September 9, 2009 at 12:24Leningrad blockade
It is hard to imagine that 68 years and one day ago the days came for St. Petersburg of Leningrad in our cultural capital, worse than which have never happened in its history and I hope it will not.
During the blockade of Leningrad by Nazi troops ( from September 8, 1941 to January 1944 ), only according to official figures, 641 thousand citizens died from starvation (according to the estimates of historians, at least 800 thousand people ), about 17 thousand residents died from bombing and shelling , injured about 34 thousand inhabitants; by July 1942 the population of Leningrad was reduced to 1.05 million. people, due to intensive evacuation by January 1944 - up to 576 thousand people. 30 thousand industrial buildings, workshops and sections, 500 schools, 170 medical institutions were damaged. Many people lost their homes. Buildings such as the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the Engineering Castle, the Mining Institute, Smolny, and the Academy of Arts were badly damaged.
With the outbreak of World War II on June 22, 1941, a strike in the direction of Leningrad was entrusted to the group of German armies "North", which were supposed to destroy parts of the Red Army in the Baltic states, capture naval bases on the Baltic Sea and take control of Leningrad by July 21. On July 9, Pskov was captured, on July 10, German units broke through the front and, with the forces of the 4th Panzer Army Group North, reached the Plus River and then rushed to the Meadow. On August 21, the Germans occupied the Chudovo station, thereby cutting the October Railway, and after 8 days captured Tosno. On August 30, the Mga large railway junction was captured. On September 8, 1941, when the Germans captured Shlisselburg, the 871-day blockade of Leningrad began .
The environment included 2 million 544 thousand civilians of the city (including approximately 400 thousand children ), 343 thousand inhabitants of the suburban areas, troops defending the city. Food and fuel supplies were limited (only 1-2 months).
Food cards were introduced: from October 1, workers and engineers began to receive 400 g of bread per day, all the rest - 200 g. Public transport stopped, because by the winter of 1941 - 1942 there were no fuel supplies and electricity. Food supplies were rapidly declining, and in January 1942 a person already accounted for only 200/125 g of bread per day. By the end of February 1942 in Leningrad, more than 200 thousand people died from cold and hunger. But the city lived and fought: factories continued to produce military products, theaters, museums worked.
In connection with the termination of communication with the mainland, the road through Lake Ladoga, which has become the legendary Road of Life, has gained special importance. By water, cargo was delivered to Leningrad in September - November 1941, and when the lake froze, food, fuel and other cargo began to be transported on ice. The inhabitants of the city, weakened by hunger, were also taken out along the Road of Life: first of all, children, women with children, sick, wounded and disabled people, as well as students, workers of evacuated factories and their families were evacuated.
On March 25, 1942, it was decided to clean the city from blockages of snow, ice, dirt, sewage, corpses, and by April 15 the city was put in order by the exhausted Leningraders and soldiers of the local garrison. In Leningrad, trams began to run again.
In the next siege winter of 1942 - 1943, the situation of besieged Leningrad improved significantly: public transport went, enterprises worked, schools, cinemas opened, water supply and sewage operated, city baths worked, etc.
At first, the defense of the city was led by K.E. Voroshilov, and after his removal - Zhukov, Kosygin was in charge of the business, who actually replaced the first secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU (B.) Comrade A.A. Zhdanov. It was Kosygin who organized the movement on the "Road of Life" and settled the differences of civil and military authorities.
The breaking of the siege of Leningrad began on the orders of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander on January 12, 1943 with the advance of the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts in cooperation with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet (KBF) south of Lake Ladoga. A narrow ledge was selected as the place for the blockade to break, which divided the troops of the fronts. On January 18, the 136th Infantry Division and the 61st Panzer Brigade of the Leningrad Front broke into Workers' Village No. 5 and connected with units of the 18th Infantry Division of the Volkhov Front. On the same day, parts of the 86th Infantry Division and the 34th Ski Brigade liberated Shlisselburg and cleared the enemy of the entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga. In 18 days, broken along the coast of the corridor, builders erected a crossing across the Neva and laid railways and roads. The enemy blockade was broken.
By the end of 1943, the situation on the fronts had radically changed, and Soviet troops were preparing for the final elimination of the blockade of Leningrad. On January 14, 1944, the forces of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, with the support of the artillery of Kronstadt, began the final part of the operation to liberate Leningrad. By January 27, 1944, Soviet troops broke into the defenses of the 18th German army, defeated its main forces, and advanced 60 kilometers in depth. The Germans began to retreat. With the liberation of Pushkin, Gatchina and Chudovo, the siege of Leningrad was completely lifted.
The last time German aircraft bombed Leningrad on May 14, 1944.
We grieve and remember ...
During the blockade of Leningrad by Nazi troops ( from September 8, 1941 to January 1944 ), only according to official figures, 641 thousand citizens died from starvation (according to the estimates of historians, at least 800 thousand people ), about 17 thousand residents died from bombing and shelling , injured about 34 thousand inhabitants; by July 1942 the population of Leningrad was reduced to 1.05 million. people, due to intensive evacuation by January 1944 - up to 576 thousand people. 30 thousand industrial buildings, workshops and sections, 500 schools, 170 medical institutions were damaged. Many people lost their homes. Buildings such as the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the Engineering Castle, the Mining Institute, Smolny, and the Academy of Arts were badly damaged.
Surroundings of Leningrad
With the outbreak of World War II on June 22, 1941, a strike in the direction of Leningrad was entrusted to the group of German armies "North", which were supposed to destroy parts of the Red Army in the Baltic states, capture naval bases on the Baltic Sea and take control of Leningrad by July 21. On July 9, Pskov was captured, on July 10, German units broke through the front and, with the forces of the 4th Panzer Army Group North, reached the Plus River and then rushed to the Meadow. On August 21, the Germans occupied the Chudovo station, thereby cutting the October Railway, and after 8 days captured Tosno. On August 30, the Mga large railway junction was captured. On September 8, 1941, when the Germans captured Shlisselburg, the 871-day blockade of Leningrad began .
Leningrad blockade
The environment included 2 million 544 thousand civilians of the city (including approximately 400 thousand children ), 343 thousand inhabitants of the suburban areas, troops defending the city. Food and fuel supplies were limited (only 1-2 months).
Food cards were introduced: from October 1, workers and engineers began to receive 400 g of bread per day, all the rest - 200 g. Public transport stopped, because by the winter of 1941 - 1942 there were no fuel supplies and electricity. Food supplies were rapidly declining, and in January 1942 a person already accounted for only 200/125 g of bread per day. By the end of February 1942 in Leningrad, more than 200 thousand people died from cold and hunger. But the city lived and fought: factories continued to produce military products, theaters, museums worked.
In connection with the termination of communication with the mainland, the road through Lake Ladoga, which has become the legendary Road of Life, has gained special importance. By water, cargo was delivered to Leningrad in September - November 1941, and when the lake froze, food, fuel and other cargo began to be transported on ice. The inhabitants of the city, weakened by hunger, were also taken out along the Road of Life: first of all, children, women with children, sick, wounded and disabled people, as well as students, workers of evacuated factories and their families were evacuated.
On March 25, 1942, it was decided to clean the city from blockages of snow, ice, dirt, sewage, corpses, and by April 15 the city was put in order by the exhausted Leningraders and soldiers of the local garrison. In Leningrad, trams began to run again.
In the next siege winter of 1942 - 1943, the situation of besieged Leningrad improved significantly: public transport went, enterprises worked, schools, cinemas opened, water supply and sewage operated, city baths worked, etc.
At first, the defense of the city was led by K.E. Voroshilov, and after his removal - Zhukov, Kosygin was in charge of the business, who actually replaced the first secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU (B.) Comrade A.A. Zhdanov. It was Kosygin who organized the movement on the "Road of Life" and settled the differences of civil and military authorities.
Breakthrough and lifting of the blockade
The breaking of the siege of Leningrad began on the orders of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander on January 12, 1943 with the advance of the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts in cooperation with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet (KBF) south of Lake Ladoga. A narrow ledge was selected as the place for the blockade to break, which divided the troops of the fronts. On January 18, the 136th Infantry Division and the 61st Panzer Brigade of the Leningrad Front broke into Workers' Village No. 5 and connected with units of the 18th Infantry Division of the Volkhov Front. On the same day, parts of the 86th Infantry Division and the 34th Ski Brigade liberated Shlisselburg and cleared the enemy of the entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga. In 18 days, broken along the coast of the corridor, builders erected a crossing across the Neva and laid railways and roads. The enemy blockade was broken.
By the end of 1943, the situation on the fronts had radically changed, and Soviet troops were preparing for the final elimination of the blockade of Leningrad. On January 14, 1944, the forces of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, with the support of the artillery of Kronstadt, began the final part of the operation to liberate Leningrad. By January 27, 1944, Soviet troops broke into the defenses of the 18th German army, defeated its main forces, and advanced 60 kilometers in depth. The Germans began to retreat. With the liberation of Pushkin, Gatchina and Chudovo, the siege of Leningrad was completely lifted.
The last time German aircraft bombed Leningrad on May 14, 1944.
We grieve and remember ...