The terrible events of World War II go farther and farther away. Years are inexorable to eyewitnesses. They are offensively few. Not far off is the time when there will be no one to hand flowers on Victory Day and express sincere gratitude for saving the country, survived and survived. We were able to keep in memory the episodes of military chronicles and share with children and grandchildren.
Human memory is short-lived, veterans pass away, and with them an entire era. Thanks to enthusiasts, scientists, and simply caring people, information is collected bit by bit and stored in exposition halls, memory centers and memorials.
Among the many such places, museums of the Leningrad Region can be singled out separately. Most of them are devoted to steadfastness and courage of soldiers and civilians who opposed the enemy in conditions of complete isolation from the mainland.
The blockade of Leningrad and the road of life
German troops quickly developed their offensive and broke through to the main cities of the USSR. Leningrad is a city that has never been taken by the enemy since its founding. Soviet soldiers and civilians supported the glorious tradition and did not let the invaders into the city limits.
Fierce battles were fought on the outskirts, and in early September 1941 the German forces managed to close the ring and thereby leave the city without supplies and outside help.
Four days later, ships with food and ammunition for besieged Leningrad moored to the shore of Lake Ladoga, in the Osinovets area. In peacetime, this bay was considered unsuitable for shipping. The sailors of the formed Ladoga flotilla performed miracles of maneuverability. Crossings on the lake were made under almost continuous enemy fire from the ground and air.
The city was in dire need of food, shells, and ammunition in order to continue the struggle. In addition, it was necessary to evacuate civilians and save historical values. The ships and barges, having finished unloading, were immediately filled again and sent on the return trip to the mainland.
The Osinovets berths accounted for the lion's share of all cargo transported to Leningrad during the blockade. Thousands of lives were saved thanks to the feat of sailors. It is not surprising that it was here that the monument-museum "Road of Life" was created.
History of the museum
The coast of Lake Ladoga in this area belongs to the Ministry of Defense. Therefore, in November 1968, at the initiative of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, an order was issued to create the Osvovets branch of the TsVMM “Road of Life”.
The museum has collected unique exhibits and documents confirming the courage and heroism of those who fought in the ranks of the Leningrad Fleet, defending their hometown.
The opening was timed to the 31st anniversary of the opening of the waterway on Lake Ladoga. Over the forty-three years of its existence, the museum has received up to a million visitors. Even in the years of the collapse of the country and complete lack of money, he did not stop receiving visitors.
Museum exposition
In five small halls of the museum and on the land adjacent to the lake, about four hundred exhibits from the time of World War II were collected.
The first thing that each visitor meets before entering the territory is a memorial pillar with the number 45. This is nothing more than a monument to the Road of Life. Similarly, these stand along the path from the lake to the city, only the numbers are different for everyone.
Among the items collected in the interior are:
- Weapons of the Second World War.
- Propaganda posters of the 40s of the XX century.
- Canvases of Soviet artists donated to the museum.
- Flags and pennants of the crew of the Ladoga division.
- Soviet and trophy uniforms of the times of the Second World War.
- Registered documents.
- Newspapers and war sheets, photographs.
- Personal belongings of officers and sailors.
- Cards for food in the besieged Leningrad.
Outdoor exposure includes:
- Weapons such as anti-aircraft guns, fragments of ship warheads and naval artillery mounts.
- Technique of the Second World War - boats, ships, tugboat, tender-die, aircraft, trucks, bus and others.
- Memorials and burial places.
Those who managed to visit those places claim that the atmosphere and exhibits are immersed in the atmosphere of those days.
How to get
It was written above that the Museum "Road of Life" is located in the village of Osinovets, Vsevolozhsk district. It is 45 km from St. Petersburg. It is this figure that appears on the memorial pillar in front of the entrance.
Open to visitors all year round, except Mondays and Wednesdays, from 10am to 6pm. Payment for entry, excursion and shooting until recently was quite affordable. Voluntary contributions and feasible assistance in the reconstruction of the exhibits and in the maintenance of the building were welcomed.
What will be the input prices after September 8, 2015 is still unknown.
There are two ways to get to the museum:
- By electric train, which leaves from the Finland Station in St. Petersburg. Go to the end station "Ladoga Lake". From the station building, which also features an exhibition exposition, you can easily get to the Museum "Road of Life". The address will tell any local resident.
- By car or sightseeing bus on the highway towards the city of Vsevolozhsk. This stretch of road from St. Petersburg to Osinovets is included in the Green Belt of Glory.
Along the highway are the same memorial pillars with kilometer marks and there are unique monuments and graves of those who sacrificed themselves in the name of Victory over the enemy and peaceful sky for future generations.
Station "Ladoga Lake" and the village of Osinovets
It will be useful to write a few words about the places where the Museum "Road of Life" is located. On the map of the Leningrad Region these are just small dots, but for those who survived the blockade and for their loved ones - the most important settlements.
Station "Ladoga Lake" is the final destination of the single-track railway. During the war years, it was from here that most of the goods that arrived from the mainland along the lake were sent for the besieged residents of Leningrad.
In memory of those events south of the station building is a steam locomotive that transported goods in blockade. In the station rooms there is a branch of the Oktyabrskaya Railway Museum with exhibits dedicated to the railway workers of the Second World War.
The village of Osinovets stretched along the shore of Lake Ladoga. Once it was not crowded, but now it is built up with new cottages and is a favorite vacation spot not only for local residents. People who are tired of the bustle of the city come here, breathe fresh air, swim, eat freshly caught fish in the lake and immediately sooty fish.
There are two attractions in the village - a museum and a lighthouse. The fate of each needs to be told separately.
Lighthouse on the lake
At the beginning of the 20th century, a lighthouse over 70 meters high was built on the cape. A view from the upper tier opens in good weather for 50 kilometers, and a beam warns ships of approaching the coast for 22 nautical miles.
Everything here is saturated with the spirit of the times of World War II, no exception - Cape Osinovets. The Museum "Road of Life" and the lighthouse, in fact, form a single whole. This is confirmed by the sign on the wall of the white-red signal tower.
Surprisingly, the lighthouse is still operating, and the caretaker daily climbs up 366 steps and the same down. During the navigation season, from spring to the beginning of winter, the lighthouse sends a light beam every 4 seconds towards the lake. It is also used as a mast by mobile operators.
In the off-season around the lighthouse it is quiet, you can hear the wind rustling, pine trees, waves splashing, the snow crunches underfoot. In summer, at the recreation center located here, life is in full swing, many fishermen and lovers of fresh smoked fish. And of course, those who want to wander around these famous places and visit the museum.
The recent past of the museum
After the collapse of the USSR, Leningrad, a city with a centuries-old history, regained its old name - St. Petersburg. Old names of streets and settlements returned. Nothing foreshadowed that many objects in the field of culture and history would be left without funding.
This also affected the branch in Osinovec. For many years, funding was reduced, and the fact that the museum survived is a merit of a remarkable person, a true scientist and historian Alexander Wojciechowski, who has been the head of the branch for many years.
There were times when the museum was left without light and heating. The staff was reduced to one person. But even this did not interfere with arranging search expeditions, restoration of rarities, and excursions.
A great contribution was made by enthusiasts and veterans, blockades. For them, this piece of land is not an easy place, but the "Road of Life". The museum continued its activities, it seemed, contrary to reality, holding on to the fragile, but such strong shoulders of the elderly.
Present
Until recently, the state of affairs remained the same. The employees fought for survival and continued to write appeals to various authorities.
I am glad that their requests were heard and in 2015, to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, money was found for the reconstruction of the memorial “Road of Life”. The museum closed in March to receive visitors on holiday.
In a month and a half, much has been done. Build another building for exhibits that were outdoors. Finally, the staff got rooms and a real conference room.
A real pride for the museum staff was the long-awaited restoration of the tugboat Izhorets-8, which has traveled countless times along Lake Ladoga. He pulled food barges through Ladoga, and hastened back with an invaluable load - people from besieged Leningrad.
Future plans
After the celebration of Victory Day, the museum will close again until the beginning of September. The changes are planned grandiose. In 2015, it will be 74 years since the “Road of Life” appeared. The museum, whose exposition is entirely devoted to those mournful events, will receive a rebirth.
Instead of a cozy small wooden house, a modern building will appear, resembling a huge block of snow. It will have spacious rooms, modern equipment. Of course, there will be people who like the old building more, but modern children and young people will like the changes.
Finally, the stone will disappear with a promise to erect a monument, and instead a monument seven meters high will appear. A composition of five figures will soar above the surface of the lake and will be a reminder to descendants of who participated in the salvation of his native city. The alley leading to the monument will be adorned with blocks reminiscent of pieces of ice. The names of all the heroes of the “Road of Life” will be carved on them.
All the most valuable exhibits of equipment and weapons that were raised from the bottom of Lake Ladoga will be restored and housed in covered pavilions.
Huge changes are taking place in the life of the Osinovets branch. It is hoped that all this is for the best. Once the “road of life" in the full sense saved the city and the people living in it. Now is the time to repay debts.
I wanted other museums of the Leningrad Region to live, develop, replenish with new exhibits, and the guide's voice did not stop in the halls. People who survived the war leave, but the memory of them and the events of that time should live.