The great feat of the Soviet people during the Second World War should not be forgotten by posterity. Millions of soldiers and civilians brought the long-awaited victory closer at the cost of their lives, men, women and even children became a single weapon that was directed against fascism. The centers of partisan resistance, plants and factories, collective farms operated in the territories occupied by the enemy, the Germans failed to break the spirit of the defenders of the Motherland. A striking example of resilience in the history of the Great Patriotic War was the hero city of Leningrad.
Hitler's plan
The fascists' strategy was to deliver a sudden, lightning strike in the areas that the Germans had chosen as priorities. Three army groups before the end of autumn were to capture Leningrad, Moscow and Kyiv. Hitler assessed the capture of these settlements as a victory in the war. Fascist military analyststhey planned in this way not only to “decapitate” the Soviet troops, but also to break the morale of the divisions retreating to the rear, to undermine the Soviet ideology. Moscow should be captured after the victories in the northern and southern directions, the regrouping and connection of the Wehrmacht armies were planned on the outskirts of the capital of the USSR.
Leningrad, according to Hitler, was the city-symbol of the power of the Soviets, the "cradle of the revolution", which is why it was subject to complete destruction along with the civilian population. In 1941, the city was an important strategic point; many machine-building and electrical plants were located on its territory. Due to the development of industry and science, Leningrad was a place of concentration of highly qualified engineering and technical personnel. A large number of educational institutions produced specialists for work in various sectors of the national economy. On the other hand, the city was territorially isolated and located at a great distance from sources of raw materials and energy. Hitler was also helped by the geographical position of Leningrad: its proximity to the country's borders made it possible to quickly encircle and blockade. The territory of Finland served as a springboard for basing Nazi aviation at the preparatory stage of the invasion. In June 1941, the Finns enter the Second World War on the side of Hitler. The huge at that time military and merchant fleet based in the B altic Sea, the Germans had to neutralize and destroy, and use the profitable sea routes for their own military needs.
Environment
The defense of Leningrad began long before the encirclement of the city. The Germans advanced rapidly, on the day tank and motorized formations passed 30 km deep into the territory of the USSR in a northerly direction. The creation of defensive lines was carried out in the Pskov and Luga directions. The Soviet troops retreated with heavy losses, losing a large amount of equipment and leaving cities and fortified areas to the enemy. Pskov was captured on July 9, the Nazis moved to the Leningrad region along the shortest path. For several weeks, their offensive was delayed by the Luga fortified areas. They were built by experienced engineers and allowed the Soviet troops to hold back the onslaught of the enemy for some time. This delay greatly angered Hitler and made it possible to partially prepare Leningrad for an attack by the Nazis. In parallel with the Germans on June 29, 1941, the Finnish army crossed the border of the USSR, the Karelian Isthmus was occupied for a long time. The Finns refused to participate in the attack on the city, but they blocked a large number of transport routes connecting the city with the "mainland". The complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade in this direction took place only in 1944, in the summer. After Hitler's personal visit to Army Group North and the regrouping of troops, the Nazis broke the resistance of the Luga fortified area and launched a massive offensive. Novgorod, Chudovo were captured in August 1941. The dates of the blockade of Leningrad, which are ingrained in the memory of many Soviet people, begin in September 1941. The capture of the Petrokrepost by the Nazis finally cuts off the city from the land routes of communication with the country, thishappened on September 8th. The ring has closed, but the defense of Leningrad continues.
Blockade
An attempt to quickly capture Leningrad failed completely. Hitler cannot withdraw forces from the surrounded city and transfer them to the central direction - to Moscow. Quite quickly, the Nazis found themselves in the suburbs, but, having met with strong resistance, they were forced to fortify themselves and prepare for protracted battles. On September 13, G. K. Zhukov arrived in Leningrad. His main task was to defend the city, Stalin at that time recognized the situation as practically hopeless and was ready to “surrender” it to the Germans. But with such an outcome, the second capital of the state would have been completely destroyed along with the entire population, which at that time was 3.1 million people. According to eyewitnesses, Zhukov was terrible in these September days, only his authority and iron will stopped the panic among the soldiers defending the city. The Germans were stopped, but kept Leningrad in a tight ring, which made it impossible to supply the metropolis. Hitler decided not to risk his soldiers, he understood that urban battles would destroy most of the northern army grouping. He ordered the mass extermination of the inhabitants of Leningrad to begin. Regular shelling and aerial bombardment gradually destroyed the city's infrastructure, food stores, and energy sources. German fortified areas were erected around the city, which excluded the possibility of evacuating civilians and supplying them with everything necessary. Hitler was not interested in the possibility of surrendering Leningrad, hethe main goal was the destruction of this settlement. At the time of the formation of the blockade ring in the city there were many refugees from the Leningrad region and adjacent areas, only a small percentage of the population managed to evacuate. A large number of people gathered at the railway stations, who tried to leave the besieged northern capital. Famine began among the population, which Hitler called his main ally in the capture of Leningrad.
Winter 1941-42
January 18, 1943 - the breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad. How far this day was from the autumn of 1941! Massive shelling, food shortages led to mass deaths. Already in November, the limits for issuing products on cards for the population and military personnel were cut. Delivery of everything necessary was carried out by air and through Lake Ladoga, which was shot through by the Nazis. People began to faint from hunger, the first deaths from exhaustion and cases of cannibalism were recorded, which were punishable by executions.
With the advent of cold weather, the situation became much more complicated, the first, most severe, winter came. The blockade of Leningrad, the "road of life" - these are concepts that are inseparable from each other. All engineering communications were broken in the city, there was no water, heating, sewerage did not work, food supplies were running out, and urban transport did not function. Thanks to qualified doctors who remained in the city, mass epidemics were avoided. Many people died on the street on their way home or to work; most Leningraders don’t carry dead relatives on sleds to the cemetery.enough strength, so the corpses lay on the streets. The created sanitary brigades could not cope with such a number of deaths, and not everyone could be buried.
The winter of 1941-42 was much colder than the average meteorological indicators, but there was Ladoga - the road of life. Under the constant fire of the occupiers, cars and convoys drove along the lake. They brought food and necessary things to the city, in the opposite direction - people exhausted by hunger. The children of besieged Leningrad, who were evacuated across the ice to different parts of the country, still remember all the horrors of the freezing city.
Dependants (children and old people) who could not work were given 125 grams of bread on the ration card. Its composition varied depending on what the bakers had available: shake-outs from bags of corn grits, linen and cotton cake, bran, wallpaper dust, etc. From 10 to 50% of the ingredients that made up the flour were inedible, cold and hunger have become synonymous with the concept of "blockade of Leningrad".
The road of life, passing through Ladoga, saved many people. As soon as the ice cover gained strength, trucks began to move across it. In January 1942, the city authorities had the opportunity to open canteens at enterprises and factories, the menu of which was compiled specifically for malnourished people. In hospitals and established orphanages, they give enhanced nutrition, which helps to survive the terrible winter. Ladoga is the road of life, and this name, which the Leningraders gave to the crossing, is fully consistent with the truth. Food and essential goods were collected for the blockade, as well as forfront, the whole country.
Feat of the inhabitants
In a dense ring of enemies, fighting cold, hunger and constant bombing, Leningraders not only lived, but also worked for victory. On the territory of the city, factories produced military products. The cultural life of the city did not stop at the most difficult moments, unique works of art were created. Poems about the blockade of Leningrad cannot be read without tears, they are written by participants in those terrible events and reflect not only the pain and suffering of people, but also their desire for life, hatred for the enemy and fortitude. Shostakovich's symphony is saturated with the feelings and emotions of the people of Leningrad. Libraries and some museums partially worked in the city, malnourished people continued to care for non-evacuated animals at the zoo.
Without heat, water and electricity, the workers stood at the machines, putting the rest of their vitality into victory. Most of the men went to the front or defended the city, so women and teenagers worked in factories and factories. The city's transport system was destroyed by massive shelling, so people walked several kilometers to work, in a state of extreme exhaustion and in the absence of roads cleared of snow.
Not all of them saw the complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade, but their daily feat brought this moment closer. Water was taken from the Neva and burst pipelines, houses were heated with potbelly stoves, burning the remains of furniture in them, they chewed leather belts and wallpaper pasted with paste, but they lived and resisted the enemy. OlgaBergholz wrote poems about the siege of Leningrad, the lines of which became winged, they were carved on monuments dedicated to those terrible events. Her phrase "no one is forgotten and nothing is forgotten" today is of great importance for all caring people.
Children
The most terrible side of any war is its indiscriminate choice of victims. Hundreds of thousands of children died in the occupied city, many died in the evacuation, but the rest participated in the approach of victory along with adults. They stood at the machine tools, collecting shells and cartridges for the front line, were on duty at night on the roofs of houses, neutralizing incendiary bombs that the Nazis dropped on the city, raising the spirit of the soldiers holding the defense. The children of besieged Leningrad became adults at the moment when the war came. Many teenagers fought in the regular units of the Soviet army. The hardest thing was for the smallest, who lost all their relatives. Orphanages were created for them, where the elders helped the younger ones and supported them. A surprising fact is the creation during the blockade of the children's dance ensemble of A. E. Obrant. The guys were gathered around the city, treated for exhaustion and rehearsals began. During the blockade, this famous ensemble gave more than 3,000 concerts; it performed at the front line, at factories and in hospitals. The contribution of young artists to the victory was appreciated after the war: all the guys were awarded medals "For the Defense of Leningrad".
Operation Spark
The liberation of Leningrad was for the Sovietleadership was paramount, but there were no opportunities for offensive action and resources in the spring of 1942. Attempts to break through the blockade were carried out in the autumn of 1941, but they did not produce results. The German troops fortified quite well and surpassed the Soviet army in terms of weapons. By the autumn of 1942, Hitler had significantly depleted the resources of his armies and therefore made an attempt to capture Leningrad, which was supposed to free the troops located in the northern direction.
In September, the Germans launched Operation Northern Lights, which failed due to a counterattack by Soviet troops seeking to lift the blockade. Leningrad in 1943 was a well-fortified city, fortifications were erected by the townspeople, but its defenders were significantly exhausted, so breaking the blockade from the city was impossible. However, the successes of the Soviet army in other directions made it possible for the Soviet command to start preparing a new attack on the fortified areas of the Nazis.
On January 18, 1943, the breaking of the blockade of Leningrad laid the foundation for the liberation of the city. The military formations of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts participated in the operation, they were supported by the B altic Fleet and the Ladoga Flotilla. Preparation was carried out within a month. Operation Iskra was developed from December 1942, it included two stages, the main of which was the breakthrough of the blockade. The further advance of the army was to completely remove the encirclement from the city.
The start of the operation was scheduled for January 12, at that time the southern shore of Lake Ladoga was shackled by strong ice, andthe surrounding impenetrable swamps froze to a depth sufficient for the passage of heavy equipment. The Shlisselburg ledge was reliably fortified by the Germans due to the presence of bunkers and minefields. Tank battalions and mountain rifle divisions did not lose their ability to resist after the massive artillery barrage of Soviet artillery. The fighting took on a protracted character, for six days the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts pierced the enemy’s defenses, moving towards each other.
On January 18, 1943, the breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad was completed, the first part of the developed plan "Iskra" was completed. As a result, the encircled grouping of German troops was ordered to leave the encirclement and join the main forces, which occupied more advantageous positions and were additionally equipped and fortified. For the inhabitants of Leningrad, this date became one of the main milestones in the history of the blockade. The formed corridor was no more than 10 km wide, but it made it possible to lay railroad tracks for the full supply of the city.
Second stage
Hitler completely lost the initiative in the northern direction. The divisions of the Wehrmacht had a strong defensive position, but could no longer take the recalcitrant city. The Soviet troops, having achieved their first success, planned to launch a large-scale offensive in a southerly direction, which would completely lift the blockade of Leningrad and the region. In February, March and April 1943, the forces of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts made attempts to attack the Sinyavskaya enemy grouping,called Operation Polaris. Unfortunately, they failed, there were many objective reasons that prevented the army from developing the offensive. Firstly, the German grouping was significantly reinforced with tanks (Tigers were used for the first time in this direction), aviation and mountain rifle divisions. Secondly, the line of defense created by that time by the Nazis was very powerful: concrete bunkers, a large amount of artillery. Thirdly, the offensive had to be carried out on a territory with difficult terrain. The swampy terrain made it difficult to move heavy guns and tanks. Fourthly, when analyzing the actions of the fronts, obvious errors of command were revealed, which led to large losses of equipment and people. But a start had been made. The liberation of Leningrad from the blockade was a matter of careful preparation and time.
Remove blockade
The main dates of the siege of Leningrad are carved not only on the stones of memorials and monuments, but also in the heart of each of their participants. This victory was given by the great bloodshed of Soviet soldiers and officers and by the millions of deaths of civilians. In 1943, the significant successes of the Red Army along the entire length of the front line made it possible to prepare an offensive in the northwestern direction. The German group created the "Northern Wall" around Leningrad - a line of fortifications that could withstand and stop any offensive, but not Soviet soldiers. The lifting of the blockade of Leningrad on January 27, 1944 is a date that symbolizes victory. For this victory, a lot was done not only by the troops, but also by theLeningraders.
Operation "January Thunder" began on January 14, 1944, it involved three fronts (Volkhov, 2nd B altic, Leningrad), the B altic Fleet, partisan formations (which at that time were quite strong military units), the Ladoga military fleet supported by aviation. The offensive developed rapidly, the fascist fortifications did not save Army Group North from defeat and a shameful retreat in a southwestern direction. Hitler was never able to understand the reason for the failure of such a powerful defense, and the German generals who fled the battlefield could not explain. On January 20, Novgorod and adjacent territories were liberated. The complete lifting of the blockade of Leningrad on January 27 was the occasion for festive fireworks in the exhausted but unconquered city.
Memory
The date of the liberation of Leningrad is a holiday for all residents of the once united Land of Soviets. There is no point in arguing about the significance of the first breakthrough or the final liberation, these events are equivalent. Hundreds of thousands of lives were saved, although it took twice as many to achieve this goal. The breaking of the blockade of Leningrad on January 18, 1943 gave the inhabitants the opportunity to contact the mainland. The supply of the city with food, medicines, energy resources, raw materials for factories was resumed. However, the main thing was that there was a chance to save many people. Children, wounded soldiers, exhausted by hunger, sick Leningraders and defenders of this city were evacuated from the city. 1944 brought the complete lifting of the blockade, the Soviet army begantheir victorious march across the country, victory is near.
The defense of Leningrad is an immortal feat of millions of people, there is no justification for fascism, but there are no other examples of such resilience and courage in history. 900 days of hunger, overwork under shelling and bombing. Death followed every inhabitant of besieged Leningrad, but the city survived. Our contemporaries and descendants must not forget the great feat of the Soviet people and their role in the fight against fascism. This will be a betrayal of all the dead: children, old people, women, men, soldiers. The hero city of Leningrad should be proud of its past and build the present, regardless of all the renaming and attempts to distort the history of the great confrontation.
