The desire to capture Leningrad simply haunted the entire German command. In the article we will talk about the event itself and how many days the siege of Leningrad lasted. It was planned, with the help of several armies, united under the command of Field Marshal Wilhelm von Leeb and under the common name “North,” to push back Soviet troops from the Baltic states and begin to capture Leningrad. After the success of this operation, the German invaders would have received enormous opportunities to unexpectedly break into the rear of the Soviet army and leave Moscow without protection.

Siege of Leningrad. Date

The capture of Leningrad by the Germans would automatically deprive the USSR of the Baltic Fleet, and this would worsen the strategic situation several times. There was no opportunity to create a new front to defend Moscow in this situation, because all forces had already been used. Soviet troops would not have been able to psychologically accept the capture of the city by the enemy, and the answer to the question: “How many days did the siege of Leningrad last?” would be completely different. But it happened the way it happened.

On July 10, 1941, the Germans attacked Leningrad, the superiority of their troops was obvious. The invaders, in addition to 32 infantry divisions, had 3 tank, 3 motorized divisions and enormous air support. In this battle, German soldiers were opposed by the northern and northwestern front, where there were much fewer people (only 31 divisions and 2 brigades). At the same time, the defenders did not have enough tanks, weapons, or grenades, and in general there were 10 times fewer aircraft than the attackers.

Siege of Leningrad: history the first attacks of the German army

Making a lot of efforts, the Nazis pushed Soviet troops back to the Baltic states and began an attack on Leningrad in two directions. Finnish troops moved through Karelia, and German planes concentrated near the city itself. Soviet soldiers held back the enemy's advance with all their might and even stopped the Finnish army near the Karelian Isthmus.

The German Army North launched an offensive in two directions: Lush and Novgorod-Chudov. The main shock division changed tactics and moved towards Leningrad. Also, German aviation, which was significantly larger than the Soviet one, headed towards the city. However, despite the fact that USSR aviation was inferior to the enemy in many respects, it allowed only a few fascist planes into the airspace over Leningrad. In August, German troops broke through to Shimsk, but Red Army soldiers stopped the enemy near Staraya Russa. This slowed down the movement of the Nazis a little and even created a threat to their encirclement.

Changing the direction of impact

The fascist command changed direction and sent two motorized divisions to Staraya Russa with the support of bombers. In August, the cities of Novgorod and Chudovo were captured and railway lines were blocked. The command of the German troops decided to unite their army with the Finnish army, which was advancing in this direction. Already at the end of August, enemy troops blocked all roads leading to Leningrad, and on September 8 the city was blockaded by the enemy. It was possible to maintain contact with the outside world only by air or water. Thus, the Nazis “besieged” Leningrad and began shelling the city and civilians. There were regular air bombings.
Not finding a common language with Stalin on the issue of defense of the capital, on September 12 he went to Leningrad and began active actions to defend the city. But by October 10, due to the difficult military situation, Pod had to go there, and Major General Fedyuninsky was appointed commander instead.

Hitler transferred additional divisions from other areas in order to completely capture Leningrad in a short time and destroy all Soviet troops. The fight for the city lasted 871 days. Despite the fact that the enemy's advance was suspended, local residents were on the verge of life and death. Food supplies became less and less every day, and the shelling and air raids never stopped.

Road of life

From the first day of the blockade, only one strategic route - the Road of Life - was possible to escape from the besieged city. It passed through Lake Ladonezh, and it was along this route that women and children could escape from Leningrad. Also along this road, food, medicine and ammunition arrived in the city. But there was still not enough food, the shops were empty, and a large number of people gathered near the bakeries in order to receive their rations using coupons. The “Road of Life” was narrow and was constantly under the gun of the Nazis, but there was no other way out of the city.

Hunger

Soon frosts began, and ships with provisions were unable to reach Leningrad. A terrible famine began in the city. Engineers and factory workers were given 300 grams of bread, and ordinary Leningraders only 150 grams. But now the quality of the bread had deteriorated significantly - it was a rubber mixture made from the remnants of stale bread and other inedible impurities. Rations were also cut. And when the frosts reached minus forty, Leningrad was left without water and without electricity during the siege. But factories for the production of weapons and ammunition worked non-stop even in such difficult times for the city.

The Germans were confident that the city would not hold out for long in such terrible conditions; its capture was expected any day. The siege of Leningrad, the start date of which, according to the Nazis, was supposed to be the date of the capture of the city, unpleasantly surprised the command. People did not lose heart and supported each other and their defenders as best they could. They were not going to surrender their positions to the enemy. The siege dragged on, the fighting spirit of the invaders gradually subsided. It was not possible to capture the city, and the situation became more complicated every day by the actions of the partisans. Army Group North was ordered to gain a foothold in place, and in the summer, when reinforcements arrived, to begin decisive action.

First attempts to liberate the city

In 1942, USSR troops tried several times to liberate the city, but they failed to break through the blockade of Leningrad. Although all attempts ended in failure, the offensive weakened the enemy's position and provided an opportunity to try to lift the blockade again. This process was carried out by Voroshilov and Zhukov. On January 12, 1944, the troops of the Soviet Army, with the support of the Baltic Fleet, launched an offensive. Heavy fighting forced the enemy to use all their forces. Powerful attacks on all flanks forced Hitler’s army to begin a retreat, and in June the enemy was driven back 300 km from Leningrad. Leningrad became a triumph and a turning point in the war.

Duration of blockade

History has never known such a brutal and lengthy military siege of a populated area as in Leningrad. How many anxious nights did the residents of the besieged city have to endure, how many days... The siege of Leningrad lasted 871 days. People have endured so much pain and suffering that it would be enough for the whole world until the end of time! The siege of Leningrad was truly bloody and dark years for everyone. It was broken through thanks to the dedication and courage of Soviet soldiers who were ready to sacrifice their lives in the name of their Motherland. After so many years, many historians and ordinary people were interested in only one thing: was it possible to avoid such a cruel fate? Probably not. Hitler simply dreamed of the day when he could take possession of the Baltic Fleet and block the road to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, from where reinforcements for the Soviet army arrived. Was it possible to plan this situation in advance and prepare for it in the slightest degree? “The Siege of Leningrad is a story of heroism and blood” - this is how one could characterize this terrible period. But let's look at the reasons why the tragedy unfolded.

Prerequisites for the blockade and causes of famine

In 1941, at the beginning of September, the city of Shlisselburg was captured by the Nazis. Thus, Leningrad was surrounded. Initially, the Soviet people did not believe that the situation would lead to such dire consequences, but nevertheless, panic seized the Leningraders. The store shelves were empty, all the money was taken from the savings banks literally in a matter of hours, the bulk of the population was preparing for a long siege of the city. Some citizens even managed to leave the village before the Nazis began massacres, bombings and executions of innocent people. But after the brutal siege began, it became impossible to get out of the city. Some historians argue that the terrible famine during the blockade days arose due to the fact that at the beginning of the blockade everything was burned, and with them food supplies designed for the entire city.

However, after studying all the documents on this topic, which, by the way, were classified until recently, it became clear that there were no “deposits” of food in these warehouses initially. During the difficult war years, creating a strategic reserve for the 3 million residents of Leningrad was simply an impossible task. Local residents ate imported food, and this was enough for no more than a week. Therefore, the following strict measures were applied: food cards were introduced, all letters were strictly monitored, and schools were closed. If any attachment was noticed in any of the messages or the text contained a decadent mood, it was destroyed.

Life and death within the boundaries of your favorite city

The Siege of Leningrad - years about which scientists are still arguing. After all, looking through the surviving letters and records of people who survived this terrible time, and trying to answer the question “how many days did the siege of Leningrad last,” historians discovered the whole terrible picture of what was happening. Hunger, poverty and death immediately fell upon the inhabitants. Money and gold have completely depreciated. The evacuation was planned in the early autumn of 1941, but only by January of the following year it became possible to remove most of the residents from this terrible place. There were simply unimaginable queues near the bread kiosks, where people received rations using cards. During this frosty season, not only hunger and invaders killed people. The record low temperature lingered on the thermometer for a long time. It provoked the freezing of water pipes and the rapid use of all the fuel available in the city. The population was left in the cold without water, light and heat. Hordes of hungry rats became a huge problem for people. They ate all food supplies and were carriers of terrible diseases. As a result of all these reasons, people weakened and exhausted by hunger and disease died right on the streets; they did not even have time to bury them.

Life of people under siege

Despite the severity of the situation, local residents kept the city alive as best they could. In addition, Leningraders also helped the Soviet Army. Despite the terrible living conditions, the factories did not stop their work for a moment and almost all of them produced military products.

People supported each other, tried not to let the city’s culture fall into the dirt, and restored the work of theaters and museums. Everyone wanted to prove to the invaders that nothing could shake their faith in a bright future. The most striking example of love for his hometown and life was shown by the history of the creation of the “Leningrad Symphony” by D. Shostakovich. The composer began work on it while still in besieged Leningrad, and finished it during the evacuation. After completion, it was transferred to the city, and the local symphony orchestra played the symphony for all Leningraders. During the concert, Soviet artillery did not allow a single enemy plane to break through to the city, so that the bombing would not disrupt the long-awaited premiere. The local radio also continued to work, giving local residents a breath of fresh information and prolonging the will to live.

Children are heroes. Ensemble of A. E. Obrant

The most painful topic at all times has been the topic of saving suffering children. The beginning of the siege of Leningrad hit everyone, and the smallest ones first. Childhood spent in the city left a serious imprint on all Leningrad children. All of them matured earlier than their peers, since the Nazis cruelly stole their childhood and carefree time from them. Kids, along with adults, tried to bring Victory Day closer. There are among them those who were not afraid to give their lives for the approach of a joyful day. They remained heroes in many hearts. An example is the history of the children's dance ensemble of A. E. Obrant. During the first winter of the siege, the bulk of the children were evacuated, but despite this, there were still a lot of them in the city. Even before the start of the war, the Song and Dance Ensemble was founded in the Palace of Pioneers. And during wartime, the teachers who remained in Leningrad looked for their former students and resumed the work of ensembles and circles. Choreographer Obrant did the same. From the children who remained in the city, he created a dance ensemble. During these terrible and hungry days, the children did not give themselves time to relax, and the ensemble gradually found its feet. And this despite the fact that before the start of rehearsals, many of the guys had to be saved from exhaustion (they simply could not bear even the slightest load).

After some time, the group began to give concerts. In the spring of 1942, the guys began to tour, they tried very hard to raise the morale of the soldiers. The soldiers looked at these courageous children and could not contain their emotions. During the entire time the blockade of the city lasted, children toured all the garrisons with concerts and gave more than 3 thousand concerts. There were cases when performances were interrupted by bombings and air raids. The guys were not even afraid to go to the front line to cheer up and support their defenders, although they danced without music so as not to attract the attention of the Germans. After the city was liberated from the invaders, all the guys in the ensemble were awarded medals “For the Defense of Leningrad.”

The long-awaited breakthrough!

The turning point in favor of the Soviet troops occurred in 1943, and the soldiers were preparing to liberate Leningrad from the German invaders. On January 14, 1944, the defenders began the final stage of liberating the city. A crushing blow was dealt to the enemy and all land roads connecting Leningrad with other populated areas of the country were opened. Soldiers of the Volkhov and Leningrad Front broke through the blockade of Leningrad on January 27, 1944. The Germans began to gradually retreat, and soon the blockade was completely lifted.

This tragic page in the history of Russia, sprinkled with the blood of two million people. The memory of the fallen heroes is passed down from generation to generation and lives in the hearts of people to this day. How many days the siege of Leningrad lasted, and the courage the people demonstrated, amazes even Western historians.

The price of the blockade

On January 27, 1944, at 8 o’clock in the evening, festive fireworks went up in Leningrad, liberated from the siege. The selfless Leningraders held out for 872 days in the difficult conditions of the siege, but now everything is behind them. The heroism of these ordinary people still amazes historians; the defense of the city is still studied by scientists. And there is a reason! The siege of Leningrad lasted almost 900 days and claimed many lives... It is difficult to say exactly how many.

Despite the fact that more than 70 years have passed since 1944, historians cannot announce the exact number of victims of this bloody event. Below is some data taken from the documents.

Thus, the official figure of those killed in the siege is 632,253 people. People died for several reasons, but mainly from bombing, cold and hunger. Leningraders had a hard time surviving the cold winter of 1941/1942; in addition, constant shortages of food, electricity and water completely exhausted the population. The siege of the city of Leningrad tested people not only morally, but also physically. Residents received a meager ration of bread, which was barely enough (and sometimes not enough at all) not to die of hunger.

Historians conduct their research using documents from the regional and city committees of the All-Union Bolshevik Communist Party that have survived from the war. This information is available to the civil registry office employees who recorded the number of deaths. Once these papers were secret, but after the collapse of the USSR the archives were declassified, and many documents became available to almost everyone.

The death toll mentioned above is very different from reality. The liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade was achieved by ordinary people at the cost of numerous lives, blood and suffering. Some sources say 300 thousand dead, while others say 1.5 million. Only civilians who did not have time to evacuate the city were included here. Dead military personnel from units of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet are included in the list of “Defenders of the City.”

The Soviet government did not disclose the true number of deaths. After the blockade of Leningrad was lifted, all data on the dead was classified, and every year the named figure changed with enviable consistency. At the same time, it was claimed that about 7 million people died on our side in the war between the USSR and the Nazis. Now they are announcing a figure of 26.6 million...

Naturally, the number of deaths in Leningrad was not particularly distorted, but, nevertheless, it was revised several times. In the end, they stopped at around 2 million people. The year the blockade was lifted became both the happiest and saddest for people. Only now has the realization come of how many people died from hunger and cold. And how many more gave their lives for liberation...

Discussions about the number of deaths will continue for a long time. New data and new calculations are appearing; the exact number of victims of the Leningrad tragedy, it seems, will never be known. Nevertheless, the words “war”, “blockade”, “Leningrad” evoked and will evoke in future generations a feeling of pride in the people and a feeling of incredible pain. This is something to be proud of. The year is a year of triumph of the human spirit and the forces of good over darkness and chaos.

The final breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad and the defeat of Army Group North was to be carried out by troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, as well as the 2nd Baltic Front of the army of Markian Popov.

In addition, the forces of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet and Long-Range Aviation under the command of Air Marshal Alexander Golovanov were involved in Operation January Thunder.

The Leningrad Front defended the Oranienbaum bridgehead, positions around Leningrad from the Gulf of Finland to the Neva, and along the southern coast of Lake Ladoga from Moskovskaya Dubrovka to Gontovaya Lipka.

The Leningrad Front included the 2nd Shock Army, the 42nd and 67th Armies and the 13th Air Army. Air support was provided by aircraft of the Leningrad Air Defense Army and Baltic Fleet aviation. In total, the troops of the Leningrad Front included 30 rifle divisions, 3 rifle and 4 tank brigades, 3 fortified areas and other formations with a total number of more than 417 thousand people. The offensive of the troops of the Leningrad Front was supported by units of the Baltic Fleet - about 90 thousand people.

The defensive positions of the Volkhov Front were located in the territory from Gontovaya Lipka to Lake Ilmen. It included units of the 59th, 8th and 54th armies, and the 14th Air Army. They consisted of 22 rifle divisions, 6 rifle and 4 tank brigades, 14 tank and self-propelled artillery regiments and battalions, 2 fortified areas, artillery, mortar and engineering units. The total number of troops on the Volkhov Front reached 260 thousand soldiers and officers.

The positions of the 2nd Baltic Front were located on the line from Lake Ilmen to Lake Neshchadra. It included units of the 6th, 10th Guards, 1st, 3rd Shock and 22nd Armies, 15th Air Army. The troops of the 2nd Baltic Front consisted of 45 rifle divisions, 3 rifle and 4 tank brigades, one fortified area, artillery and engineering units.

The total number of Soviet troops before the start of the “January Thunder” ranged from 900 thousand to 1 million 250 thousand people. Equipment: over 20 thousand guns and mortars, more than 1,500 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1,386 aircraft. Regular units of the Red Army were supported by partisan units. Only in the offensive positions of the Leningrad Front, 13 partisan brigades, with a total number of 35 thousand people, took part in the battles.

For the Wehrmacht command, the capture of the city on the Neva was not only of great military and strategic importance. In addition to the capture of the entire coast of the Gulf of Finland and the destruction of the Baltic Fleet, far-reaching propaganda goals were also pursued. The fall of the cradle of the Revolution would have caused irreparable moral damage to the entire Soviet people and would have significantly undermined the morale of the armed forces. The Red Army command had an alternative: withdraw the troops and surrender the city without a fight. In this case, the fate of the residents would have been even more tragic. Hitler intended to wipe the city off the face of the earth in the literal sense of the word.

Leningrad was finally surrounded by German and Finnish troops on September 8, 1941. The siege of Leningrad lasted 872 days. In addition to the military formations of the army and navy, more than three million people were under siege - Leningraders and refugees from the Baltic states and neighboring regions. During the siege, Leningrad lost more than 600 thousand civilians, of whom only three percent died from bombing and artillery shelling, the rest died from exhaustion and disease. More than one and a half million people were evacuated.

Attempts to break the blockade in 1942

Even in the most difficult days of the war, attempts were made to break the encirclement. In January 1942, the Soviet army launched an offensive to connect the blockaded city with the “Main Land” near the village of Lyubtsy. The next attempt was made in August - October in the direction of the village of Sinyavino and Mga station. These operations to break the blockade of Leningrad were unsuccessful. Although the Sinyavinsk offensive failed, this maneuver thwarted the Wehrmacht’s next plans to capture the city.

Strategic prerequisites

The defeat of Hitler's group of troops on the Volga radically changed the balance of strategic forces in favor of the Soviet army. Under the current conditions, the High Command decided to carry out an operation to release the northern capital. The operational event involving the forces of the Leningrad, Volkhov fronts, the Baltic Fleet and the Ladoga Flotilla received the code name ''Iskra''. The liberation of Leningrad from the blockade, although partial, was made possible thanks to serious miscalculations of the German command. Hitler's headquarters underestimated the importance of accumulating reserves. After fierce fighting in the Moscow direction and the south of the country, two tank divisions and a significant part of the infantry formations were withdrawn from Army Group North to partially compensate for the losses of the central group. By the beginning of 1943, near Leningrad, the invaders did not have large mechanized formations to counter the possible advance of the Soviet army.

Betting Plans

Operation Iskra was conceived in the fall of 1942. At the end of November, the headquarters of the Leningrad Front proposed to Headquarters to prepare a new offensive and break through the enemy ring in two directions: Shlisselburg and Uritsk. The Supreme High Command decided to focus on one, the shortest, in the Sinyavino-Shlisselburg area.

On November 22, the command presented a plan for counter actions of the concentrated forces of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts. The operation was approved, and no more than a month was allotted for preparation. It was very important to carry out the planned offensive in winter: in the spring, swampy areas became impassable. Due to the thaw that began at the end of December, the breaking of the blockade was postponed by ten days. The code name for the operation was proposed by I.V. Stalin. Half a century ago, V. I. Ulyanov, when creating the press organ of the Bolshevik Party, named the newspaper “Iskra” with the intention that the flame of revolution would ignite from a spark. Stalin thus drew an analogy, suggesting that an operational offensive maneuver would develop into a significant strategic success. General leadership was entrusted to Marshal K. E. Voroshilov. To coordinate actions, Marshal G.K. Zhukov was sent to the Volkhov Front.

Preparations for the offensive

During December, the troops intensively prepared for battle. All units were one hundred percent staffed with personnel and equipment, and up to 5 sets of ammunition were accumulated for each unit of heavy weapons. During the siege, Leningrad was able to provide the front with all the necessary military equipment and small arms. And for sewing uniforms, not only specialized enterprises were involved, but also citizens who had sewing machines for personal use. In the rear, sappers reinforced existing bridges and built new ones. To ensure access to the Neva, about 50 kilometers of roads were built.

Particular attention was paid to the training of fighters: they had to be taught to fight in the forest in winter and attack a fortified area equipped with strongholds and long-term firing points. In the rear of each formation, training grounds were set up, simulating the conditions of the areas of the proposed offensive. To break through the engineering, special assault groups were created. Passages were arranged. All commanders, including company commanders, were provided with updated maps and photographic diagrams. Regrouping was carried out exclusively at night or in bad weather. Front-line reconnaissance activities intensified. The location of the enemy's defensive installations was accurately established. Staff games were organized for the command staff. The final phase was conducting live-fire exercises. Disguise measures, the spread of misinformation, and the strictest observance of secrecy have borne fruit. The enemy learned of the planned offensive in just a few days. The Germans did not have time to further strengthen dangerous areas.

Balance of power

Formations of the Leningrad Front consisting of the 42nd, 55th, 67th armies held the defense of the city from the inner south-eastern side of the ring on the Uritsk - Kolpino line, the right bank territories of the Neva - to Ladoga. The 23rd Army conducted defensive operations from the northern side on the Karelian Isthmus. The military aviation forces consisted of the 13th Air Army. Breaking the blockade was ensured by 222 tanks and 37 armored vehicles. The front was commanded by Lieutenant General L. A. Govorov. The infantry units were supported from the air by the 14th Air Army. 217 tanks were concentrated in this direction. The Volkhov Front was commanded by Army General K. A. Meretskov. In the direction of the breakthrough, using reserves and regrouping forces, it was possible to achieve a superiority of manpower by four and a half times, artillery by seven times, tanks by ten times, and aviation by two times. The density of guns and mortars on the Leningrad side was up to 146 units per 1 km of front. The offensive was also supported by artillery from ships of the Baltic Fleet and the Ladoga Flotilla (88 guns with a caliber ranging from 100 to 406 mm) and naval aviation aircraft.

In the Volkhov direction, the density of guns ranged from 101 to 356 units per kilometer. The total number of strike forces on both sides reached 303 thousand soldiers and officers. The enemy besieged the city with twenty-six divisions of the 18th Army (Army Group North) and the formation of four Finnish divisions in the north. Our troops, breaking the blockade, had to attack the heavily fortified Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky area, which was defended by five divisions with seven hundred guns and mortars. The Wehrmacht group was commanded by General G. Lindemann.

Battle of the Shlisselburg salient

On the night of January 11-12, aviation from the Volkhov Front and the 13th Air Army of the Leningrad Front launched a massive bomb attack on predetermined targets in the planned breakthrough area. On January 12, at half past nine in the morning, artillery preparation began. The shelling of enemy positions lasted two hours and ten minutes. Half an hour before the start of the attack, attack aircraft carried out raids on fortified defensive structures and artillery batteries of the Germans. At 11.00, the 67th Army from the Neva and units of the Second Shock and Eighth Armies of the Volkhov Front began their offensive. The infantry attack was supported by artillery fire, creating a wall of fire one kilometer deep. The Wehrmacht troops resisted fiercely, and the Soviet infantry advanced slowly and unevenly.

Over two days of fighting, the distance between the attacking groups was reduced to two kilometers. Only six days later, the advancing formations of the Soviet army managed to unite in the area of ​​workers’ villages No. 1 and No. 5. On January 18, the city of Shlisselburg (Petrokrepost) was liberated and the entire territory adjacent to the shore of Ladoga was cleared of the enemy. The width of the land corridor ranged from 8 to 10 kilometers in various sections. On the day the blockade of Leningrad was broken, the city’s reliable land connection with the “Mainland” was restored. The combined group of the 2nd and 67th armies tried unsuccessfully to build on the success of the offensive and expand the bridgehead to the south. The Germans were bringing up reserves. From January 19, within ten days, the German command transferred five divisions and a large amount of artillery to dangerous areas. The offensive in the Sinyavino area faltered. In order to hold the conquered lines, the troops went on the defensive. A positional war began. The official end date for the operation is January 30th.

Results of the offensive

As a result of the offensive of the Soviet troops, parts of the Wehrmacht army were thrown back from the shore of Ladoga, but the city itself still remained in the front-line zone. Breaking the blockade during Operation Iskra showed the maturity of the military thought of the senior command staff. The defeat of an enemy group in a thoroughly fortified area by a coordinated joint strike from outside and outside became a precedent in the Russian art of war. The armed forces have gained serious experience in conducting offensive operations in wooded areas in winter conditions. Overcoming the enemy's layered defensive system showed the need for thorough planning of artillery fire, as well as the rapid movement of units during the battle.

Losses of the parties

The loss figures indicate how bloody the battles were. The 67th and 13th armies of the Leningrad Front lost 41.2 thousand people killed and wounded, including irretrievable losses amounting to 12.4 thousand people. The Volkhov Front lost 73.9 and 21.5 thousand people, respectively. Seven enemy divisions were defeated. German losses amounted to more than 30 thousand people, irrevocable - 13 thousand people. In addition, the Soviet army received about four hundred guns and mortars, 178 machine guns, 5,000 rifles, a large amount of ammunition, and one and a half hundred vehicles as trophies. Two of the newest T-VI Tiger heavy tanks were captured.

Major victory

Operation Iskra to break the blockade achieved the desired results. Within seventeen days, a highway and a railway line thirty-three kilometers long were built along the shore of Lake Ladoga. On February 7, the first train arrived in Leningrad. A stable supply to the city and military units was restored, and the supply of electricity increased. Water supply has been restored. The situation of the civilian population, industrial enterprises, and formations of the front and the Baltic Fleet improved significantly. In subsequent years, more than eight hundred thousand civilians were evacuated from Leningrad to rear areas.

The liberation of Leningrad from the siege in January 1943 became a key moment in the defense of the city. Soviet troops in this direction finally seized the strategic initiative. The danger of a connection between German and Finnish troops was eliminated. On January 18 - the day the blockade of Leningrad was broken - the critical period of isolation of the city ended. The successful completion of the operation had great ideological significance for the people of the country. Not the largest battle of the Second World War attracted the attention of the political elite overseas. US President T. Roosevelt congratulated the Soviet leadership on the military success, and sent the city residents a letter in which he recognized the greatness of the feat, their unbending perseverance and courage.

Museum of the Breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad

Along the entire line of confrontation, memorials were erected in memory of the tragic and heroic events of those years. In 1985, in the Kirov district of the region, near the village of Maryino, a diorama “Breaking the Siege of Leningrad” was opened. It was in this place that on January 12, 1943, units of the 67th Army crossed the Neva across the ice and broke through the enemy defenses. is an artistic canvas measuring 40 by 8 meters. The canvas depicts the events of the attack on German defenses. In front of the canvas, a subject plan, 4 to 8 meters deep, recreates three-dimensional images of fortified positions, communication passages, and military equipment.

The unity of the composition of the painting canvas and volumetric design creates a stunning effect of presence. On the very bank of the Neva there is a monument “Breaking the Blockade”. The monument is a T-34 tank mounted on a pedestal. The combat vehicle seems to be rushing to join the troops of the Volkhov Front. Wartime equipment is also on display in the open area in front of the museum.

The final lifting of the blockade of Leningrad. 1944

The complete lifting of the siege of the city occurred only a year later as a result of the large-scale Leningrad-Novgorod operation. The troops of the Volkhov, Baltic and Leningrad fronts defeated the main forces of the 18th Army of the Wehrmacht. January 27 became the official day for the almost 900-day blockade to be lifted. And 1943 was recorded in the historiography of the Great Patriotic War as the year of breaking the siege of Leningrad.

How many days did the siege of Leningrad last? Some sources indicate a period of 871 days, but they also speak of a period of 900 days. It may be clarified here that the 900 day period is simply for general purposes.

And in numerous literary works on the topic of the great feat of the Soviet people, it was more convenient to use this particular figure.

Map of the siege of Leningrad.

The siege of the city of Leningrad has been called the longest and most terrible siege in Russian history. More than 2 years of suffering were an example of great dedication and courage.

They believe that they could have been avoided if Leningrad had not been so attractive to Hitler. After all, the Baltic Fleet and the road to Arkhangelsk and Murmansk were located there (during the war, aid from the Allies came from there). If the city had surrendered, it would have been destroyed, literally wiped off the face of the earth.

But even to this day, historians and simply people who have an interest in that period are trying to understand whether it was possible to avoid that horror by preparing for the blockade in a timely manner. This issue is certainly controversial and requires careful consideration.

How the blockade began

The blockade ring closed around the city on September 8, 1941, when, at the instigation of Hitler, massive military operations were launched near Leningrad.

At first, few people believed the seriousness of the situation. But some residents of the city began to thoroughly prepare for the siege: savings were urgently withdrawn from savings banks, food supplies were purchased, and stores were literally empty. At first it was possible to leave, but after a few days constant shelling and bombing began, and the possibility of leaving was cut off.

From the first day of the siege, the city began to suffer from a lack of food supplies. A fire broke out in the warehouses where strategic reserves were supposed to be stored.

But even if this had not happened, the food stored at that time would not have been enough to somehow normalize the nutrition situation. More than two and a half million people lived in the city at that time.

As soon as the blockade began, ration cards were immediately introduced. Schools were closed, and postal messages were censored: attachments to letters were prohibited, messages with decadent thoughts were confiscated.

Memories of the days of the siege

Letters and diaries of people who managed to survive the blockade reveal a little more of the picture of that period. The terrible city that fell on people devalued not only money and jewelry, but also much more.

From the autumn of 1941, the evacuation continued, but it became possible to evacuate people in large quantities only in January 1942. Mostly women and children were taken out along a route called the Road of Life. And still there were huge queues in the bakeries, where people were given food rations every day.

In addition to the lack of food, other disasters also befell the people. In winter there were terrible frosts, and the thermometer sometimes dropped to -40°C.

The fuel ran out and the water pipes froze. People were left not only without light and heat, but also without food and even water. We had to go to the river to get water. The stoves were heated with books and furniture.

To top it all off, rats appeared on the streets. They spread all kinds of infections and destroyed already poor food supplies.

People could not stand the inhuman conditions, many died of hunger during the day right on the streets, corpses lay everywhere. Cases of cannibalism have been recorded. Robbery flourished - exhausted people tried to take away food rations from equally exhausted comrades in misfortune, adults did not disdain to steal from children.

Life in Leningrad during the siege

The siege of the city that lasted for so long claimed many lives every day. But people resisted with all their might and tried not to let the city perish.

Even in such difficult conditions, the factories continued to operate - a lot of military products were required. Theaters and museums tried not to stop their activities. They did this in order to constantly prove to the enemy and to themselves that the city was not dead, but continued to live.

From the first days of the blockade, the Road of Life remained practically the only opportunity to get to the “mainland”. In summer the movement was on water, in winter on ice.

Each of the flights was akin to a feat - enemy aircraft constantly carried out raids. But the barges continued to work until the ice appeared, in conditions where this became almost impossible.

As soon as the ice gained sufficient thickness, horse-drawn carts came out onto it. The trucks were able to pass along the Road of Life a little later. Despite all precautions, several pieces of equipment sank when trying to cross it.

But even realizing the risk, the drivers continued to go on trips: each of them could become a lifesaver for several Leningraders. Each flight, upon successful completion, made it possible to take a certain number of people to the “mainland” and increase food rations for those remaining.

The Ladoga road saved many lives. A museum was built on the shore of Lake Ladoga, which is called “The Road of Life”.

In 1943, a turning point in the war came. Soviet troops were preparing to liberate Leningrad. We started planning this before the New Year. At the beginning of 1944, on January 14, Soviet troops began the final liberation operation.

During the general offensive, the soldiers had to complete the following task: deliver a crushing blow to the enemy at a predetermined point in order to restore the land roads that connected Leningrad with the country.

By January 27, with the help of Kronstadt artillery, the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were able to break through the blockade. Hitler's troops began to retreat. Soon the blockade was completely lifted. Thus ended one of the most terrible parts of Russian history, which claimed more than a million human lives.

TASS DOSSIER. On January 27, every year in the Russian Federation the Day of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade (1944) is celebrated. It was originally established by the federal law “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia” dated March 13, 1995 and was called the Day of Lifting the Siege of the City of Leningrad (1944). On November 2, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a federal law, according to which the date became known as the Day of the complete liberation of the city of Leningrad by Soviet troops from the blockade of its fascist German troops (1944). The new name of the holiday caused dissatisfaction among the townspeople, especially veterans and siege survivors, since, in their opinion, it did not reflect the role and contribution of the civilian population in the defense of the city. On December 1, 2014, Putin signed the law “On Amendments to Article 1 of the Federal Law “On Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia,” which established the current name of the date as January 27.

Siege of Leningrad

Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) is the only large city in world history that was able to withstand an almost 900-day encirclement.

The capture of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was one of the most important strategic and political tasks of the German command. During the Battle of Leningrad (July - August 1941), German troops broke through the Mga station, occupied Shlisselburg on September 8 and cut off Leningrad from the rest of the USSR by land. Subsequently, the Germans occupied the Leningrad suburbs - Krasnoye Selo (September 12), Pushkin (September 17), Strelna (September 21), Peterhof (September 23); Soviet troops managed to hold Kronstadt and the Oranienbaum bridgehead. The Finnish allies of the Germans, advancing on the Karelian Isthmus and in the Northern Ladoga region, blocked a number of routes (Kirov Railway, White Sea-Baltic Canal, Volga-Baltic Waterway) for the supply of goods to Leningrad and stopped approximately on the line of the Soviet-Finnish border of 1918-1940 .

On September 8, 1941, the siege of Leningrad began, which lasted 872 days. The directive from the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht, Adolf Hitler, “The Future of the City of St. Petersburg” dated September 22, 1941, stated: “... The Fuhrer decided to wipe St. Petersburg from the face of the earth. (...) In this war, waged for the right to exist, we are not interested in preserving at least part of the population..." On September 10, Luftwaffe pilots managed to bomb the Badayevsky warehouses, as a result of which the city lost significant food supplies. Gradually, the city's fuel and water supplies dried up, and the supply of light and heat stopped. In the fall of 1941, famine began. A rationing system for supplying citizens with food was introduced. By November 20, 1941, the norms for the distribution of bread for workers dropped to 250 g per day, for the rest of the population - to 125 g.

During the siege, more than 107 thousand incendiary and high-explosive bombs and over 150 thousand artillery shells were dropped on Leningrad, and about 10 thousand houses and buildings were destroyed.

Despite the siege, over 200 enterprises continued to operate in the city, including seven shipyards that produced 13 submarines. The industry of besieged Leningrad produced 150 samples of military products. In total, during the years of the siege, Leningrad enterprises produced about 10 million shells and mines, 12 thousand mortars, 1.5 thousand aircraft, 2 thousand tanks were manufactured and repaired. Despite the bombing, even in the winter of 1941-1942 there were performances and musical performances in the city. In March 1942, trams began running around the city again, and on May 6, the first football match was held at the Dynamo stadium on Krestovsky Island.

"Road of Life"

The supply of the besieged city from September 1941 to March 1943 was carried out along the only military-strategic transport route passing through Lake Ladoga. During navigation periods, transportation was carried out along the water route, and during the freeze-up period - along the ice road using vehicles. The ice route, called the “Road of Life” by Leningraders, came into operation on November 22, 1941. Ammunition, weapons, food, fuel were transported along it, the sick, wounded and children were evacuated, as well as equipment from factories and factories. In total, during the operation of the highway, about 1 million 376 thousand people were evacuated along it, and 1 million 615 thousand tons of cargo were transported.

Removing the blockade

On January 12, 1943, troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts began an operation code-named Iskra, the goal of which was to defeat a group of German troops south of Lake Ladoga and restore connections between Leningrad and the mainland.

On January 18, 1943, the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, with the support of the Baltic Fleet, in the area of ​​the Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky ledge broke the blockade ring and restored the city’s land connection with the mainland. On the same day, the fortress city of Shlisselburg was liberated and the entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga was cleared of the enemy. Within 17 days, railways and roads were built through the resulting corridor, and already on February 7, the first train arrived in Leningrad.

On January 14, 1944, troops of the Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic fronts began the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation. By January 20, Soviet troops defeated the enemy's Krasnoselsko-Ropshinsk group. On January 27, 1944, Leningrad was completely liberated. In honor of the victory, a salute of 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns rang out in the city. This was the only fireworks display (1st degree) in all the years of the Great Patriotic War that was not held in Moscow.

By the end of the blockade, no more than 800 thousand residents remained in the city out of 3 million who lived in Leningrad and its suburbs before the start of the blockade. According to various sources, from hunger, bombing and artillery shelling, from 641 thousand to 1 million Leningraders died. Almost 34 thousand people were injured, 716 thousand residents were left homeless. In total, 1.7 million people were evacuated along the “Road of Life” and by air in 1941-1942.

Perpetuation of memory

In December 1942, the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" was established. It was awarded to 1.5 million people, including residents of the city and participants in the battles for its liberation. Over 350 thousand soldiers and officers of the Leningrad Front were awarded orders and medals, 226 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In total, in the northwestern direction (Leningrad, Volkhov and Karelian fronts), 486 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (of which eight people were awarded twice).

On May 1, 1945, in the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Joseph Stalin, Leningrad was named among the first hero cities.

On April 20, 1944, the exhibition “Heroic Defense of Leningrad” opened in the premises of the former Leningrad Handicraft Museum. On January 27, 1946, it was transformed into a museum (now the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad).

On May 8, 1965, Leningrad was officially awarded the title of “Hero City”; it was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

In 1989, by decision of the executive committee of the Leningrad City Council, the sign “Resident of besieged Leningrad” was established.

Every year on January 27, Russia celebrates the Day of the Complete Liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi Siege.

According to information from the administration of St. Petersburg, as of January 2017, 102.4 thousand residents and defenders of the besieged city lived in the city (8.8 thousand people awarded the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad” and 93.6 thousand people awarded sign "Resident of besieged Leningrad"). About 30 thousand more blockade survivors lived in other cities and countries.