13 meters, through which oil products were then pumped to supply fuel to the city and the troops defending it.

"Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony"

The famous “Leningrad” symphony was first performed, contrary to popular belief, not in the city under siege, but in Kuibyshev, where Shostakovich lived in the evacuation in March 1942 ... In Leningrad itself, residents were able to hear it in August. The Philharmonic was filled with people. At the same time, the music was broadcast on the radio and loudspeakers so that everyone could hear it. The symphony could be heard by both our troops and the fascists besieging the city.

The problem with tobacco

In addition to problems with food shortages, there was an acute shortage of tobacco and shag. During production, a variety of fillers began to be added to tobacco for volume - hops, tobacco dust. But even this could not completely solve the problem. It was decided to use maple leaves for these purposes - they were best suited for this. Fallen leaves were collected by schoolchildren who collected more than 80 tons of them. This helped to make the necessary stocks of ersatz tobacco.

The zoo survived the siege of Leningrad

It was a tough time. Leningraders literally died of hunger and cold, there was no one to wait for help from. People could not really take care even of themselves, and naturally, they were not up to the animals, which at that time were waiting for their fate in the Leningrad Zoo.

But even in this difficult time, there were people who were able to save the unfortunate animals and prevent them from dying. Shells exploded in the street every now and then, the water supply and electricity were turned off, there was nothing to feed and water the animals. Zoo workers quickly began transporting the animals. Some of them were transported to Kazan, and some to the territory of Belarus.

Naturally, not all animals were saved, and some predators had to be shot with their own hands, since if they were somehow released from the cages, they would pose a threat to the inhabitants. Nevertheless, this feat will never be forgotten.

Be sure to watch this documentary video. After watching it, you will not remain indifferent.

Shame with a song

A rather popular video blogger, Milena Chizhova, was recording a song about sussi-pusi and her teenage relationship, and for some reason inserted the line “Between us is the blockade of Leningrad.” This act so outraged Internet users that they immediately began disliking the blogger.

After she realized what a stupid thing she had done, she immediately deleted the video from everywhere. Nevertheless, the original version is still circulating on the net, and you can listen to its excerpt.

For today, these are all interesting facts about the blockade of Leningrad for children and not only. We tried to talk about them briefly, but it's not so easy. Of course, there are many more of them, because this period left an important historical mark on our country. The heroic deeds will never be forgotten.

We are waiting for you again on our portal.

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.
Many years after the siege of Leningrad was broken, many historians, and even ordinary people, wondered if this nightmare could have been avoided. 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.


Far from 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 of the siege of Leningrad in the Badaev warehouses - in the storage of the city's strategic reserves - that provoked a terrible famine during the siege days.


However, not so long ago, declassified documents give somewhat different information: it turns out that there was no “strategic reserve” as such, 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 siege of Leningrad by the 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 autumn 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. In addition to hunger, besieged Leningrad was attacked by 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
At the same time, Leningraders did their best to survive and not let their native city die. 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: the blockade of Leningrad 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, the most famous symphony by D. Shostakovich 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 began its dangerous and heroic work - the pulse of besieged Leningrad. 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.

During the first winter of the siege 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.


"Tachanka". Youth Ensemble under the direction of A. Obrant
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 the blockade of Leningrad lasted? So during this considerable time the ensemble gave about 3,000 concerts.


"Red Fleet Dance". Youth Ensemble under the direction of A. Obrant
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. On January 14, 1944, during the general offensive of the Soviet troops, the final operation began to lift 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. By January 27, 1944, the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, with the help of Kronstadt artillery, broke through the blockade of Leningrad. The Nazis began to retreat. Soon the cities of Pushkin, Gatchina and Chudovo were liberated. The blockade was completely lifted.


The blockade of Leningrad is a tragic and great page in 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! The blockade of Leningrad was briefly but succinctly described by Vera Inberg, her lines are a hymn to the great city and at the same time a requiem for the departed.

In 1941, the troops of Nazi Germany attacked our Motherland. The Great Patriotic War began.

Two months after that , in August 1941., the Germans launched a powerful offensive against Leningrad. The world held its breath.

The Nazis planned to capture Leningrad, and after that deploy a huge

offensive troops on Moscow. Then people stood shoulder to shoulder to protect their native city.

And it didn't matter whether you were an adult or a child - the war touched everyone!

Having failed at the walls of Leningrad, the Nazis decided to suffocate the city with hunger.

By the end August, the Nazis managed to cut the Moscow-Leningrad railway.

39 Leningrad schools worked without interruption during the most difficult days of the siege. But hunger and death reduced the number of people every day.

From the end of November 1941 the ice Ladoga route, the legendary road of Life, along which bread was transported, was launched. The Nazis bombed her mercilessly. For many people, this road was the last.

People didn't lose heart. The blockade brought everyone together.

Later in his memoirs, the commander of the Leningrad Front, General Zhukov,

wrote about the situation in the city: "The situation for the troops and residents was so difficult that, except for the Soviet people, no one, perhaps, could have endured it."

Yes, people really survived, and the city survived, survived!

Slide 7

Tanya opens the page with the letter Z.

Opens a page with the letter B:

Here is the page with the letter M, we read:

Starting with the letter C, he writes:

The Savichevs are dead.

Opens the page with the letter U:

All died. Only Tanya remained.

Tanya managed to be evacuated, but she did not live long and died of exhaustion.

15249 young Leningraders were awarded the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad".

Vedas. The only "window" that connected Leningrad with the "mainland" was Lake Ladoga. A decision is made to organize assistance to Leningrad across Lake Ladoga. It was very risky, incredibly difficult, but there was no other way out.

Leningraders called the Ladoga ice “the road of life”.

Slide 8

Reader:

Dear life, bread came to us,
Dear friendship of many to many.
Not yet known on earth.
Scarier and happier road.

Reader. Oh yes - otherwise they could not

Neither those fighters, nor those drivers,

When the trucks were driving

On the lake to the hungry city.

The cold steady light of the moon

The snows shine frantically, and from the glass height

The enemy is clearly visible

Columns below.

And the sky howls, howls,

And the air whistles, and gnashes,

Breaking under the bombs, ice,

And the lake splashes into funnels.

But enemy bombing is worse

Even more painful and angrier -

Forty degree cold,

Ruler of the earth...

And it was all that year
Car back settled
The driver jumped up, the driver on the ice.
Well, it is, the motor is stuck.
Repair for five minutes - a trifle,
This breakdown is not a threat,
Yes, do not open your hands in any way:
They were frozen on the steering wheel.
Slightly razognesh - again reduce.
Stand? What about bread? Wait for others?
And bread - two tons? He will save
Sixteen thousand Leningraders
And here he is in the gasoline of his hands
Moistened, set fire to them from the motor,
And the repair went fast.
In the burning hands of the driver.
Forward! How the blisters ache
Frozen palms to mittens.
But he will deliver the bread, bring
To the bakery until dawn
sixteen thousand mothers
Rations will be received at dawn -
One hundred twenty-five blockade grams
With fire and blood in half
Oh, we knew in December:
No wonder it is called a sacred gift
Ordinary bread, and grave sin
At least throw a crumb to the ground.

Vedas. On January 12, 1943, the Leningrad Front went on the offensive. Parts of the Volkhov Front advanced from the east. And on January 18 at 11 am, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts united. The blockade was broken. However, another year passed before Leningrad was completely liberated from the blockade. In January 1944, Soviet troops finally defeated the Nazis near Leningrad and completely lifted the blockade, which lasted almost 30 months.

Slide 9

Reader:

I don't need to worry
Don't forget that war!
After all, this memory is our conscience
She's the strength we need!

Vedas. Feat Price:

Only for incomplete data:

irretrievable losses of the Soviet Armed Forces amounted to about 900 thousand people

sanitary losses of the Soviet Armed Forces amounted to almost 2 million wounded, sick, frostbitten, shell-shocked.

According to official data released by the Soviet prosecution at the Nuremberg trials:

for 872 days of the heroic and tragic epic in the city died 632253 people.

According to the results of research by historians and a number of other scientists:

in the city from hunger and cold, shells, bombs and diseases, at least 800 thousand people, and taking into account suburban areas up to 1 million inhabitants.

According to the official data of the city service of MPVO:

enemy artillery fired more than 150 thousand shells at the city, more than 17 thousand people;

dropped on the city 74289 incendiary and explosive bombs, the victims of the bombings were 1926 killed, 10554 wounded city ​​dweller.

Slide 10

Reader:

If you do not know how many days the siege of Leningrad lasted, then you will never understand the strength and courage of the people who suffered so that the rest could live in peace. The blockade of Leningrad became one of the longest and cruelest sieges of the city that took place in the entire history of our world. It lasted exactly 871 days, and during this time, people who fell under siege experienced the worst time in their lives: hunger, death, illness, suffering ...

Many years later, historians have repeatedly asked the question: was it possible to avoid this and not sacrifice so many people? On the one hand, a lot of people died, and on the other hand, several hundred times more would have died if the Leningraders had not protected the rest with their bones, assuming the duty to hold back Hitler's army.

The beginning of the blockade of Leningrad. People left with no choice

When did the blockade of Leningrad begin? In August 1941, when the German army broke through to the southern shore of Lake Ladizh, and the Finnish-Korelian army reached the old border between the USSR and Finland. Overland communication between Leningrad and the "mainland" was broken for more than two months. This would have been enough time to evacuate most of the population, or at least provide enough food to survive the siege. At the beginning of 1941, more than 2 million people lived in the city, and another 200 thousand in the suburbs.

Recently published documents show that the evacuation of the population to safe areas was carried out very slowly, and Stalin himself was negative about the idea of ​​even a partial evacuation of large cities. About 43% of the population at that time were children and the elderly. Also at that time, several hundred refugees from other cities and regions that had already suffered during the war lived in the city. From declassified documents, people learned that before the start of the blockade, about 620,000 people and 90,000 refugees were taken out of Leningrad, and shortly before the railway communication was finally interrupted, cars were no longer brought to the city for evacuation, although they were taken out on other days more than 23 thousand people.

Resources for Survival

The Soviet authorities did not expect that the German army would reach the city so quickly and be able to cut off all routes for the export of grain, flour, meat, vegetable oil, etc. By the beginning of the war, the city had enough flour for only 52 days, cereals for 89 days, vegetable oil for only 29 days, and meat for 38 days. Since shortly before this, a rationed distribution of food according to special cards was introduced, in less than a month from the beginning of the war, the consumption of basic products decreased several times. In total, the worker received per month 2.2 kg of meat, 2 kg of cereals, 800 g of fat, 1 kg of fish and 1.5 kg of sugar and other confectionery. Employees received 1.5 kg of various cereals, 1.2 kg of meat, 800 g of fish, 400 g of fat and only 1.2 kg of sugar. This was half the pre-war consumption, and it was insanely difficult to live with such a supply for a month. But, nevertheless, it was not possible to save significantly, as commercial stores and canteens continued to operate, where any product could be purchased without a card. About 8-12% of meat, fats and confectionery products were sold through shops and canteens.

Before the blockade, 84,000 tons of flour, less than 7,000 tons of potatoes and 30,5000 tons of vegetables were delivered to Leningrad. This is catastrophically small for 3 million people, and even the autumn delivery did not actually take place. For example, a year before the blockade, 35 times more potatoes and 5 times more vegetables were imported into the city. The norms for issuing food to the inhabitants were very quickly reduced, the personal bins of people were insanely small, and the constant "sucking in the stomach" turned into hunger.

Chronicle of the Siege of Leningrad

• April 1941 - the beginning of the blockade of Leningrad. According to the plan "Ost" and "Barbarossa", Hitler is going to completely capture and then destroy the city of Leningrad;
• June 22, 1941 - the invasion of Nazi troops into the territory of the Soviet Union;
• July 19-23, 1941 - the first attack on Leningrad was carried out by the Army Group "North". It was stopped 10 km south of the city itself;
• September 4-8, 1941 - the Germans shell residential areas of Leningrad with heavy artillery;
• September 8, 1941 - the blockade ring closed after the capture of Lake Ladoga;
• November 21 - electricity is cut off in the city;
• December 6, 1941 - the water supply was turned off, the heat supply to the houses stopped;
• June-September 1942 - the beginning of the shelling of the city by the German troops with new 800-kilogram shells;
• September 23, 1942 - electricity is again supplied through the "cable of life" from the Volkhovskaya hydroelectric power station;
• January 18, 1943 - for the first time the blockade ring was broken;
• February 1943 - the "Road of Victory" was put into operation - a 33-kilometer railway line that again connected Leningrad with the "mainland". The first train from the “mainland” arrived in besieged Leningrad;
• January 14 - March 1, 1944 - the strategy of the Leningrad-Novgorod offensive operation was undertaken;
• January 27, 1944 - the year of lifting the blockade of Leningrad.

"Death Time"

The famine during the siege of Leningrad was first called "Time of Death" in a book by the historian Sergei Yarov, who earned a lot of gray hair while working on the book "Blockade Ethics". People, suffering from severe hunger, began to look for any ways to somehow survive. They resorted to various tricks: they ate carpenter's glue, leather, cake. The starving people caught livestock, sometimes sold it for bread, learned to catch pigeons and other wild birds. When they wanted to live more than remain human, they ate cats, mice and dogs. Even the last hopes for the "black market" died very quickly. All attempts to penetrate the suburbs and eat the crops from the fields and gardens were quickly and brutally suppressed, including by fire.

In December, when a qualified worker received from 800 to 1200 rubles, ordinary employees 600-700 rubles, and unskilled workers only 200, one loaf of bread, and not of the best quality (from the end of November and the beginning of December, bread was baked half from impurities), cost 400 rubles on the market, and oil in general is 500 rubles. From November 20, the rations of Leningraders were reduced to the very miserable, which could not provide even the most minimal physiological needs (250 g of bread for workers, 125 g for employees and the unemployed). If you search the Internet for “Siege of Leningrad” to watch online, then when you see the bodies and faces of people, you may be able to understand how difficult it was then, not only physically, but also mentally.

hope for freedom

In the month of December, and even after the New Year, there was hope in people that soon this nightmare would end, and they would be able to live in peace. The Soviet government also hoped for the liberation of Leningrad, especially after the counter-offensive near Moscow and the successful operation near Tikhvin, but this did not happen. The situation with the supply of the city worsened every day. By order of the city authorities on December 11, all the remaining fuel from the hospital and domestic boiler houses was transported to the only working power plant. As a result, in addition to hunger, excruciating cold was added to the suffering of people. Winter in 1941-1942, unfortunately, reached -35º.

How many days the blockade of Leningrad lasted, for the same amount of time the top of the USSR was looking for a way to liberate the city, or at least save its inhabitants. Authorities continued to look for ways to evacuate residents. The Kremlin offered to build a route along Lake Ladoga, but this was a very dubious idea. Nevertheless, the Ladoga ice track sent the first test carts with cargo on November 22, and on December 6 it was planned that about 5,000 people could be sent to the “mainland” daily. But unfortunately, on December 8, the evacuation was stopped again. They were able to resume it only a month and a half later - on January 22. It’s scary to even imagine how many people have already died during this time.

Having lost their last hope for the government, people began to find ways for liberation on their own. “Marching order” in the most severe December and January frosts, they wrapped their children in everything warm that was in the house, the wives grabbed their exhausted husbands by the arms and walked along the icy lake until death caught up with them. A total of 36,118 people were able to walk this path, losing everything except their own lives.

During the “Time of Death”, a terrible sign appeared in the city - “sled with swaddling clothes”. This was the name of the sledge in which the corpses were wrapped in sheets (December). In January, the corpses were no longer so carefully cleaned (there was no strength to carry the emaciated bodies), and in February they were simply piled up. How long the blockade of Leningrad lasted - so many people died who could not withstand the siege.

The years of the blockade of Leningrad - from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944 (the blockade ring was broken on January 18, 1943). If we calculate, we will find out how many years the blockade of Leningrad lasted - almost two and a half years. About 1 million people became victims of the blockade. Hunger and exhaustion overtook even those who managed to evacuate and were already hoping that the worst was over. The Nazis - the main culprits of this tragedy - periodically shelled residential areas in order to suppress the will of the people. Even after the end of the siege, German and Finnish troops continued to bully the inhabitants of Leningrad for six months. The breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad occurred when the troops of the USSR were rapidly advancing on the enemy's throat, because of which, after 871 days, Leningrad was finally liberated.

The courage and unshakable will of the Leningraders amazes our consciousness to this day, we need to take an example from their stamina. It is impossible to delete this period from national history, because it was their sacrifice that gave life to hundreds and thousands of people who never met the troubles that German soldiers brought. Just reading the materials about this tragedy is not enough to understand the full value of the heroic courage of the Leningraders. You can watch the Siege of Leningrad, a documentary, or fragments of the Siege of Leningrad, video.

Know the Soviet people that you are the descendants of fearless warriors!
Know, Soviet people, that the blood of great heroes flows in you,
Those who gave their lives for their Motherland, without thinking about the benefits!
Know and honor the Soviet people the exploits of grandfathers and fathers!

Documentary film "Ladoga" -1943 About the battle for Leningrad:

By the beginning of 1943, the situation in Leningrad, surrounded by German troops, remained extremely difficult. The troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet were isolated from the rest of the Red Army. Attempts to de-blockade Leningrad in 1942 - the Lyuban and Sinyavin offensive operations - did not bring success. The shortest route between the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts - between the southern coast of Lake Ladoga and the village of Mga (the so-called Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky ledge, 12-16 km), was still occupied by units of the 18th German army.

Shells and bombs continued to explode on the streets and squares of the second capital of the USSR, people died, buildings collapsed. The city was under constant threat of air raids and artillery fire. The lack of land communication with the territory under the control of the Soviet troops caused great difficulties in the delivery of fuel, raw materials for factories, and did not allow meeting the needs of the troops and the civilian population for food and essentials.

However, the position of Leningraders in the winter of 1942-1943. it was still a little better than the previous winter. Electricity was supplied to the city through a cable laid under water, and fuel was supplied through an underwater pipeline. The city was supplied with the necessary products and goods on the ice of the lake - the Road of Life. In addition, in addition to the highway, an iron branch was also built right on the ice of Lake Ladoga.

Major General Nikolai Pavlovich Simonyak, commander of the 136th Infantry Division, at an observation post. The photo was taken during the first day of the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad (Operation Iskra).

By the end of 1942, the Leningrad Front under the command of Leonid Govorov included: 67th Army - Commander Lieutenant General Mikhail Dukhanov, 55th Army - Lieutenant General Vladimir Sviridov, 23rd Army - Major General Alexander Cherepanov, 42nd Army in the army - Lieutenant General Ivan Nikolaev, the Primorsky Operational Group and the 13th Air Army - Colonel General of Aviation Stepan Rybalchenko. The main forces of the LF - the 42nd, 55th and 67th armies, defended themselves at the turn of Uritsk, Pushkin, south of Kolpino, Porogi, the right bank of the Neva to Lake Ladoga. The 67th Army operated in a 30 km strip along the right bank of the Neva from Poroga to Lake Ladoga, having a small foothold on the left bank of the river, in the area of ​​Moscow Dubrovka. The 55th Rifle Brigade of this army defended the road from the south, which passed through the ice of Lake Ladoga. The 23rd Army defended the northern approaches to Leningrad, located on the Karelian Isthmus.

Formations of the 23rd Army were often transferred to other, more dangerous directions. The 42nd Army defended the Pulkovo line. The Primorsky Operational Group (POG) was located on the Oranienbaum bridgehead.

The actions of the LF were supported by the Red Banner Baltic Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Vladimir Tributs, which was based at the mouth of the Neva River and in Kronstadt. He covered the coastal flanks of the front, supported the ground forces with his aircraft and naval artillery fire. In addition, the fleet held a number of islands in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, which covered the western approaches to the city. Leningrad was also supported by the Ladoga military flotilla. The air defense of Leningrad was carried out by the Leningrad Air Defense Army, which interacted with aviation and anti-aircraft artillery of the front and fleet. The military road on the ice of the lake and the transshipment bases on its shores were covered from the attacks of the Luftwaffe by the formations of a separate Ladoga air defense region.

By the beginning of 1943, the Volkhov Front under the command of General of the Army Kirill Meretsky included: the 2nd shock army, the 4th, 8th, 52nd, 54th, 59th armies and the 14th air army. But they took a direct part in the operation: the 2nd shock army - under the command of Lieutenant General Vladimir Romanovsky, the 54th Army - Lieutenant General Alexander Sukhomlin, the 8th Army - Lieutenant General Philip Starikov, the 14th Air Army - General Aviation Lieutenant Ivan Zhuravlev. They operated in a 300 km strip from Lake Ladoga to Lake Ilmen. On the right flank from Lake Ladoga to the Kirov railway, units of the 2nd shock and 8th armies were located.

The German command, after the failure of attempts to take the city in 1942, was forced to stop the fruitless offensive and order the troops to go on the defensive. The Red Army was opposed by the 18th German Army under the command of Georg Liederman, which was part of Army Group North. It consisted of 4 army corps and up to 26 divisions. The German troops were supported by the 1st Air Fleet of Aviation Colonel General Alfred Keller. In addition, on the northwestern approaches to the city, opposite the 23rd Soviet Army, there were 4 Finnish divisions from the Karelian Isthmus Task Force.

The tank landing of the Red Army is moving towards a breakthrough!

A unique film about the siege of Leningrad. Chronicle of those years:

Red Army soldiers take position and prepare for battle - breaking through the blockade of Leningrad

German defense

The Germans had the most powerful defense and dense grouping of troops in the most dangerous direction - the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge (its depth did not exceed 15 km). Here, between the city of Mga and Lake Ladoga, 5 German divisions were stationed - the main forces of the 26th and part of the divisions of the 54th Army Corps. They included about 60 thousand people, 700 guns and mortars, about 50 tanks and self-propelled guns. Each village was turned into a stronghold prepared for all-round defense, the positions were covered with minefields, wire fences and fortified with pillboxes. There were two lines of defense in total: the first included the constructions of the 8th GRES, the 1st and 2nd Gorodoks and the houses of the city of Shlisselburg - from Leningrad, Lipka, Workers' settlements No. 4, 8, 7, Gontovaya Lipka - from the Volkhov Front , the second included work settlements No. 1 and No. 5, Podgornaya and Sinyavino stations, work settlement No. 6, and Mikhailovsky settlement. The defensive lines were saturated with nodes of resistance, had a developed network of trenches, shelters, dugouts, and means of fire destruction. As a result, the entire ledge resembled one fortified area.

The situation for the attacking side was aggravated by the wooded and swampy terrain in the area. In addition, there was a large area of ​​Sinyavino peat extraction, which was cut by deep ditches. The territory was impassable for armored vehicles and heavy artillery, and they were needed to destroy enemy fortifications. To overcome such a defense, powerful means of suppression and destruction were required, as well as a huge effort of the forces and means of the attacking side.

On January 2, 1943, in order to break the blockade of Leningrad, the Iskra strategic offensive operation began.

Girl from the besieged city-People of the legend (USSR 1985):

Plan and prepare for the operation. Shock groups of the Soviet army

Back in November 1942, the LF command submitted to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief their proposals for preparing a new offensive near Leningrad. It was planned to carry out two operations in December 1942 - February 1943. During the "Shlisselburg operation" it was proposed by the forces of the LF, together with the troops of the Volkhov Front, to break the blockade of the city and build a railway along Lake Ladoga. During the "Uritsa operation" they were going to break through a land corridor to the Oranienbaum bridgehead. The headquarters approved the first part of the operation - breaking through the blockade of Leningrad (directive No. 170696 of December 2, 1942). The operation received the code name "Iskra", the troops were to be in full combat readiness by January 1, 1943.

The operation plan was set out in more detail in Directive No. 170703 of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of December 8. The troops of the LF and VF received the task of breaking the German grouping in the area of ​​Lipka, Gaitolovo, Moscow Dubrovka, Shlisselburg and, thus, lifting the complete blockade of Leningrad. By the end of January 1943, the Red Army was to reach the line of the Moika River - Mikhailovsky - Tortolovo. The directive also announced the conduct of the "Mginsk operation" in February with the aim of defeating the German group in the Mga region and ensuring a strong railway link between Leningrad and the country. The coordination of the actions of the fronts was entrusted to Marshal Kliment Voroshilov.

Almost a month was allotted for the preparation of the operation. Much attention was paid to the interaction between the troops of the two fronts. In the rear, training fields and special camps were created for practicing offensive actions of formations in wooded and swampy areas and storming the enemy's echeloned defense. Formations of the 67th Army practiced methods of forcing the Neva on the ice and establishing a crossing for tanks and artillery. In the LF, on the instructions of Govorov, artillery groups were formed: long-range, special purpose, counter-mortar and a separate group of guards mortar units. By the beginning of the operation, thanks to the efforts of intelligence, the command was able to get a pretty good idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe German defense. In December, a thaw occurred, so the ice on the Neva was weak, and the swampy terrain was difficult to access, therefore, at the suggestion of the commander of the LF, the Headquarters postponed the start of the operation to January 12, 1943. In early January, the State Defense Committee sent Georgy Zhukov to the Volkhov Front to reinforce it.

To carry out the operation, strike groups were formed as part of the LF and VF fronts, which were reinforced with armored, artillery and engineering formations, including those from the Stavka reserve. On the Volkhov front, the basis of the shock group was the 2nd shock army of Romanovsky. In its composition, including the army reserve, there were 12 rifle divisions, 4 tank, 1 rifle and 3 ski brigades, a breakthrough tank guards regiment, 4 separate tank battalions: 165 thousand people, 2100-2200 guns and mortars, 225 tanks. From the air, the army was supported by about 400 aircraft. The army received the task of breaking through the enemy's defenses on a 12 km section from the village of Lipki on the shores of Lake Ladoga and to Gaitolovo, reaching the line of Workers' settlements No. In addition, the troops of the 8th Army: 2 rifle divisions, a marine brigade, a separate tank regiment and 2 separate tank battalions, delivered an auxiliary strike in the direction of Tortolovo, the village of Mikhailovsky. The offensive of the 2nd shock and 8th army was supported by about 2885 guns and mortars.

On the part of the LF, the main role was to be played by Dukhanov's 67th Army. It consisted of 7 rifle divisions (one Guards), 6 rifle, 3 tank and 2 ski brigades, 2 separate tank battalions. The offensive was supported by the artillery of the army, the front, the Baltic Fleet (88 guns with a caliber of 130-406 mm) - about 1900 barrels, the 13th Air Army and naval aviation - about 450 aircraft and about 200 tanks. Parts of the 67th Army were to cross the Neva on the 12 km section between the Nevsky Piglet and Shlisselburg, concentrating the main efforts in the direction of Maryino, Sinyavino. The troops of the LF, having broken through the German defenses in the Moscow Dubrovka, Shlisselburg sector, were supposed to connect with the formations of the VF at the turn of Workers' settlements No. 2, 5 and 6, and then develop the offensive to the southeast and reach the line on the Moika River.

Both shock groups numbered about 300 thousand people, about 4900 guns and mortars, about 600 tanks and more than 800 aircraft.

Sappers of the Volkhov Front, Red Army soldier A.G. Zubakin and Sergeant M.V. Kamensky (right) making passes in a wire fence in the Sinyavino area. The photo was taken during the first day of the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad (Operation Iskra).

Blockade Leningrad. 7th symphony by Shestakovich:

Beginning of the offensive. January 12, 1943

On the morning of January 12, 1943, the troops of the two fronts simultaneously launched an offensive. Previously, at night, aviation dealt a powerful blow to the positions of the Wehrmacht in the breakthrough zone, as well as to airfields, command posts, communications and railway junctions in the enemy rear. Tons of metal fell on the Germans, destroying their manpower, destroying defenses and suppressing morale. At 9:30 am, the artillery of the two fronts began artillery preparation: in the offensive zone of the 2nd shock army, it lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes, and in the sector of the 67th army - 2 hours and 20 minutes. 40 minutes before the start of the movement of infantry and armored vehicles, attack aviation, in groups of 6-8 aircraft, attacked previously reconnoitered artillery, mortar positions, strongholds and communication centers.

At 11:50, under the cover of the “barrage of fire” and the fire of the 16th fortified area, the divisions of the first echelon of the 67th Army went on the attack. Each of the four divisions - the 45th Guards, 268th, 136th, 86th Rifle Divisions - were reinforced by several artillery and mortar regiments, an anti-tank artillery regiment, and one or two engineer battalions. In addition, the offensive was supported by 147 light tanks and armored cars, the weight of which could withstand the ice. The particular complexity of the operation was that the defensive positions of the Wehrmacht went along the steep, icy left bank of the river, which was higher than the right. The German fire weapons were located in tiers and covered all the approaches to the coast with multi-layered fire. In order to break through to the other side, it was necessary to reliably suppress the German firing points, especially in the first line. At the same time, care had to be taken not to damage the ice near the left bank.

The assault groups were the first to break through to the other side of the Neva. Their fighters selflessly made passages in the barriers. Rifle and tank units crossed the river behind them. After a fierce battle, the enemy's defenses were hacked in the area north of the 2nd Gorodok (268th rifle division and 86th separate tank battalion) and in the Maryino area (136th division and formations of the 61st tank brigade). By the end of the day, Soviet troops broke the resistance of the 170th German Infantry Division between the 2nd Gorodok and Shlisselburg. The 67th Army captured the bridgehead between the 2nd Gorodok and Shlisselburg, construction of a crossing for medium and heavy tanks and heavy artillery began (completed on January 14). On the flanks, the situation was more difficult: on the right wing, the 45th Guards Rifle Division in the "Nevsky Piglet" area was able to capture only the first line of German fortifications; on the left wing, the 86th Infantry Division was unable to cross the Neva near Shlisselburg (it was transferred to the bridgehead in the Maryino area in order to strike Shlisselburg from the south).

In the offensive zone of the 2nd shock (went on the offensive at 11:15) and the 8th armies (at 11:30), the offensive developed with great difficulty. Aviation and artillery were unable to suppress the main enemy firing points, and the swamps were difficult to pass even in winter. The most fierce battles were fought for the points of Lipka, Workers' Settlement No. 8 and Gontovaya Lipka, these strongholds were on the flanks of the breaking forces and continued the battle even in complete encirclement. On the right flank and in the center - the 128th, 372nd and 256th rifle divisions, were able to break through the defenses of the 227th infantry division by the end of the day and advance 2-3 km. The strongholds of Lipka and Workers' Settlement No. 8 could not be taken that day. On the left flank, only the 327th Infantry Division was able to achieve some success, which occupied most of the fortification in the Kruglaya grove. The attacks of the 376th division and the forces of the 8th army were not successful.

The German command, already on the first day of the battle, was forced to commit operational reserves into battle: formations of the 96th Infantry Division and the 5th Mountain Division sent to the aid of the 170th Division, two regiments of the 61st Infantry Division (“Group of Major General Huner ”) were introduced into the center of the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge.

Leningrad in the fight (USSR, 1942):

Leningrad Front- commander: lieutenant general (since January 15, 1943 - colonel general) L.A. Govorov

Volkhov Front- commander: general of the army K.A. Meretskov.

Fights 13 - 17 January

On the morning of January 13, the offensive continued. The Soviet command, in order to finally turn the tide in its favor, began to introduce the second echelon of the advancing armies into battle. However, the Germans, relying on strongholds and a developed defense system, offered stubborn resistance, the battles took on a protracted and fierce character.

In the offensive zone of the 67th Army on the left flank, the 86th Rifle Division and a battalion of armored vehicles, with support from the north of the 34th Ski Brigade and the 55th Rifle Brigade (on the ice of the lake), stormed the approaches to Shlisselburg for several days. By the evening of the 15th, the Red Army reached the outskirts of the city, the German troops in Shlisselburg found themselves in a critical situation, but continued to fight stubbornly.

In the center, the 136th Rifle Division and the 61st Tank Brigade developed an offensive in the direction of Workers' Settlement No. 5. To ensure the left flank of the division, the 123rd Rifle Brigade was brought into battle, it was supposed to advance in the direction of Workers' Settlement No. 3. Then, to ensure the right flank, the 123rd Infantry Division and a tank brigade were brought into battle, they advanced in the direction of Workers' Settlement No. 6, Sinyavino. After several days of fighting, the 123rd Rifle Brigade captured Rabochey Settlement No. 3 and reached the outskirts of Settlements No. 1 and No. 2. The 136th Division made its way to Work Settlement No. 5, but could not immediately take it.

On the right wing of the 67th Army, the attacks of the 45th Guards and 268th Rifle Divisions were still unsuccessful. The Air Force and artillery were unable to eliminate firing points in the 1st, 2nd Gorodok and 8th GRES. In addition, the German troops received reinforcements - formations of the 96th Infantry and 5th Mountain Divisions. The Germans even made fierce counterattacks, using the 502nd heavy tank battalion, which was armed with heavy Tiger I tanks. The Soviet troops, despite the introduction of troops of the second echelon - the 13th rifle division, the 102nd and 142nd rifle brigades into battle, could not turn the tide in this sector in their favor.

In the zone of the 2nd shock army, the offensive continued to develop more slowly than that of the 67th army. German troops, relying on strongholds - Workers' settlements No. 7 and No. 8, Lipke, continued to put up stubborn resistance. On January 13, despite the introduction of part of the forces of the second echelon into the battle, the troops of the 2nd shock army did not achieve serious success in any direction. In the following days, the army command tried to expand the breakthrough in the southern sector from the Kruglaya grove to Gaitolovo, but without significant results. The 256th Rifle Division was able to achieve the greatest success in this direction; on January 14, it occupied Workers' Settlement No. 7, Podgornaya station and reached the approaches to Sinyavino. On the right wing, the 12th ski brigade was sent to help the 128th division, it was supposed to go on the ice of Lake Ladoga to the rear of the Lipka stronghold.

On January 15, in the center of the offensive zone, the 372nd Rifle Division was finally able to take Workers' settlements No. 8 and No. 4, and on the 17th they left the village No. 1. By this day, the 18th Rifle Division and the 98th Tank Brigade of the 2nd UA had already been several days fought a stubborn battle on the outskirts of Workers' Settlement No. 5. Units of the 67th Army attacked it from the west. The moment of joining the two armies was close...

As a result of the January battles of 1943, the southern coast of Lake Ladoga was cleared of the enemy. Between Lake Ladoga and the front line formed corridor 8-11 km wide, through which within 17 days railroads and roads were built.

The blockade was completely lifted January 27, 1944 as a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation.

The blockade of Leningrad lasted from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944. During this time, 107 thousand air bombs were dropped on the northern capital, about 150 thousand shells were fired. According to various sources, from 400 thousand to 1 million people died during the years of the blockade. In particular, the number of 632 thousand people appeared at the Nuremberg trials. Only 3% of them died from bombing and shelling, the remaining 97% died of starvation.

The light cruiser "Kirov" salutes in honor of the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad!

Leningrad. Firework. Breaking the blockade of Leningrad (January 27, 1944):