Siege of Leningrad, 1941-1944

[Ramirezzz]

Exactly 67 years ago at 9 September Germans surrounded the city of Leningrad cutting off all supply lines. The siege lasted 872 days, some 1,2 million of Leningrad citizens died from hunger, cold and German bombardments.

Записки наблюдаÑ'еля - Ð'локада глазами архиÑ'екÑ'оров.

 

[v2]

...

 

[timshatz]

Read a book on it about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, there has not been a flood of books from Russia since the Soviet Union dropped off the map. Too bad 'cause there is a story there that really isn't known in the west. Beyond "Enemy at the Gates", "Stalingrad" and a few others, it really is an unknown and vitally important war in the west.

But back to the book. Very good book. Can not remember the name but the details and how they kept battling was incredible. It had stories in it of everything from cannibalism (usually instant execution by the local authorities) to starvation (common, especially amongst kids) to a tenacity amongst the defenders that defies belief. They just wouldn't give up.

 

[Matt308]

I look forward to this thread Ramirezzz.

 

[pbfoot]

was it 900 Days I think written by Cornelius Ryan

 

[timshatz]

was it 900 Days I think written by Cornelius Ryan

Probably was. He was a writer who had the knack of making a story interesting. Not that Lenningrad wasn't by itself. But he did the same thing with Overlord and Arnhem.

Good read.

 

[B-17engineer]

Still inbelievable the Russians held there own for 900 days!

 

[Ramirezzz]

Still inbelievable the Russians held there own for 900 days!

they hadn't much choice either. "All offers of surrender from Leningrad must be rejected," wrote Adolph Hitler on September 29, 1941 in his order.

 

[RabidAlien]

Say what you will about their politics, but those Russians had guts! Nerves of steel, balls of titanium.

 

[B-17engineer]

What was the Casualty toll on the Russians side...( Troops and Civilians )

 

[Ramirezzz]

What was the Casualty toll on the Russians side...( Troops and Civilians )

army and fleet:
irrecoverable:
332,059 KIAs, 111000 MIAs

civilian casualties:

1200000-1500000 dead.

 

[B-17engineer]

Thanks. How about the German Army?

 

[Ramirezzz]

the Symphony No. 7 of Shostakovich , was written in the city under starvation , cold and artillery shells . Buy it now guys, it's a scream and triumph at the same time.

 

[Ramirezzz]

Thanks. How about the German Army?

half a million estimated. Altough I dunno know if the wounded are included as well.

 

[B-17engineer]

Thanks again

 

[Matt308]

A true travesty in human history. God damn all those who orchestrated such a plan. Every one of them.

 

[Ramirezzz]

images of Piskarevskoe cemetry in Leningrad. Some 600 thousands are buried there. Just in one cemetry.
"Wandering Camera" - Notes about St.Petersburg and it's suburbs

 

[timshatz]

the Symphony No. 7 of Shostakovich , was written in the city under starvation , cold and artillery shells . Buy it now guys, it's a scream and triumph at the same time.

Have heard. More common in the west than you would think. I believe it is because of Lennigrad that it is played. Usually backround music for shows dealing with Lennigrad.

 

[Medvedya]

The thing that always makes me think about Blockada is when I recognise the places in photographs.

The fifth photograph down on the first page is on Nevsky Prospekt - I walk around there - go to a cafe with friends, browse the books in Dom Kneegi, catch the Metro to Primorskaya - all nice, normal life, and yet 62 years ago on that very place it was Hell on Earth with no lights, no food, artillery shells, and people dropping dead in the street.

They kept the radio station going - and when they were off air they played the sound of a metronome to show that the radio was still working. Some veterans of Blockada still cannot bear to listen to the tick tock sound of one even today.

To give you an idea of how bad it was, here is the bread rations for November 1941 (the first winter of the Blockade)

Bread
250 g daily for manual workers
125 g daily for other civilians.

The bread was half made from sawdust, (there's a sample of a slice in the Blockade Museum) and there was no fats, or meat, or sugar, so the dogs, cats and rats of the city were eaten, as well as any medicines, and even the wallpaper was stripped off the walls and boiled up to get the glue off it.

Things got slightly better in January 1942, when the Doroga Zhizyen or 'Road of Life' was opened across Lake Ladoga which was frozen solid, but even then it was still incredibly hard to get food over to the city until the Blockade was finally broken during Operation Spark in January 1943.

During the Blockade an 11 year old girl called Tanya Savicheva kept a diary which is preserved in the St. Petersburg City History Museum.

Zhenya died on Dec. 28th at 12:30 A.M. 1941

Grandma died on Jan. 25th 3:00 P.M. 1942

Leka died on March 5th at 5:00 A.M. 1942

Uncle Vasya died on Apr. 13th at 2:00 after midnight 1942

Uncle Lesha on May 10th at 4:00 P.M. 1942

Mother on May 13th at 7:30 A.M. 1942

Savichevs died.

Everyone died.

Only Tanya is left.

 

[B-17engineer]

Wow...I can't imagine living under those conditions