What was the name of the last operation to lift the blockade? The day of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade. General course of the battle for Leningrad
70 years ago, on January 27, 1944, Soviet troops completely lifted the 900-day blockade of Leningrad. German troops surrounded the second capital Soviet Union September 8, 1941. But the most important political, industrial and cultural center of the USSR, despite fierce fighting, bombing and artillery shelling, withstood the onslaught of the enemy. Then the German command decided to starve the city out.
Memorial "Broken Ring"
It should be noted that not only the German troops, but also the Finnish army, Spanish units (Blue Division), European volunteers, Italian Navy, which gives the defense of Leningrad the character of a civilizational confrontation. For a long time, the main highway through which the country could supply the city was the “Road of Life” - an ice road along Lake Ladoga.
The capacity of this transport artery could not meet all the needs of the huge city, so Leningrad lost from 700 thousand to 1.5 million people. The vast majority of people died from starvation and cold caused by a lack of fuel and food. Particularly large losses occurred in the first winter of the siege. Subsequently, supplies improved and subsidiary farms were organized. Deaths have decreased significantly.
The siege of Leningrad became one of the most heroic and terrible pages of the Great Patriotic War. Suffice it to recall the poignant diary of Leningrad schoolgirl Tatyana Savicheva. The document has only 9 pages, and six of them are dedicated to the death of people close to her - mother, grandmother, sister, brother and two uncles (“ The Savichevs died. Everyone died. Tanya is the only one left"). Almost the entire family died during the first winter of the siege: from December 1941 to May 1942. Tanya herself was saved by being evacuated to the “mainland.” But the girl’s health was undermined, and she died in 1944.
“Road of Life” - ice road along Lake Ladoga
At the cost of heavy losses and incredible efforts, the Red Army was able to literally break through the powerful German defenses during Operation Iskra. By January 18, 1943, troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts had broken through a small corridor along the shore of Lake Ladoga, restoring the city’s land connection with the country. A railway line and a highway (“Victory Road”) were built here in the shortest possible time. This made it possible to evacuate a significant part of the civilian population and organize supplies for the city.
At the beginning of 1944, in the Leningrad area, the Red Army carried out an offensive strategic operation (the first “Stalinist strike”), which led to the final liberation of Leningrad. As a result of a number of strategic operations, among which we can highlight Battle of Stalingrad, the battle on the Oryol-Kursk Bulge, the Donbass operation and the battle for the Dnieper, carried out by the Red Army in 1943, by the beginning of 1944 a favorable situation had developed.
At the same time, the German armed forces still represented a serious force. The Wehrmacht retained its combat capability, could conduct combat operations, and controlled large areas of the USSR. In addition, the absence of a second front in Western Europe contributed to the Germans, allowing Berlin to concentrate its main efforts on Eastern Front. The military operations that took place in Italy, in their scope and significance, could not have a serious impact on the Wehrmacht.
Siege Leningrad
In December 1943, the Headquarters decided to organize a series of attacks on enemy troops from Leningrad to the Black Sea, focusing mainly on the flanks of the Soviet-German front. On south direction planned to liberate Crimea, Right Bank Ukraine and reach the state border of the USSR. In the north, defeat Army Group North, completely lift the blockade of Leningrad, and liberate the Baltic states.
The task of liberating Leningrad and defeating Army Group North was carried out by troops of the Leningrad Front, Volkhov Front, 2nd Baltic Front and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. On January 14, the 2nd Shock Army of the Leningrad Front launched an offensive from the Oranienbaum bridgehead. On January 15, the 42nd Army of the LF went on the offensive. The Volkhov Front also struck on January 14. The enemy, relying on well-prepared defensive lines, offered stubborn resistance. The swampy-wooded area also had an effect. The onset of a thaw, unexpected for January, interfered with the action of armored vehicles.
On January 19, Soviet troops liberated Ropsha and Krasnoye Selo. German troops were thrown back 25 km from Leningrad, the Peterhof-Strelninsky enemy group was defeated, partially surrounded and destroyed. The Mginsk group was under threat of encirclement, and the Germans began to hastily withdraw their troops. On January 20, troops of the Volkhov Front liberated Novgorod.
Soviet soldiers raise the red flag over the liberated Gatchina, January 26, 1944.
In the entire ancient Russian city, which was a major scientific, cultural and industrial center before the war, about 40 buildings remained intact. The greatest monuments of ancient Russian architecture and painting were destroyed. From the churches of the Savior on Ilyin, Peter and Paul in Kozhevniki, only the skeletons of the walls remained, St. Nicholas Cathedral was destroyed, St. Sophia Cathedral was looted and partially destroyed. The Novgorod Kremlin was badly damaged.
The German military-political leadership, which planned to give the Novgorod land for settlement to East Prussian colonists, tried to erase from the face of the earth all evidence of the Russian historical and cultural presence in this territory. The monument to the “Millennium of Russia” was dismantled and planned to be melted down.
January 30 soviet soldiers liberated Pushkin, Slutsk, Krasnogvardeysk and reached the line of the Luga River in its lower reaches, occupying several bridgeheads. During this period they sharply intensified their activities Soviet partisans. The German command had to send not only individual security divisions, but also a battalion from each field division to fight them. Central headquarters partisan movement organized a series of attacks on the German rear.
On January 27, a ceremonial fireworks display was made in Moscow and Leningrad in honor of the final relief of the northern capital. Three hundred twenty-four guns fired in honor great victory. The Soviet Union was illuminated by a flash of triumphant joy.
Diary of Leningrad schoolgirl Tatyana Savicheva
Offensive Soviet troops continued in the Narva, Gdov and Luga directions. The Germans launched strong counterattacks. They even managed to encircle individual Soviet units. So, for two weeks they fought surrounded by the 256th formation rifle division and part of the 372nd Infantry Division. On February 4, Gdov was liberated, Soviet troops reached Lake Peipus. On February 12, the Red Army liberated the city of Luga. On February 15, the Luga defensive line was broken through. Soviet troops broke through the long-term German defenses and drove the Germans back to the Baltic states. Heavy fighting continued until the beginning of March, but the Leningrad Front was never able to solve the problem of liberating Narva.
By the beginning of March 1944, Soviet troops of the Leningrad and 2nd Baltic Fronts (the Volkhov Front was disbanded, most of its troops were transferred to the Leningrad Front, some to the 2nd Baltic Front) reached the line Narva - Lake Peipus - Pskov - Ostrov - Idritsa. The Germans held on to the Panther line. As directed by the Headquarters Soviet fronts went on the defensive. They fought continuous heavy battles for more than a month and a half. The armies suffered heavy losses in manpower and equipment, and experienced an acute shortage of ammunition.
On March 13, 1995, Federal Law No. 32-FZ “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia” was adopted, according to which on January 27, Russia celebrates the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of Lifting the Siege of the City of Leningrad (1944). On November 2, 2013, the President signed the Federal Law “On Amendments to Article 1 of the Federal Law “On Days of Military Glory and memorable dates Russia." The name of the Day of Military Glory was slightly changed; it became known as “The Day of Complete Liberation of the City of Leningrad by Soviet Troops from the Siege of the City by Nazi Troops (1944).”
The myth about the possibility of saving the inhabitants of Leningrad
The topic of the siege of Leningrad did not escape the attention of “humanists and liberals.” Thus, it has been said more than once that if Stalin’s “cannibalistic regime” had surrendered the city to the “European civilizers” (Germans and Finns), it would have been possible to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the northern capital.
Siege Leningrad
These people completely forget about the military-strategic factor of Leningrad, when the fall of the northern capital would cause a serious deterioration in the situation on the Soviet-German front. The German command had the opportunity to intensify offensive operations in the northern strategic direction and transfer significant forces of Army Group North to other directions, for example, they would be useful for the assault on Moscow or the capture of the Caucasus. They also don’t remember the moral factor: the loss of the northern capital would weaken the spiritual mood of the people and the army at the most critical moment.
“Humanists” do not remember the fact that Hitler’s leadership planned not only to capture Leningrad, but also to completely destroy the city on the Neva. On July 8, 1941, at a meeting of the Supreme High Command of the German Armed Forces, the chief of staff of the command ground forces Halder noted in his diary Hitler's unwavering decision to "raze Moscow and Leningrad to the ground" in order to completely get rid of the population of these big cities. The Germans were not going to solve the problem of feeding the population of Soviet cities.
July 16, 1941 at a meeting of senior leaders German Empire this idea was confirmed. Finland laid claim to the Leningrad region. Hitler proposed razing the northern capital of the USSR to the ground and giving the empty territory to the Finns.
On September 21, 1941, the defense department of the Supreme High Command of the German Armed Forces presented an analytical note in which it considered various options future Leningrad. The authors of the report rejected the option of occupying the city, since it would be necessary to supply the population. A scenario was proposed for a hermetic blockade of the city and its destruction with the help of aviation and artillery. Famine and terror were supposed to solve the “population problem.” The remnants of the civilian population were offered to be “released.” It is clear that no one was going to feed them.
Leningrad also did not have to expect anything good from Finland. The Finnish General Staff reported to the Finnish Foreign Ministry in early September 1941 that the occupation of the city on the Neva by Finnish troops was considered unrealistic, since there were no food reserves to provide for the civilian population. On September 11, Finnish President Ryti told Berlin that “Leningrad must be liquidated as Big City", and the Neva will become the border between the two states.
Thus, “enlightened Europeans” - the Germans and Finns - proposed to raze Leningrad to the ground, and its population should die of hunger. No one was going to feed the “Russian barbarians.”
The war of 1941-1945 is full of dramatic and tragic pages. One of the worst was the siege of Leningrad. Briefly speaking, this is the story of a real genocide of the townspeople, which stretched almost until the very end of the war. Let's remember once again how all this happened.
Attack on the “city of Lenin”
The offensive against Leningrad began immediately, in 1941. A group of German-Finnish troops successfully moved forward, breaking through the resistance of Soviet units. Despite the desperate, fierce resistance of the city’s defenders, by August of that year all the railways that connected the city with the country were cut, as a result of which the main part of the supply was disrupted.
So when did the siege of Leningrad begin? It would take a long time to briefly list the events that preceded this. But the official date is September 8, 1941. Despite the fiercest fighting on the outskirts of the city, the Nazis were unable to take it “at once.” Therefore, on September 13, the artillery shelling of Leningrad began, which actually continued throughout the war.
The Germans had a simple order regarding the city: wipe it off the face of the earth. All defenders had to be destroyed. According to other sources, Hitler simply feared that during a massive assault the losses of German troops would be unreasonably high, and therefore gave the order to begin the blockade.
In general, the essence of the blockade of Leningrad was to ensure that “the city itself fell into one’s hands, like a ripe fruit.”
Population information
It must be remembered that at that time there were at least 2.5 million inhabitants in the blockaded city. Among them were about 400 thousand children. Almost immediately problems with food began. Constant stress and fear from bombings and shelling, a lack of medicine and food soon led to the fact that the townspeople began to die.
It was estimated that during the entire blockade, at least a hundred thousand bombs and about 150 thousand shells were dropped on the heads of the city residents. All this led to both massive deaths of civilians and catastrophic destruction of the most valuable architectural and historical heritage.
The first year was the most difficult: German artillery managed to bomb food warehouses, as a result of which the city was almost completely deprived of food supplies. However, there is also the exact opposite opinion.
The fact is that by 1941 the number of residents (registered and visitors) numbered about three million people. The bombed Badayev warehouses simply physically could not accommodate such an amount of food. Many modern historians quite convincingly prove that there was no strategic reserve at that time. So even if the warehouses had not been damaged by the German artillery, this would have delayed the onset of famine by a week at best.
In addition, just a few years ago, some documents from the NKVD archives concerning the pre-war survey of the city’s strategic reserves were declassified. The information in them paints an extremely disappointing picture: “Butter is covered with a layer of mold, stocks of flour, peas and other cereals are affected by mites, the floors of storage facilities are covered with a layer of dust and rodent droppings.”
Disappointing conclusions
From September 10 to 11, the responsible authorities carried out a complete inventory of all food available in the city. By September 12, a full report was published, according to which the city had: grain and ready-made flour for about 35 days, supplies of cereals and pasta were enough for a month, and supplies of meat could be extended for the same period.
There was enough oil left for exactly 45 days, but sugar and ready-made confectionery products were stored for two months at once. There were practically no potatoes and vegetables. In order to somehow stretch the flour reserves, 12% of ground malt, oatmeal and soybean flour were added to it. Subsequently, they began to put oil cakes, bran, sawdust and ground tree bark there.
How was the food issue resolved?
From the very first days of September, food cards were introduced in the city. All canteens and restaurants were immediately closed. Livestock owned by local enterprises Agriculture, was immediately slaughtered and delivered to procurement points. All feed of grain origin was taken to flour mills and ground into flour, which was subsequently used to make bread.
Citizens who were in hospitals during the blockade had their rations cut out from their coupons for that period. The same procedure applied to children who were in orphanages and institutions preschool education. Almost all schools have canceled classes. For children, the breaking of the siege of Leningrad was marked not so much by the opportunity to finally eat, but by the long-awaited start of classes.
In general, these cards cost the lives of thousands of people, as cases of theft and even murders committed in order to obtain them sharply increased in the city. In Leningrad in those years, there were frequent cases of raids and armed robberies of bakeries and even food warehouses.
Persons who were caught in something similar were treated with little ceremony and were shot on the spot. There were no ships. This was explained by the fact that every stolen card cost someone their life. These documents were not restored (with rare exceptions), and therefore the theft doomed people to certain death.
Residents' sentiments
In the first days of the war, few people believed in the possibility of a complete blockade, but many began to prepare for such a turn of events. In the very first days of the beginning German offensive Everything more or less valuable was swept off store shelves, people withdrew all their savings from the Savings Bank. Even jewelry stores were empty.
However, the onset of famine abruptly canceled out the efforts of many people: money and jewelry immediately became worthless. The only currency was ration cards (which were obtained exclusively through robbery) and food products. In city markets, one of the most popular goods were kittens and puppies.
NKVD documents indicate that the beginning of the blockade of Leningrad (a photo of which is in the article) gradually began to instill anxiety in people. Many letters were confiscated in which townspeople reported on the plight of Leningrad. They wrote that there weren’t even cabbage leaves left in the fields; the old flour dust from which they used to make wallpaper glue was no longer available anywhere in the city.
By the way, during the most difficult winter of 1941, there were practically no apartments left in the city whose walls were covered with wallpaper: hungry people simply tore them off and ate them, since they had no other food.
Labor feat of Leningraders
Despite the enormity of the current situation, courageous people continued to work. Moreover, to work for the benefit of the country, producing many types of weapons. They even managed to repair tanks, make cannons and submachine guns literally from “scrap material.” All the weapons obtained in such difficult conditions were immediately used for battles on the outskirts of the unconquered city.
But the situation with food and medicine became more difficult day by day. It soon became obvious that only Lake Ladoga could save the inhabitants. How is it connected with the blockade of Leningrad? In short, this is the famous Road of Life, which was opened on November 22, 1941. As soon as a layer of ice formed on the lake, which theoretically could support cars loaded with products, their crossing began.
The beginning of famine
Famine was approaching inexorably. Already on November 20, 1941, the grain allowance was only 250 grams per day for workers. As for dependents, women, children and the elderly, they were entitled to half as much. At first, the workers, who saw the condition of their relatives and friends, brought their rations home and shared them with them. But this practice was soon put to an end: people were ordered to eat their portion of bread directly at the enterprise, under supervision.
This is how the siege of Leningrad took place. The photos show how exhausted the people who were in the city at that time were. For every death from an enemy shell, a hundred people died of terrible hunger.
It should be understood that “bread” in this case meant a small piece of sticky mass, which contained much more bran, sawdust and other fillers than flour itself. Accordingly, the nutritional value of such food was close to zero.
When the blockade of Leningrad was broken, people who received fresh bread for the first time in 900 days often fainted from happiness.
To top off all the problems, the city water supply system completely failed, as a result of which the townspeople had to carry water from the Neva. In addition, the winter of 1941 itself turned out to be extremely harsh, so doctors simply could not cope with the influx of frostbitten and cold people, whose immunity was unable to resist infections.
Consequences of the first winter
By the beginning of winter, the bread ration was almost doubled. Alas, this fact was not explained by the breaking of the blockade or the restoration of normal supplies: it was simply that by that time half of all dependents had already died. NKVD documents testify to the fact that the famine took completely incredible forms. Cases of cannibalism began, and many researchers believe that no more than a third of them were officially recorded.
It was especially bad for children at that time. Many of them were forced to remain alone for long periods of time in empty, cold apartments. If their parents died of starvation at work or if they died during constant shelling, the children spent 10-15 days completely alone. More often than not, they also died. Thus, the children of the siege of Leningrad bore a lot on their fragile shoulders.
Front-line soldiers recall that among the crowd of seven-eight-year-old teenagers in the evacuation, it was the Leningraders who always stood out: they had creepy, tired and too adult eyes.
By mid-winter 1941, there were no cats or dogs left on the streets of Leningrad; there were practically no crows or rats. Animals have learned that it is better to stay away from hungry people. All the trees in the city squares had lost most of their bark and young branches: they were collected, ground and added to flour, just to increase its volume a little.
The siege of Leningrad lasted at that time less than a year, but during the autumn cleaning, 13 thousand corpses were found on the city streets.
The road of life
The real “pulse” of the besieged city was the Road of Life. It was in the summer waterway along the waters of Lake Ladoga, and in winter this role was played by its frozen surface. The first barges with food passed through the lake on September 12th. Navigation continued until the thickness of the ice made it impossible for ships to pass.
Each voyage of the sailors was a feat, since german planes did not stop the hunt for a minute. We had to go on flights every day, in all weather conditions. As we have already said, cargo was first sent across ice on November 22. It was a horse-drawn train. After just a couple of days, when the ice thickness became more or less sufficient, the trucks set off.
No more than two or three bags of food were placed on each car, since the ice was still too unreliable and the cars constantly sank. Deadly flights continued until spring. The barges took over “on watch.” The end of this deadly merry-go-round was only brought about by the liberation of Leningrad from the siege.
Road number 101, as this route was then called, made it possible not only to maintain at least a minimum food standard, but also to remove many thousands of people from the blockaded city. The Germans constantly tried to interrupt communications, sparing no expense on shells and fuel for aircraft.
Fortunately, they did not succeed, and on the shores of Lake Ladoga today there is a monument “Road of Life”, and also a museum of the Siege of Leningrad has been opened, which contains a lot of documentary evidence of those terrible days.
The success in organizing the crossing was largely due to the fact that the Soviet command quickly attracted fighter aircraft to defend the lake. IN winter time anti-aircraft batteries were mounted directly on the ice. Note that the measures taken gave very positive results: for example, already on January 16, more than 2.5 thousand tons of food were delivered to the city, although only two thousand tons were planned to be delivered.
The beginning of freedom
So when did the long-awaited lifting of the siege of Leningrad take place? As soon as the first attack was made on the German army near Kursk major defeat, the country's leadership began to think about how to free the imprisoned city.
The lifting of the blockade of Leningrad began on January 14, 1944. The task of the troops was to break through the German defense at its thinnest point in order to restore the city's land communication with the rest of the country. By January 27, fierce fighting began, in which the Soviet units gradually gained the upper hand. This was the year the siege of Leningrad was lifted.
The Nazis were forced to begin a retreat. Soon the defense was broken through an area about 14 kilometers long. Columns of food trucks immediately started heading into the city along this route.
So how long did the siege of Leningrad last? It is officially believed that it lasted 900 days, but the exact duration is 871 days. However, this fact does not in the slightest degree detract from the determination and incredible courage of its defenders.
Liberation Day
Today is the day of lifting the blockade of Leningrad - January 27th. This date is not a holiday. Rather, it is a constant reminder of the horrific events that the city's residents were forced to go through. To be fair, it should be said that the real day of lifting the siege of Leningrad is January 18, since the corridor we were talking about was broken through on that very day.
That blockade claimed more than two million lives, and mostly women, children and old people died there. As long as the memory of those events is alive, nothing like this should happen again in the world!
Here is the entire blockade of Leningrad in brief. Of course, describe it scary time you can do it quickly enough, but the blockade survivors who were able to survive it remember those horrific events every day.
From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, Leningrad found itself between two fires. From the southwest, through the Baltic states, the German Army Group North (commanded by Field Marshal W. Leeb) rushed towards the city. From the north and north-west, the Finnish army (commander Marshal K. Mannerheim) aimed at the city together with German troops.
From September 8, 1941, Leningrad found itself under a siege that lasted 900 days and nights. The most difficult test for its inhabitants was hunger. From November 20, 1941, the lowest standards for the issuance of bread on cards were established: workers and technical workers - 250 g, employees, dependents and children - 125. First line units and warships - 500 g, Air Force flight technical personnel - 500 g, everyone else military units— 300. Mass death of the population began. Physical overexertion, cold, lack of electricity and heating, water, sewerage and other basic living conditions further reduced the ability of people to resist starvation. In December, 53 thousand people died, in January 1942 - more than 100 thousand, in February - more than 100 thousand, in March - more than 95 thousand people. The preserved pages of little Tanya Savicheva’s diary leave no one indifferent:
“Grandmother died on January 25th. ... “Uncle Alyosha on May 10... Mom on May 13 at 7.30 am... Everyone died. Tanya is the only one left."
In total, up to 1 million people died in Leningrad during the siege. Grief came to every family. In front of mothers and fathers, their sons and daughters died, children were left without parents. The salvation for hundreds of thousands of besieged was the “Road of Life” - a route laid on the ice of Lake Ladoga, along which, from November 21, food and ammunition were delivered to the city and on the way back the civilian population, mainly women and children, was evacuated. Along the “Road of Life” - until March 1943 - 1,615 thousand tons of various cargo were delivered to the city by ice (and in the summer on various ships). At the same time, 1,376 thousand Leningraders and many thousands of wounded soldiers were evacuated from the city on the Neva. In total, during the blockade, 1,750 thousand people were evacuated from the city - the only case in history of the evacuation of such a huge number of residents from a besieged city. To transport petroleum products along the bottom of Lake Ladoga, a pipeline was laid.
Despite all the mistakes, miscalculations, and voluntary decisions, the Soviet command took maximum measures to supply Leningrad and break its blockade as quickly as possible. Four attempts were made to break the enemy ring. The first - in September 1941, on the third day after Nazi troops cut off land communications with the city; the second - in October 1941, despite the critical situation that had developed on the approaches to Moscow; the third - in January 1942, during a general counteroffensive that only partially achieved its goals; the fourth - in August - September 1942. And only in January 1943, when the main forces of the Wehrmacht were pulled towards Stalingrad, the blockade was partially broken (Operation Iskra). On a narrow strip of the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, 8-11 km wide, it was possible to restore land communications with the country. Over the next 17 days, railroads and roads were built along this corridor. January 1943 was a turning point in the Battle of Leningrad.
The unprecedented self-sacrifice of ordinary Leningraders helped them not only defend their beloved city. It showed the whole world where the limits of Nazi Germany and its allies were.
ORDER OF THE COMMANDER OF THE LENINGRAD FRONT 67TH ARMY ON OPERATION "ISKRA", January 11, 1943
For the seventeenth month, fascist hordes have been standing at the gates of Leningrad, besieging our hometown... Neither bombing, nor artillery shelling, nor hunger, nor cold, nor all the sacrifices, torment and hardships to which the fascist barbarians subjected and are subjecting Leningrad, broke the resolve of the defenders Leningrad, faithful sons of our Soviet fatherland, who decided to defend Leningrad from enemies until their last breath. In a heroic struggle that has no examples in history, the troops of the Leningrad Front, together with the working people of Leningrad, responding blow to blow, defended Lenin’s beloved city from the Nazi invaders and locked its gates with a strong castle, turning it into an impregnable fortress of defense.
Strengthening the defense of Leningrad, its defenders firmly believed that the desired hour of liberation of Leningrad would come, that there would be a holiday on our street. Knowing this, they accumulated their forces day after day in order to go on a decisive offensive at a favorable moment, join their forces to the forces of the country going to the rescue of Leningrad, break through the enemy blockade and carry out historical task connecting Leningrad with the whole country.
Comrades! This favorable moment has now arrived.
In the battles for the city of Lenin, the troops of the Leningrad Front became stronger, tempered and prepared themselves for offensive battles. Our valiant Red Army inflicts one crushing blow after another on the enemy in the south and on the central front. The enemy's forces are undermined. The enemy rushes about in confusion, forced to disperse its forces between many fronts.
The long-awaited hour of the liberation of Leningrad has come, the hour of bloody reckoning with the German monsters, the hour of our merciless revenge on the enemy for all his atrocities.
You, valiant soldiers, commanders and political workers of the 67th Army, had the great honor of liberating Leningrad from the enemy blockade. Rise up, warriors, to fight for the liberation of Leningrad, to the merciless extermination of the hated barbarian occupiers, to bloody retribution with the enemy for the sacrifices, torment and suffering of the Leningraders, for our tortured brothers and sisters, wives and mothers, for the desecrated land, for the devastated and plundered cities and villages, for our friends and comrades who died in battle.
Comrades!
The combat task assigned to you is not simple or easy. Victory never comes by itself, it must be won. The enemy is cunning and cruel, he will cling and resist with all his might. He knows that our victory at Leningrad will greatly hasten the final defeat of Nazi Germany. The more decisive and bold the pressure must be, the stronger and more furious our attacks must be!
Comrades! The troops of the Volkhov Front are advancing towards the troops of the Leningrad Front to solve a single combat mission. They, just like the troops of our front, are armed with powerful equipment, they, just like our troops, are inspired by the will to victory and determination to liberate Leningrad from the siege. We will squeeze the enemy into a mighty vice on both sides, crush him with the joint efforts of both fronts. Honor and glory to that unit and division of the Leningrad Front that will be the first to unite with the troops of the Volkhov Front!
I ORDER:
The troops of the 67th Army should launch a decisive offensive, defeat the opposing enemy group and join forces with the troops of the Volkhov Front, who are fighting towards us, and thereby break the siege of the city of Leningrad.
The Military Council of the Leningrad Front is firmly convinced that the troops of the 67th Army will fulfill their duty to the Motherland with honor and skill.
Dare in battle, match only those in front, show initiative, cunning, dexterity!
Death to the German scoundrels!
Glory to the brave and courageous warriors who know no fear in the fight!(...)
For Leningrad, for the Motherland, for! Forward!
Commander of the Leningrad Front, Lieutenant General of Artillery Govorov
Members of the Military Council of the Front Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks Zhdanov, Major General Shtykov, Solovyov
Chief of Staff of the Leningrad Front, Lieutenant General Gusev
The Great Patriotic War. Military historical essays. Book 2. Fracture. M., 1998.
In accordance with the Program of information, propaganda and military-patriotic events in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, we are publishing another material for conducting classes in the UCP system with military personnel serving under contract and conscription .
The Battle of Leningrad, which lasted from July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944, was the longest during the Great Patriotic War. It was crowned with a brilliant victory for Soviet weapons and demonstrated high morale Soviet people, became a symbol of courage and heroism Soviet people and its Armed Forces.
1st stage (July 10 - September 30, 1941) - defense on the distant and near approaches to Leningrad. Leningrad strategic defensive operation.
Having overcome the resistance of Soviet troops in the Baltic states, fascist German troops launched an offensive on the southwestern approaches to Leningrad on July 10. Finnish troops went on the offensive from the north. On July 14, the enemy reached the Luga River and captured a bridgehead in the area west of Shimsk.
On August 8-10, defensive battles began on the near approaches to Leningrad. Despite the heroic resistance of the Soviet troops, the enemy broke through on the left flank of the Luga defense line and occupied Novgorod on August 19, Chudovo on August 20, and cut the Moscow-Leningrad highway and railway. At the end of August, Finnish troops reached the line of the old state border. Having captured Shlisselburg (Petrokrepost) on September 8, German troops cut off Leningrad from land. An almost 900-day blockade of the city began.
Important role The heroic defense of the Moonsund Islands, the Hanko Peninsula and the Tallinn naval base, the Oranienbaum bridgehead and Kronstadt played a role in the defense of Leningrad from the sea. Their defenders showed exceptional courage and heroism.
As a result of stubborn resistance by the troops of the Leningrad Front, the enemy's offensive weakened, and by the end of September the front stabilized. The enemy's plan to capture Leningrad failed immediately.
2nd stage (October 1941 - January 12, 1943) - defensive fighting Soviet troops. Siege of the city of Leningrad.
Soviet troops made repeated attempts to lift the blockade of the city. In 1941, the Tikhvin defensive and offensive operations were carried out, in 1942 - the Lyuban and Sinyavinsk operations.
The German command revised the tactics of the fight for Leningrad. Having failed to take the city by storm, it decided to achieve its goal long blockade, artillery shelling and air bombing. Assistance to Leningrad was carried out along the transport route across Lake Ladoga, called the Road of Life.
Despite the most difficult conditions, the industry of Leningrad did not stop its work. In the difficult conditions of the blockade, the working people of the city provided the front with weapons, equipment, uniforms, and ammunition.
Leningrad was covered from the sea by the Baltic Fleet. In January - April 1942, the strike groups of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, advancing towards each other, fought stubborn battles in the Lyuban, and in August-October - in the Sinyavinsk directions in order to break the blockade of the city. Due to a lack of manpower and equipment, the operations were not successful, but the enemy suffered serious damage in manpower and military equipment. His strength was constrained.
3rd stage (1943) - military operations of Soviet troops, breaking the blockade of Leningrad.
In January 1943, the strategic offensive operation Iskra was carried out near Leningrad. On January 12, 1943, formations of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front (commanded by Colonel General L.A. Govorov), the 2nd shock and part of the forces of the 8th Army of the Volkhov Front (commanded by Army General K.A. Meretskov) with the support of 13- The 1st and 14th Air Armies, long-range aviation, artillery and aviation of the Baltic Fleet launched counter strikes on a narrow ledge between Shlisselburg and Sinyavin. On January 18 they connected. A corridor 8-11 km wide has formed south of Lake Ladoga. Along the southern shore of Ladoga, a Railway length 36 kilometers. Trains went along it to Leningrad.
Breaking the blockade became a turning point in the battle for the city on the Neva. And although it still remained a front-line city, the plan to capture it by the Nazis was thwarted.
In the summer and autumn battles of 1943, troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts actively thwarted the enemy’s attempts to restore the complete blockade of Leningrad. The combat activity of our troops pinned down about 30 enemy divisions.
4th stage (January - February 1944) - the offensive of Soviet troops in the northwestern direction, the complete lifting of the blockade of Leningrad.
During this stage, Soviet troops carried out the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation, within the framework of which the troops of the Leningrad Front carried out the Krasnoselsko-Ropshinskaya, and the Volkhov Front - the Novgorod-Luga offensive operations.
On January 14, 1944, Soviet troops went on the offensive from the Oranienbaum bridgehead to Ropsha, and on January 15 - from Leningrad to Krasnoye Selo. On January 20, the advancing troops united in the Ropsha area and eliminated the encircled enemy group. At the same time, on January 14, Soviet troops went on the offensive in the Novgorod area, on January 16 - in the Lyuban direction, and on January 20 they liberated Novgorod.
On January 27, 1944, the siege of Leningrad was completely eliminated. This January date is immortalized in Russian Federation as the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of lifting the blockade of the city of Leningrad.
By February 15, as a result of fierce fighting, the enemy defenses in the Luga area were overcome. After this, the Volkhov Front was disbanded, and the troops of the Leningrad and 2nd Baltic Fronts, continuing to pursue the enemy, reached the border of the Latvian SSR by the end of March 1. As a result, a heavy defeat was inflicted on Army Group North, almost the entire Leningrad region and part of the Kalinin region were liberated, and favorable conditions were created for the defeat of the enemy in the Baltic states.
Defense besieged Leningrad became a symbol of courage and heroism of the Soviet people and was of great military and strategic importance. During the battle for Leningrad, the Soviet military art. The battle became a major military-political event and its significance went beyond the borders of the Soviet Union. The Battle of Leningrad demonstrated the great strength of the moral and political unity of Soviet society and the friendship of the peoples of our Motherland. The defense of Leningrad was of a nationwide nature.
The Motherland highly appreciated the feat of the defenders of Leningrad. For courage, bravery and heroism, over 350 thousand soldiers were awarded orders and medals, 226 people were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. About 1.5 million people were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad”. Leningrad itself awarded the order Lenin, and on May 8, 1965, the hero city of Leningrad was awarded the Golden Star medal.
Attempts are currently being made to distort and misrepresent heroic defense Leningrad. It is argued, for example, that they should have simply surrendered the city to the Nazis, and it would have remained intact. This shameless lie is dictated by political circumstances, deliberate falsification military history. Back in September 1941, a report “On the Siege of Leningrad” was prepared at Hitler’s headquarters. It spoke of the need to raze the city to the ground, leave it without food for the winter, and wait for capitulation. Those who will remain alive by spring will be driven out of the city, and Leningrad itself will be destroyed.
66 years have passed since the significant victory in the battle for Leningrad, but to this day the feat of the Leningraders, army and navy soldiers who defended our northern capital is personified military glory Russia. He serves as an example for current generations of fidelity to patriotic and military duty, courage and bravery in defending the freedom and independence of the Fatherland.
The siege of Leningrad lasted exactly 871 days. This is the longest and most terrible siege of the city in the entire history of mankind. Almost 900 days of pain and suffering, courage and dedication. After many years after breaking the siege of Leningrad Many historians, and even ordinary people, wondered: could this nightmare have been avoided? Avoid - apparently not. For Hitler, Leningrad was a “tidbit” - after all, here is the Baltic Fleet and the road to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, from where help came from the allies during the war, and if the city had surrendered, it would have been destroyed and wiped off the face of the earth. Could the situation have been mitigated and prepared for in advance? The issue is controversial and worthy of separate research.
The first days of the siege of Leningrad
On September 8, 1941, in continuation of the offensive of the fascist army, the city of Shlisselburg was captured, thus closing the blockade ring. In the first days, few people believed in the seriousness of the situation, but many residents of the city began to thoroughly prepare for the siege: literally in a few hours all savings were withdrawn from the savings banks, the shops were empty, everything possible was bought up. Not everyone was able to evacuate when systematic shelling began, but it began immediately, in September, the routes for evacuation were already cut off. There is an opinion that it was the fire that occurred on the first day siege of Leningrad in the Badaev warehouses - in the repository of the city's strategic reserves - provoked a terrible famine during the blockade days. However, recently declassified documents provide slightly different information: it turns out that there was no “strategic reserve” as such, since in the conditions of the outbreak of war it was impossible to create a large reserve for such a huge city as Leningrad was (and about 3 people lived in it at that time). million people) was not possible, so the city fed on imported products, and existing supplies would only last for a week. Literally from the first days of the blockade, ration cards were introduced, schools were closed, military censorship was introduced: any attachments to letters were prohibited, and messages containing decadent sentiments were confiscated.
Siege of Leningrad - pain and death
Memories of the people's siege of Leningrad who survived it, their letters and diaries reveal to us scary picture. A terrible famine struck the city. Money and jewelry have lost value. The evacuation began in the fall of 1941, but only in January 1942 did it become possible to withdraw a large number of people, mainly women and children, through the Road of Life. There were huge queues at the bakeries where daily rations were distributed. Besides hunger besieged Leningrad Other disasters also attacked: very frosty winters, sometimes the thermometer dropped to -40 degrees. The fuel ran out and the water pipes froze - the city was left without electricity, and drinking water. Rats became another problem for the besieged city in the first winter of the siege. They not only destroyed food supplies, but also spread all kinds of infections. People died and there was no time to bury them; the corpses lay right on the streets. Cases of cannibalism and robbery appeared.
Life of besieged Leningrad
Simultaneously Leningraders tried with all their might to survive and not let die hometown. Moreover, Leningrad helped the army by producing military products - the factories continued to operate in such conditions. Theaters and museums resumed their activities. It was necessary to prove to the enemy, and, most importantly, to ourselves: Leningrad blockade will not kill the city, it continues to live! One of bright examples amazing dedication and love for the Motherland, life, hometown is the story of the creation of one musical work. During the blockade, the famous symphony of D. Shostakovich, later called “Leningrad”, was written. Or rather, the composer began writing it in Leningrad, and finished it in evacuation. When the score was ready, it was delivered to the besieged city. By that time, the symphony orchestra had already resumed its activities in Leningrad. On the day of the concert, so that enemy raids could not disrupt it, our artillery did not allow a single fascist plane to approach the city! Throughout the blockade days, the Leningrad radio worked, which was for all Leningraders not only a life-giving spring of information, but also simply a symbol of ongoing life.
The Road of Life is the pulse of a besieged city
From the first days of the blockade, the Road of Life began its dangerous and heroic work - pulse besieged LeningradA. In summer there is a water route, and in winter there is an ice route connecting Leningrad with the “mainland” along Lake Ladoga. On September 12, 1941, the first barges with food arrived in the city along this route, and until late autumn Until storms made navigation impossible, barges walked along the Road of Life. Each of their flights was a feat - enemy aircraft constantly carried out their bandit raids, weather conditions were often not in the sailors’ hands either - the barges continued their flights even in late autumn, until the ice appeared, when navigation was in principle impossible. On November 20, the first horse-drawn sleigh train descended onto the ice of Lake Ladoga. A little later, trucks started driving along the ice Road of Life. The ice was very thin, despite the fact that the truck was carrying only 2-3 bags of food, the ice broke, and there were frequent cases when trucks sank. At the risk of their lives, the drivers continued their deadly flights until spring. Military Highway No. 101, as this route was called, made it possible to increase bread rations and evacuate a large number of people. The Germans constantly sought to break this thread connecting the besieged city with the country, but thanks to the courage and fortitude of Leningraders, the Road of Life lived on its own and gave life to the great city.
The significance of the Ladoga highway is enormous; it has saved thousands of lives. Now on the shore of Lake Ladoga there is the Road of Life Museum.
Children's contribution to the liberation of Leningrad from the siege. Ensemble of A.E.Obrant
At all times, there is no greater grief than a suffering child. Siege children are a special topic. Having matured early, not childishly serious and wise, they did their best, along with adults, to bring victory closer. Children are heroes, each fate of which is a bitter echo of those terrible days. Children's dance ensemble A.E. Obranta is a special piercing note of the besieged city. In the first winter siege of Leningrad many children were evacuated, but despite this, for various reasons, many more children remained in the city. The Palace of Pioneers, located in the famous Anichkov Palace, went under martial law with the beginning of the war. It must be said that 3 years before the start of the war, a Song and Dance Ensemble was created on the basis of the Palace of Pioneers. At the end of the first blockade winter, the remaining teachers tried to find their students in the besieged city, and from the children remaining in the city, choreographer A.E. Obrant created a dance group. It’s scary to even imagine and compare the terrible days of the siege and pre-war dances! But nevertheless, the ensemble was born. First, the guys had to be restored from exhaustion, only then they were able to start rehearsals. However, already in March 1942 the first performance of the group took place. The soldiers, who had seen a lot, could not hold back their tears looking at these courageous children. Remember How long did the siege of Leningrad last? So, during this considerable time, the ensemble gave about 3,000 concerts. Wherever the guys had to perform: often the concerts had to end in a bomb shelter, since several times during the evening the performances were interrupted by air raid alarms; it happened that young dancers performed several kilometers from the front line, and in order not to attract the enemy with unnecessary noise, they danced without music, and the floors were covered with hay. Strong in spirit, they supported and inspired our soldiers; the contribution of this team to the liberation of the city can hardly be overestimated. Later the guys were awarded medals "For the Defense of Leningrad".
Breaking the blockade of Leningrad
In 1943, a turning point occurred in the war, and at the end of the year, Soviet troops were preparing to liberate the city. On January 14, 1944, during the general offensive of the Soviet troops, the final operation began to lifting the blockade of Leningrad. The task was to deliver a crushing blow to the enemy south of Lake Ladoga and restore the land routes connecting the city with the country. By January 27, 1944, the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, with the help of Kronstadt artillery, carried out breaking the siege of Leningrad. The Nazis began to retreat. Soon the cities of Pushkin, Gatchina and Chudovo were liberated. The blockade was completely lifted.
Tragic and great page Russian history, which claimed more than 2 million human lives. As long as the memory of these terrible days lives in the hearts of people, finds a response in talented works of art, and is passed from hand to hand to descendants, this will not happen again! Siege of Leningrad briefly, but Vera Inberg succinctly described her lines as a hymn to the great city and at the same time a requiem for the departed.
