TASS DOSSIER. January 27th annually Russian Federation celebrated Day complete liberation Leningrad from the fascist blockade (1944). 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 blockade 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 blockade it Nazi 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 federal law"About the days of military glory and memorable dates ah Russia", which established current name dates January 27th.
Leningrad blockade
Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) is the only one in world history Big City, which was able to withstand almost 900 days of encirclement.
The capture of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was one of the most important strategic and political objectives 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 - Krasnoe Selo (September 12), Pushkin (September 17), Strelna (September 21), Peterhof (September 23); Soviet troops managed to hold Kronstadt and the Oranienbaum bridgehead. Finnish allies of the Germans, advancing on Karelian Isthmus and in the Northern Ladoga region, blocked a number of routes (Kirov Railway, White Sea-Baltic Canal, Volga-Baltic waterway) to supply 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, released 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.
"The 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, 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, 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 operations under code name"Iskra", the goal of which was to defeat a group of German troops to the south Lake Ladoga and restoration of connections between Leningrad and Mainland y.
On January 18, 1943, the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, with the support of the Baltic Fleet, in the area of the Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky salient 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, iron and steel were laid through the resulting corridor. highway, and already on February 7 the first train arrived in Leningrad.
January 14, 1944 troops of Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic fronts launched the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation. By January 20 Soviet troops defeated the Krasnoselsko-Ropshinskaya group of the enemy. 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) during 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 inhabitants 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 Leningrad Front were awarded orders and medals, 226 of them were awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union. In total in the northwestern direction (Leningradsky, Volkhovsky 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 defense and blockade of Leningrad).
On May 8, 1965, Leningrad was officially awarded the title of "Hero City", it was awarded the order Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
In 1989, by decision of the executive committee of the Leningrad City Council, the sign “Resident besieged Leningrad".
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, medal recipients"For the defense of Leningrad" and 93.6 thousand people awarded the badge "Resident of besieged Leningrad"). About 30 thousand more blockade survivors lived in other cities and countries.
In accordance with the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia” and was previously called the Day of Lifting the Siege of the City of Leningrad (1944). In November 2013, the name of the day of military glory was changed to “Day of the complete liberation by Soviet troops of the city of Leningrad from the blockade of its fascist German troops (1944).”
At numerous requests from city residents, primarily blockade survivors, the name of the day of military glory was again adjusted, it became known as “The Day of the Complete Liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi Siege (1944).” The new name of this day most accurately reflects not only the role of Soviet troops in the liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade, but also the merit of the residents of besieged Leningrad in defending the city.
The heroic defense of Leningrad became a symbol of courage Soviet people. At the cost of incredible hardships, heroism and self-sacrifice, the soldiers and residents of Leningrad defended the city. Hundreds of thousands of those who fought received government awards, 486 received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, eight of them twice.
On December 22, 1942, the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad” was established, which was awarded to about 1.5 million people.
On January 26, 1945, the city of Leningrad itself was awarded the Order of Lenin. Since May 1, 1945, Leningrad has been a hero city, and on May 8, 1965, the city was awarded the Golden Star medal.
Memorial ensembles are dedicated to the memory of the victims of the siege and the fallen participants in the defense of Leningrad Piskarevskoye Cemetery and the Seraphim Cemetery, a Green Belt of Glory was created around the city along the former blockade ring of the front.
(Additional
On January 27, the Russian Federation celebrates the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of Lifting the Siege of the City of Leningrad. The date is celebrated on the basis of the federal law “On Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia” dated March 13, 1995.
Offensive fascist troops to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), the capture of which German command attached important strategic and political significance, began July 10, 1941.
In August heavy fighting They were already on the outskirts of the city. August 30 German troops cut railways, connecting Leningrad with the country. On September 8, the Nazis managed to blockade the city from land. According to Hitler's plan, Leningrad was to be wiped off the face of the earth. Having failed in attempts to break through the Soviet defenses inside blockade ring, the Germans decided to starve the city out. According to all calculations of the German command, the population of Leningrad should have died from hunger and cold.
On September 8, the day the blockade began, the first massive bombing of Leningrad took place. About 200 fires broke out, one of them destroyed the Badayevsky food warehouses.
In September-October, enemy aircraft carried out several raids per day. The enemy's goal was not only to interfere with the activities of important enterprises, but also to create panic among the population. Particularly intense shelling was conducted at the beginning and end of the working day. Many died during the shelling and bombing, many buildings were destroyed.
The conviction that the enemy would not be able to capture Leningrad restrained the pace of evacuation. More than two and a half million residents, including 400 thousand children, found themselves in a blocked city. There were few food supplies, so we had to use food substitutes. Since the introduction of the card system, food distribution standards to the population of Leningrad have been repeatedly reduced.
Autumn-winter 1941-1942 - the most scary time blockades Early winter brought with it cold - heating, hot water there was none, and Leningraders began to burn furniture, books, and dismantled wooden buildings for firewood. The transport was standing still. Thousands of people died from dystrophy and cold. But Leningraders continued to work - administrative institutions, printing houses, clinics, kindergartens, theaters, public library, scientists continued to work. 13-14 year old teenagers worked, replacing their fathers who had gone to the front.
In the autumn on Ladoga, due to storms, ship traffic was complicated, but tugs with barges made their way around the ice fields until December 1941, and some food was delivered by plane. Hard ice was not installed on Ladoga for a long time, and bread distribution standards were again reduced.
On November 22, the movement of vehicles on the ice road began. This transport route received the name "Road of Life". In January 1942, movement along winter road was already permanent. The Germans bombed and shelled the road, but they failed to stop the movement.
By January 27, 1944, the troops of Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke the defense of the 18th German army, defeated its main forces and advanced 60 km in depth. Seeing real threat surrounded, the Germans retreated. Krasnoe Selo, Pushkin, and Pavlovsk were liberated from the enemy. January 27 became the day of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the siege. On this day in Leningrad it was given festive fireworks.
The siege of Leningrad lasted 900 days and became the bloodiest blockade in human history. Historical meaning The defense of Leningrad is enormous. Soviet soldiers, having stopped the enemy hordes near Leningrad, turned it into a powerful bastion of the entire Soviet-German front in the north-west. By pinning down significant forces of fascist troops for 900 days, Leningrad thereby provided significant assistance to the development of operations on all other sectors of the vast front. The victories of Moscow and Stalingrad, Kursk and the Dnieper included a significant share of the defenders of Leningrad.
The Motherland highly appreciated the feat of the city’s defenders. Over 350 thousand soldiers, officers and generals of the Leningrad Front were awarded orders and medals, 226 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. About 1.5 million people were awarded the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad".
For courage, perseverance and unprecedented heroism in the days of difficult struggle with German fascist invaders the city of Leningrad was awarded the Order of Lenin on January 20, 1945, and on May 8, 1965 received honorary title"Hero City".
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
It is impossible without tears and shudders to remember the events of the Great Patriotic War, which became a victorious, heroic and tragic page in the history of our people. One of these events was the blockade of Leningrad, which lasted 872 long days of death, hunger, cold, bombing, despair and courage of the residents of the Northern capital.
In 1941, Hitler launched military operations on the outskirts of Leningrad to completely destroy the city. On September 8, 1941, the ring around an important strategic and political center closed.
There are 2.5 million inhabitants left in the city. Constant bombing by enemy aircraft destroyed people, houses, architectural monuments, food warehouses. During the siege in Leningrad there was no area that an enemy shell could not reach. Areas and streets were identified where the risk of becoming a victim of enemy artillery was greatest. There were special warning signs posted there with, for example, the text: “Citizens! During shelling, this side of the street is the most dangerous.” Several of them remain in the city today in memory of the siege.
Severe famine killed thousands of people. Card system didn't save the situation. Bread standards were so low that residents still died from exhaustion. The cold came with early winter 1941. But the Reich's hopes for panic and chaos among the population did not materialize. The city continued to live and work.
In order to somehow help the besieged residents, the “Road of Life” was organized through Ladoga, along which they were able to evacuate part of the population and deliver some food.
On January 18, 1943, the forces of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke the blockade, and on January 27, 1944, the blockade of Leningrad was finally lifted. In the evening, the sky lit up with fireworks in honor of the liberation of the city on the Neva.
During the years of the blockade, according to various sources, from 400 thousand to 1.5 million people died. Enormous damage was caused to historical buildings and monuments of Leningrad. In honor of heroic events During the siege of Leningrad, on the day the siege was lifted, the Day of Military Glory of Russia is celebrated.
Music Isaac Luban. The song was written based on poetry by a poet and front-line correspondent Pavel Shubin.
Tatyana Bulanova:“For me this is a very close, very personal topic. I come from a family that endured everything, all the hardships of that time. My mother survived the blockade. She often shared her bitter memories.
For me, the date of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the siege is comparable to May 9. This is like the second Victory Day for Leningraders. Therefore, the song is like an anthem of this important date, a reminder of what the people who fought for Leningrad went through.”
Sound engineer Danil Zosin, video studio Inspire.
Beginning of the blockade
Soon after the start of the Great Patriotic War, Leningrad found itself in the grip of enemy fronts. The German Army Group North (commanded by Field Marshal W. Leeb) was approaching it from the southwest; from the north-west aimed at the city Finnish army(Commander Marshal K. Mannerheim). According to the Barbarossa plan, the capture of Leningrad was supposed to precede the capture of Moscow. Hitler believed that the fall northern capital The USSR will give not only a military gain - the Russians will lose the city, which is the cradle of the revolution and has for Soviet state special symbolic meaning. The Battle of Leningrad, the longest of the war, lasted from July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944.
In July-August 1941 German divisions were stopped in the fighting on the Luga line, but on September 8 the enemy reached Shlisselburg and Leningrad, which was home to about 3 million people before the war, was surrounded. To the number of those caught in the blockade, we must add approximately 300 thousand more refugees who arrived in the city from the Baltic states and neighboring regions at the beginning of the war. From that day on, communication with Leningrad became possible only by Lake Ladoga and by air. Almost every day Leningraders experienced the horror of artillery shelling or bombing. As a result of the fires, residential buildings were destroyed, people and food supplies were killed, incl. Badaevsky warehouses.
At the beginning of September 1941, General of the Army G.K. was recalled from Yelnya. Zhukov and told him: “You will have to fly to Leningrad and take command of the front and the Baltic Fleet from Voroshilov.” Zhukov's arrival and the measures he took strengthened the city's defenses, but it was not possible to break the blockade.
The Nazis' plans for Leningrad
The blockade organized by the Nazis was aimed specifically at the extinction and destruction of Leningrad. On September 22, 1941, a special directive noted: “The Fuhrer decided to wipe out the city of Leningrad from the face of the earth. It is planned to surround the city with a tight ring and, through shelling from artillery of all calibers and continuous bombing from the air, raze it to the ground... In this war, waged for the right to exist, we are not interested in preserving at least part of the population.” On October 7, Hitler gave another order - not to accept refugees from Leningrad and to push them back into enemy territory. Therefore, any speculation - including those spread today in the media - that the city could have been saved if it had been surrendered to the mercy of the Germans should be classified either as ignorance or a deliberate distortion of historical truth.
The situation in besieged city with food
Before the war, the metropolis of Leningrad was supplied, as they say, “on wheels”; the city did not have large food reserves. Therefore, the blockade threatened terrible tragedy- hunger. On September 2, we had to strengthen the food saving regime. From November 20, 1941, the lowest norms for the distribution of bread on cards were established: workers and technical workers - 250 g, employees, dependents and children - 125 g. Soldiers of the first line units and sailors - 500 g. It began mass death population. In December, 53 thousand people died, in January 1942 - about 100 thousand, in February - more than 100 thousand. The preserved pages of the diary of little Tanya Savicheva do not leave anyone indifferent: “Grandmother died on January 25. ... “Uncle Alyosha on May 10... Mom on May 13 at 7.30 in the morning... Everyone died. Tanya is the only one left." Today, in the works of historians, the numbers of dead Leningraders vary from 800 thousand to 1.5 million people. IN Lately Data on 1.2 million people are increasingly appearing. Grief came to every family. Died during the Battle of Leningrad more people than England and the USA lost during the entire war.
"The road of life"
The salvation for the besieged was the “Road of Life” - a route laid on the ice of Lake Ladoga, along which, from November 21, food and ammunition were delivered to the city and evacuated on the way back civilian population. During the period of operation of the “Road of Life” - until March 1943 - 1,615 thousand tons of various cargo were delivered to the city by ice (and in the summer on various ships). At the same time, more than 1.3 million Leningraders and wounded soldiers were evacuated from the city on the Neva. To transport petroleum products along the bottom of Lake Ladoga, a pipeline was laid.
Feat of Leningrad
However, the city did not give up. Its residents and leadership then did everything possible to live and continue to fight. Despite the fact that the city was under severe blockade conditions, its industry continued to supply the troops of the Leningrad Front with the necessary weapons and equipment. Exhausted by hunger and seriously ill, workers carried out urgent tasks, repairing ships, tanks and artillery. Employees All-Union Institute crop production has preserved a valuable collection of grain crops. In the winter of 1941, 28 employees of the institute died of starvation, but not a single box of grain was touched.
Leningrad dealt significant blows to the enemy and did not allow the Germans and Finns to act with impunity. In April 1942, Soviet anti-aircraft gunners and aircraft thwarted the German command's operation "Aisstoss" - an attempt to destroy from the air the ships of the Baltic Fleet stationed on the Neva. Counteraction to enemy artillery was constantly improved. The Leningrad Military Council organized counter-battery fight, as a result of which the intensity of shelling of the city significantly decreased. In 1943, the number of artillery shells that fell on Leningrad decreased by approximately 7 times.
The unprecedented self-sacrifice of ordinary Leningraders helped them not only defend their beloved city. It showed the whole world where the limits of Nazi Germany and its allies were.
Actions by the leadership of the city on the Neva
Although in Leningrad (as in other regions of the USSR during the war) there were scoundrels among the authorities, party and military leadership Leningrad basically remained at the height of the existing situation. It behaved adequately to the tragic situation and did not at all “get fat”, as some claim modern researchers. In November 1941, the secretary of the city party committee, Zhdanov, established a strictly fixed, reduced food consumption rate for himself and all members of the military council of the Leningrad Front. Moreover, the leadership of the city on the Neva did everything to prevent the consequences of a severe famine. By decision of the Leningrad authorities, additional food was organized for exhausted people in special hospitals and canteens. In Leningrad, 85 orphanages were organized, accepting tens of thousands of children left without parents. In January 1942, a medical hospital for scientists and creative workers began operating at the Astoria Hotel. Since March 1942, the Leningrad City Council allowed residents to plant personal vegetable gardens in their yards and parks. The land for dill, parsley, and vegetables was plowed even near St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Attempts to break the blockade
With all the mistakes, miscalculations, voluntaristic decisions Soviet command took maximum measures to break the siege of Leningrad as quickly as possible. Four attempts were made to break the enemy ring. The first - in September 1941; the second - in October 1941; the third - at the beginning of 1942, during a general counter-offensive, which only partially achieved its goals; fourth - in August-September 1942. The blockade of Leningrad was not broken then, but Soviet victims V offensive operations this period were not in vain. In the summer and autumn of 1942, the enemy failed to transfer any large reserves from near Leningrad to the southern flank Eastern Front. Moreover, Hitler sent the command and troops of Manstein’s 11th Army to take the city, which otherwise could have been used in the Caucasus and near Stalingrad. The Sinyavinsk operation of 1942 on the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts was ahead of the German attack. Manstein's divisions intended for the offensive were forced to immediately enter into defensive battles against attacking Soviet units.
"Nevsky Piglet"
The heaviest battles in 1941-1942. took place on the Nevsky Piglet - narrow strip land on the left bank of the Neva with a frontal width of 2-4 km and a depth of only 500-800 meters. This bridgehead, which the Soviet command intended to use to break the blockade, was held by Red Army units for about 400 days. A tiny piece of land was at one time almost the only hope for saving the city and became one of the symbols of heroism Soviet soldiers who defended Leningrad. The battles for the Nevsky Piglet claimed, according to some sources, the lives of 50,000 Soviet soldiers.
Operation Spark
And only in January 1943, when the main forces of the Wehrmacht were pulled towards Stalingrad, the blockade was partially broken. Progress of the unlocking operation Soviet fronts(Operation Iskra) was led by G. Zhukov. On a narrow strip south coast Lake Ladoga, 8-11 km wide, managed to restore land communication with the country. Over the next 17 days, railroads and roads were built along this corridor. January 1943 became turning point in the Battle of Leningrad.
The final lifting of the siege of Leningrad
The situation in Leningrad improved significantly, but the immediate threat to the city continued to remain. In order to finally eliminate the blockade it was necessary to push the enemy back beyond Leningrad region. The idea of such an operation was developed by the Supreme Command Headquarters at the end of 1943. The forces of the Leningrad (General L. Govorov), Volkhov (General K. Meretskov) and 2nd Baltic (General M. Popov) fronts in cooperation with Baltic Fleet, Ladoga and Onega flotillas The Leningrad-Novgorod operation was carried out. Soviet troops went on the offensive on January 14, 1944 and liberated Novgorod on January 20. On January 21, the enemy began to retreat from the Mga-Tosno area, from the area cut by him railway line Leningrad - Moscow.
January 27 in commemoration final withdrawal During the siege of Leningrad, which lasted 872 days, fireworks thundered. Army Group North suffered a heavy defeat. As a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod war, Soviet troops reached the borders of Latvia and Estonia.
The importance of the defense of Leningrad
The defense of Leningrad had enormous military-strategic, political and moral significance. Hitler's command lost the opportunity to most effectively maneuver its strategic reserves and transfer troops to other directions. If the city on the Neva had fallen in 1941, then the German troops would have united with the Finns, and most of troops German group armies "North" could be deployed in a southerly direction and would strike central regions THE USSR. In this case, Moscow could not have resisted, and the whole war could have gone according to a completely different scenario. In the deadly meat grinder of the Sinyavinsk operation in 1942, Leningraders saved not only themselves with their feat and indestructible fortitude. Shackled German forces, they provided invaluable assistance to Stalingrad and the whole country!
The feat of the defenders of Leningrad, who defended their city under the most difficult trials, inspired the entire army and country, and earned deep respect and gratitude from the states of the anti-Hitler coalition.
In 1942, the Soviet government established the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad,” which was awarded to about 1.5 million defenders of the city. This medal remains in the memory of the people today as one of the most honorable awards of the Great Patriotic War.
DOCUMENTATION:
I. Nazi plans for the future of Leningrad
1. Already on the third day of the war against the Soviet Union, Germany informed the Finnish leadership of its plans to destroy Leningrad. G. Goering told the Finnish envoy in Berlin that the Finns would receive “also St. Petersburg, which, after all, like Moscow, it is better to destroy.”
2. According to a note made by M. Bormann at a meeting on July 16, 1941, “The Finns are claiming the area around Leningrad, the Fuhrer would like to raze Leningrad to the ground and then hand it over to the Finns.”
3. On September 22, 1941, Hitler’s directive stated: “The Fuhrer has decided to wipe out the city of Leningrad from the face of the earth. After defeat Soviet Russia the further existence of this largest settlement is of no interest. It is planned to surround the city with a tight ring and, through shelling from artillery of all calibers and continuous bombing from the air, raze it to the ground. If, as a result of the situation created in the city, requests for surrender are made, they will be rejected, since the problems associated with the presence of the population and its food supply, cannot and should not be decided by us. In this war being waged for the right to exist, we are not interested in preserving even part of the population.”
4. Directive of the German naval headquarters on September 29, 1941: “The Fuhrer has decided to wipe out the city of St. Petersburg from the face of the earth. After the defeat of Soviet Russia there is no interest in the continued existence of this settlement. Finland has also stated that it is not interested in the continued existence of a city directly next to the new border.”
5. Back on September 11, 1941, Finnish President Risto Ryti told the German envoy in Helsinki: “If St. Petersburg no longer exists as a large city, then the Neva would be best border on the Karelian Isthmus... Leningrad must be liquidated as a large city.”
6. From the testimony of A. Jodl on Nuremberg trials: During the Siege of Leningrad, Field Marshal von Leeb, commander of Army Group North, reported to the OKW that streams of civilian refugees from Leningrad were seeking refuge in the German trenches and that he had no means of feeding or caring for them. The Fuhrer immediately gave an order (dated October 7, 1941) not to accept refugees and push them back into enemy territory
II. The myth about the “fatten” leadership of Leningrad
There was information in the media that in besieged Leningrad A.A. Zhdanov allegedly gorged himself on delicacies, which usually included peaches or boucher cakes. The issue of photographs with “rum women” baked in the besieged city in December 1941 is also discussed. The diaries of former party workers in Leningrad are also cited, which say that party workers lived almost like in paradise.
In fact: the photo with the “rum women” was taken by journalist A. Mikhailov. He was a famous photojournalist for TASS. It is obvious that Mikhailov, indeed, received an official order in order to calm down Soviet people living on the mainland. In the same context, one should consider the appearance in the Soviet press in 1942 of information about the State Prize for the director of the Moscow sparkling wine factory A.M. Frolov-Bagreev, as the developer of the technology for mass production of sparkling wines “Soviet Champagne”; holding skiing and football competitions in the besieged city, etc. Such articles, reports, photographs had one main purpose - to show the population that not everything is so bad, that even in the most severe conditions of blockade or siege we can make confectionery and champagne wines! We will celebrate the victory with our champagne and hold competitions! We hold on and we will win!
Facts about the party leaders of Leningrad:
1. As one of the two waitresses on duty at the Military Council of the Front, A. A. Strakhov, recalled, in the second ten days of November 1941, Zhdanov called her and established a strictly fixed, reduced food consumption rate for all members of the military council (commander M. S. Khozin, himself, A A. Kuznetsov, T.F. Shtykov, N.V. Solovyov): “Now it will be like this...”. “...A little buckwheat porridge, sour cabbage soup, which Uncle Kolya (his personal chef) cooked for him, is the height of all pleasure!..”
2. The operator of the central communications center located in Smolny, M. Kh. Neishtadt: “To be honest, I didn’t see any banquets... Nobody treated the soldiers, and we weren’t offended... But I don’t remember any excesses there. When Zhdanov arrived, the first thing he did was check the food consumption. Accounting was strict. Therefore, all this talk about “belly holidays” is more speculation than truth. Zhdanov was the first secretary of the regional and city party committees, who carried out everything political leadership. I remembered him as a person who was quite scrupulous in everything that related to material issues.”
3. When characterizing the nutrition of the party leadership of Leningrad, certain overexposures are often allowed. We are talking, for example, about Ribkovsky’s often quoted diary, where he describes his stay in a party sanatorium in the spring of 1942, describing the food as very good. It should be remembered that in that source we are talking about March 1942, i.e. the period after the launch of the railway line from Voibokalo to Kabona, which is characterized by the end of the food crisis and the return of nutrition levels to acceptable standards. “Supermortality” at this time occurred only due to the consequences of hunger, to combat which the most exhausted Leningraders were sent to special medical institutions (hospitals), created by decision of the City Party Committee and the Military Council of the Leningrad Front at many enterprises, factories, and clinics in winter 1941/1942.
Before getting a job in the city committee in December, Ribkovsky was unemployed and received the smallest “dependency” ration; as a result, he was severely exhausted, so on March 2, 1942 he was sent to medical institution for severely malnourished people. The food in this hospital complied with hospital or sanatorium standards in force at that time.
In his diary, Ribkovsky also honestly writes:
“Comrades say that district hospitals are in no way inferior to the City Committee hospital, and at some enterprises there are hospitals that make our hospital pale in comparison.”
4. By decision of the bureau of the city committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Leningrad City Executive Committee, additional therapeutic nutrition was organized at increased standards not only in special hospitals, but also in 105 city canteens. The hospitals operated from January 1 to May 1, 1942 and served 60 thousand people. Canteens were also established outside enterprises. From April 25 to July 1, 1942, 234 thousand people used them. In January 1942, a hospital for scientists and creative workers began operating at the Astoria Hotel. In the dining room of the House of Scientists in winter months ate from 200 to 300 people.
FACTS FROM THE LIFE OF A BLOCKED CITY
During the battle for Leningrad, more people died than England and the United States lost during the entire war.
The attitude of the authorities towards religion has changed. During the blockade, three churches were opened in the city: Prince Vladimir Cathedral, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral and St. Nicholas Cathedral. In 1942, Easter was very early (March 22, old style). On this day, Easter matins were held in Leningrad churches to the roar of exploding shells and breaking glass.
Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) emphasized in his Easter message that April 5, 1942 marked the 700th anniversary of Battle on the Ice, in which he defeated the German army.
In the city, despite the blockade, cultural and intellectual life continued. In March, the Musical Comedy of Leningrad gave “Silva”. In the summer of 1942, some were opened educational establishments, theaters and cinemas; There were even several jazz concerts.
During the first concert after the break on August 9, 1942, at the Philharmonic, the orchestra of the Leningrad Radio Committee under the direction of Karl Eliasberg performed for the first time the famous Leningrad Heroic Symphony of Dmitry Shostakovich, which became the musical symbol of the blockade.
No major epidemics occurred during the blockade, despite the fact that hygiene in the city was, of course, much poorer normal level because of almost complete absence water supply, sewerage and heating. Of course, it helped prevent epidemics harsh winter 1941-1942. At the same time, researchers also point to effective preventive measures, adopted by the authorities and the medical service.
In December 1941, 53 thousand people died in Leningrad, in January 1942 - more than 100 thousand, in February - more than 100 thousand, in March 1942 - about 100,000 people, in May - 50,000 people , in July - 25,000 people, in September - 7,000 people. (Before the war, the usual mortality rate in the city was about 3,000 people per month).
Enormous damage was caused to historical buildings and monuments of Leningrad. It could have been even greater if significant efforts had not been made effective measures by their disguise. The most valuable monuments, for example, the monument and the monument to Lenin at the Finland Station were hidden under sandbags and plywood shields.
By order Supreme Commander-in-Chief On May 1, 1945, Leningrad, along with Stalingrad, Sevastopol and Odessa, was named a hero city for the heroism and courage shown by the city's residents during the siege. For mass heroism and courage in defending the Motherland in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, demonstrated by the defenders of besieged Leningrad, according to the Decree of the Presidium Supreme Council USSR On May 8, 1965 the city was assigned highest degree distinction - the title of Hero City.