Dawn of Second World War: Leningrad Siege
What is the Leningrad Siege?
In the early hours of 22 June 1941, Hitler’s Germany attacked Stalin’s Soviet Union. World War II had come to Russia. For Leningrad, the war meant blockade. Less than three months after the invasion, German Army Group North reached the outskirts of the city, in which some 3,000,000 people remained. Ultimate plans for the former imperial capital and cradle of the Bolshevik Revolution were to “wipe Leningrad from the face of the earth through demolitions.” But first, the city had to surrender.
City Blocade
The Art among the Bombs
The Leningrad Blockade was lifted on 27 January 1944, but the war raged on for over a year, as Soviet soldiers marched hundreds of miles towards Berlin. On 7 May 1945, the German High Command signed the unconditional surrender documents and the war that had claimed the lives of 25 million Soviet citizens was finally over. Because of the heroism of its inhabitants who refused to submit despite unendurable conditions, Leningrad became the first Soviet city to receive the Hero City award in 1944.
This blog was brought to you by Eliant, currently studying Russian at Liden and Denz
