They say that one who does not know history is forced to repeat it. That is why it is so important to remember even her terrible moments and periods. The blockade of Leningrad undoubtedly belongs to such. For almost 900 days, the inhabitants of the city survived in unimaginable conditions, trying to escape from the cold, hunger and onslaught of the Nazis. Let’s try to understand how to correctly write the script: “Blockade of Leningrad”. What to say in it, what to keep silent about and how to tell modern schoolchildren about this terrible period in the history of Russia.
Historical facts
Before you start writing a script dedicated to the blockade of Leningrad, it is worth remembering what kind of period it is. It is terrible facts, the heroism of ordinary people that must be reflected in it.
Firstly, the residents of the city remembered the harsh winter of 41-42 until the end of their days. That year, the heating was turned off, the sewage system did not work, there was no water in the tap. Meanwhile, the temperature on the street rarely rose above -18 degrees. Well-maintained houses, thus, turned into huge cold crypts, practically unsuitable for housing. They were saved only by the so-called stove-potbelly stoves. For lack of firewood, such stoves were heated with books, furniture, and everything that could burn.
Secondly, the fascists not only took the city into the enemy’s ring, but also regularly bombarded it, as well as dropping bombs. More than 200 thousand shells and bombs were dropped on the inhabitants of Leningrad.
However, according to statistics, no more than 3% of residents died from the bombing. The rest died of total hunger. And this fact is important to add to the script. The blockade of Leningrad began on September 8, 1941. At that time, in the city, in principle, there were no supplies. Very quickly, people began to starve and use for food:
- flour glue (they used to glue wallpaper);
- cellulose;
- leather goods (jackets and boots were burned on fire and cooked);
- glycerol.
And much more that is hard to imagine now. Of course, both pets and garbage rats hit the table.
Siege bread of Leningrad
Special attention should be paid to the bread that the townspeople shared among themselves during those difficult days. At the beginning of the occupation, the figures were as follows:
- workers received 600 grams of bread;
- employees - 400 grams;
- children - 300 grams.
It was the norm for a day. At the same time, bread was not distributed free of charge, it had to be bought, even while the blockade of Leningrad was on. The scenario of the event will be more honest if this fact is voiced in it.
However, already at the end of November of the 41st year, the norm was reduced more than twice:
- Workers began to receive 250 grams.
- Children and dependents - 125 grams.
In that terrible December, more than 50 thousand people died of hunger. After that, the norm was slightly increased.
This year, in several cities of Russia, they held an action "Siege bread of Leningrad." People were offered a day to hold out on 125 grams of bread. At the same time, the cooks tried to recreate his recipe as much as possible. Sawdust, bark and cellulose were added to the dough. The action found both its supporters and ardent opponents.
However, if the budget allows, you can try to bake such bread for the audience. This will make the script more lively. The blockade of Leningrad is too difficult a period in the history of our country to speak about it, using only figures and facts.
The Diaries of the Siege of Leningrad
Revive the script will help the memories of eyewitnesses. True, one must choose passages, observing some censorship. It’s too scary to read these notes. Especially when it comes to children and adolescents who tried to survive during the blockade.
17-year-old schoolgirl Lena Mukhina wrote about her plans for life, about dreams, about her conversations with her mother. But more often than not, she wrote about the terrible famine. And she waited for this period to end:
“I will buy a kilo of black bread, a kilo of gingerbread, half a liter of cottonseed oil,” the girl reasoned, “we will eat to the dump. Then mom and I will bake different pies. ” But even such simple desires were not destined to come true, my mother died.
Reading the diaries of the besieged Leningrad, you understand how little a person needs for life and for happiness. It was the recollections of eyewitnesses, especially children, that were evidence of the terrible guilt of the Nazis before Soviet people.
Nowadays, there is an opinion that schoolchildren should not be introduced to such diaries. But, unfortunately, there were many of them in the surrounded city. At the Nuremberg trials, the diary of 12-year-old Tanya Savicheva was presented. This is a total of 9 scary notes on leaflets. Each of them is a statement of the death of a loved one. "Everybody died. Only Tanya was left. ”
That is why excerpts from diaries should fall into the script: “Blockade of Leningrad”.
What could be the blockade scenario?
So, we directly approached the issue of the event scenario itself. It should be noted that there are two memorable dates:
- September 8 is the day when Leningrad ended up in the fascist ring;
- January 27 - lifting of the blockade.
And you need to remember both. So, it’s worth considering what the scenario might be: “Lifting the blockade of Leningrad” and the scenario: “Life in a surrounded city”.
If you write a plan to celebrate the liberation of the city, then it is better to choose the following forms:
- Make an event in the form of a concert.
- Group visit the library.
Almost 900 days of life in the "ring" is worth showing:
- As a tour of memorable places.
- Try to recreate in the form of a role-playing game.
Let no one confuse the word “game”. After all, only with the help of such a technique can we more accurately understand how hard it was for the townspeople in those terrible days.
In any case, you must definitely talk about the "road of life" through Lake Ladoga. It was through it that a part of the population was evacuated from Leningrad, as well as food was brought into the occupied city.
The scenario of the blockade itself
To more clearly show what the blockade of Leningrad is, the scenario of the event is better divided into two parts. In the first show our days, in the second - the period of occupation.
Leading can also be two. Let's say a man and a woman:
Presenter (shared with a colleague ). "For nearly an hour, I chose a decent store with rolls on the Internet. Some only deliver in an hour, others refuse to bring additional drinks. It's some kind of nightmare."
It turns out a girl, a schoolgirl.
Girl “Tomorrow we’ll go to school. A week ago the Germans surrounded us. They blew up the Badayevsky warehouses. They say flour and other cereals were stored there. But I only remember the roller coaster ride. The siege of the city will end soon and the food will be brought. But this attraction will be completed until the end there will be no war "( information from diaries - note by the author ).
The host can agree with his colleague or, on the contrary, argue with her. His task is to voice facts and figures:
Leading. "At the beginning of the siege in Leningrad, there were 2.5 million citizens. And more than 300 thousand inhabitants from the region. Official documents write that 650 thousand people died in the city. However, after lifting the siege, a little more than half a million people remained in Leningrad."
And in such a contrast to build the whole scenario. This will allow an ordinary person to plunge a little into the terrible atmosphere of the blockade. Compare with our days.
Blockade Day Event
The script “Lifting the Siege of Leningrad” can be started with the 7th symphony of Shostakovich. It was she who sounded in the fall of 1941 at the Philharmonic. Already exhausted by hunger and bombing, the townspeople went to the concert:
Leading. " Hitler was preparing a terrible fate for the city." To raze it to the ground, "can be read today in a declassified document. The cultural capital of Russia was of no interest to the so-called Aryans. Already on October 12, 1941, the Germans were sure that there were no living people left in the city. And then the music sounded.
The 7th symphony of Shostakovich sounds. While the reader is speaking, actors playing Leningraders and soldiers may enter the stage. Sit down and listen.
Leading. "Dmitry Shostakovich completed his symphony already in the city surrounded by Germans."
Soldier. " I could not devote all day to music. This day is needed for the front. But I could listen to the concert for one hour."
Leading. "Later, in the Nazi diaries, we read that it was during this concert that they realized that Leningrad would not give up. And they were right. On January 27, 1944, the Nazis retreated from the city. This legendary day is honored by all the inhabitants of modern St. Petersburg."
It turns out that in those terrible days, people listened to music, went to zoos, children attended schools. We developed several standards at the factory, both adults and schoolchildren. The heroism of an ordinary resident is very important to add to the script. The liberation of Leningrad from the blockade became possible because the townspeople did not give up.
Script for schoolchildren
Psychologists argue at what age can tell children about the horrors of war. And specifically about the city surrounded by fascists. It is believed that you can carefully begin to tell from the 3rd grade.
At 9 years old, children can already understand what the blockade of Leningrad is. The scenario of the event for schoolchildren should be softer than for adults. It is not worth talking about:
- cannibalism;
- egregious sadism;
- violence.
But in general terms it is necessary to tell about the period itself. What can be done:
- To conduct a tour of the memorable places of Leningrad.
- Visit the library, where in the pictures they will tell about the event.
- Visit or organize a blockade concert on our own.
The older the student, the richer the program will be.
Excursion or role play
The script dedicated to the day of lifting the siege of Leningrad can be written in different genres. For example, as a detective story. You can offer students a few hours "to live in a besieged city." Go to school, work, buy bread, and walk along the main blockade places.
Where to visit:
- In the apartment of Tanya Savicheva (2nd line of Vasilyevsky Island, 13).
- At the monument to the hero-student. It is known that during the battle with the Nazis Volodya Ermak covered the enemy embrasure with his body. Soviet soldiers had the opportunity to attack the Germans themselves.
- In zoo. During the years of war and blockade, the inhabitants of the city did not eat a single animal from the zoo. On the contrary, they did their best to help them survive. The hippo named Beauty was especially hard. The lack of water (as mentioned above, the water supply did not work at one time) threatened her with death. The Beauties pool was filled with water from the Neva.
- At the monument to the children of the blockade (square on Nalichnaya street).
- The "Dangerous Side." There were 4 signs in the city warning that “this is the side of the street” is most dangerous during shelling. Currently, the board has been preserved on Nevsky Prospect.
This is not the whole list of memorable places to visit. If you don’t have time to develop your route, you can use the services of tour guides in St. Petersburg.
In library
Of course, being in St. Petersburg, it is easier to feel what the blockade of Leningrad is. The script of the event in the library, compiled on the basis of memoirs, movie clips, and also historical facts, will help to tell students from other cities about this period.
The librarian may be the presenter. First, talk about the war, the very siege of the city, about the heroism of Leningraders. After the story, you can show a movie about this period. For example, the documentary of Sergius Loznitsa - “The blockade of Leningrad”. The tape lasts only 17 minutes, but gives a very clear idea of that terrible moment in the history of our country.
After that, you can view clippings from newspapers and magazines together. Arrange a small colloquium (discussion). Read poems of poets of that time. And honor the dead with a moment of silence.
In the form of a concert
In turn, the script of the concert “Blockade of Leningrad” can be divided into three blocks:
- songs and dances;
- poems.
- sketches.
In this way, schoolchildren of all ages will be involved when it comes to children. And for adults it is easier to perceive information in the form of a concert.
A lot of songs have been written about the occupation city. In the concert program you can take the most popular. For example, “Ballad of Leningrad”, “Immortal Leningrad”, “Ballad of Tana Savicheva”. In addition, any military songs of the 40s are suitable. Under these songs, you can show frames and photographs of the city, put on dances, or they can simply be performed by talented singers.
Poems about the blockade will not be difficult to find and choose more suitable. If this is a school event, you can invite the children themselves to learn their favorite works.
Scenes can also be varied. During the presentation, you can read the diaries and memoirs of people who survived the blockade.
PS Why remember this period?
At present, one can hear that the city of Leningrad (modern St. Petersburg) was already liberated from occupation more than 70 years ago. And, probably, it's time to forget about this sad event. But this is the same as asking the Armenians to forget about the 1915 genocide or the Jews about Auschwitz.
It was a difficult and terrible period. Crime against the whole city: its men, women and helpless children. To forget is to forgive. However, from a psychological point of view, we have no right to forgive for other people. For 630 thousand dead (and these are only official figures).
In addition to fear, this period in history gave faith to the whole vast country. In courage and heroism. No wonder the ice lake was called the "Road of Life". Leningraders showed that they must fight to the last. And the Soviet Union fought. It is not known how the Great Patriotic War would end if it were not for the courage of those brave people from a cloudy city.