The blockade of Leningrad, present-day St. Petersburg, was perhaps one of the most serious trials that befell the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War. This is truly a feat of courage and perseverance, faith and hope, will and fortitude - 891 days of courage of Leningrad residents. Leningrad will remain an eternal monument of struggle on the last breath.
The environment of the cultural capital
The plan for the military capture of the USSR, known as the Barbarossa plan, was approved by Adolf Hitler at the end of 1940. The military company in the East, according to the military headquarters, was supposed to end in the fall of 1941. Three groups of German armies were sent to capture - “North” was aimed at Leningrad, “Center” was to occupy the capital, army group “South” was sent towards Kiev.
Hitler attached the same importance to the northern capital as Moscow. And it was justified - more than three hundred large industrial enterprises operated in it. A city of 3.2 million people was an important strategic artery. It was here that a quarter of the goods of the heavy engineering industry were produced. In addition, a powerful defense complex was concentrated in the city.
The beginning of the blockade
The blockade officially began on September 8, when Shlisselburg (Petrokrepost) was taken. The blocked source of the Neva cut off the city from land. All railway, water and road communications were eliminated. Communication with the city was maintained only by air. Fierce battles unfolded over the Leningrad sky. It lasted 891 days. The courage of Leningrad residents was enough not to murmur a day and steadfastly endure all hardships.
Leningrad, like any major metropolis, was provided with food, as they say, from the wheels. Therefore, the reserves that were in the city and which Nazi aviation and artillery so carefully destroyed would last for several days. After a short time, the city began to overcome hunger - a faithful ally of the enemy. An almost correct calculation was made for this - some really tried to escape from hunger and constant bombing by fleeing to the German trenches. Nevertheless, the vast majority suffered exactly 891 days of deprivation. The courage of Leningrad residents even in the most difficult, fierce winter days was not shaken by the ever worsening position of the city.
The road of life
Hunger deaths, as well as cases of cannibalism, began to appear in November. Funeral city services only on the streets picked up a hundred corpses. The rate of delivery of bread regularly decreased. By the end of the year, the bread itself was half pulp. Given the almost constant bombing in the city, up to 4 thousand people died per day. In addition, the cold became a terrible test - there was no fuel in the city either. The stoves were drowned with everything that could be found.
Ladoga Lake was a dear life : in the warm season, food was brought along it, and in winter - on ice. Until the lake was covered by them, the city was completely cut off. The ferry was constantly fired upon. And despite the danger, the necessary supplies were delivered to the city to the last. 891 days of the courage of Leningrad residents and the incredible strength of their spirit was enough not to surrender the city.
Attempts to break the blockade were made immediately after the formation of the ring, but ended in failure and heavy losses. The breakthrough was successful only in the first half of January 1943, when a corridor 8–11 km wide was punched in the surroundings. By that time, the population of Leningrad totaled about 800 thousand people, many were evacuated. The blockade was completely eradicated a year later.
891 day of the courage of Leningraders ... Analysis of those events and the study of Hitler’s plans in the event of the capture of the northern capital (which happened much later) leaves no doubt: the city had to be defended, and all the monstrous trials and great feat were not in vain.