The siege of leningrad lasted from september 1941 to 1944. After nazi germany invaded the soviet union in june 1941, german armies. It is considered the deadliest siege in human history, with hundreds of thousands dying of hunger in twoandahalf years. The book focuses on the human element of the siege, what the people endured. The nazi siege of leningrad, the soviet unions second largest city after moscow, began on september 8, 1941 and lasted until january 27. Edward hirschs leningrad 19411943 describes in vivid and sometimes hallucinatory images the horror of the german blockade of that city during world war ii. After a terrible 872 days, on january 27th 1944, the leningrad blockade ended, and german forces left the city to its own devices.
The first and primary reason was that it really shouldve been named the 300 days. Leningrad siege ends after 900 days the soviet army has lifted the blockade of leningrad that has been besieged since german forces cut the land link to the city on 8 july 1941. Up to 2 million lives were lost, including about 800,000 civilians or 40% of the. Why did hitler decide to besiege leningrad, rather than.
The siege of leningrad was a very grim episode in russiathe soviet unions very grim experiences of wwii. End day of leningrad siege is celebrated on january 27 january 27 is a special day for st. In the siege of leningrad, the nazis cut off all supplies and wiped out all food and storage supplies in russia. Although sieges were an extremely common method of breaking down city walls and royal fortresses during the middle ages and the crusades, they fell out of favor as warfare advanced during world war i and all the skirmishes and battles that followed within the. Soviet soldiers broke through the german line of defence at key points and recaptured hundreds of towns and villages in the region, according to a russian.
Based largely on formerly topsecret soviet archival documents including 66 reproduced documents and 70 illustrations, this book portrays the inner workings of the communist party and secret police during germanys horrific 194144 siege of leningrad, during which close to one million. While the book was quite lengthy, there was a lot to be told about the days leading up to the siege and the 900 days that followed. It shows how the citys inhabitants responded to the. Russian archival sources and going far beyond the military aspects of such renowned works as harrison salisburys 900 days, glantzs book is a testament to the nearly two million russians who lost their lives during the leningrad conflict and confirms his status as the preeminent. Jan 27, 2014 the 900day blockade of the city by german and finnish forces was finally lifted on january 27, 1944. It was very heartbreaking to read in many places as the conditions that the residents of leningrad endured during that time were horrendous. 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. The siege of leningrad, which began 70 years ago this month, was the deadliest in human history. Diaries of the leningrad blockade the museum of russian art. The siege of leningrad by german and finnish forces lasted 872 days, from september 1941 to 27 january 1944.
The siege of leningrad started in early autumn 1941. May 15, 2015 the siege of leningrad lasted from september 1941 to 1944. The museum of russian art is honored to present diaries of the leningrad blockade a presentation by alexis peri, author of the war within. In 1944, then leningrad was fully freed from the blockade by fascist troops that had kept the city besieged from 8 september 1941 for 872 days causing numerous deaths of inhabitants. Sep 15, 2011 the siege of leningrad, which began 70 years ago this month, was the deadliest in human history. Siege of leningrad soviet red army soldiers crossing an area of fortified defenses with. Today i have for you a historical piece from politnavigator this was from a couple of days ago, february 26 was the 120th anniversary of the birth of andrei alexandrovich zhdanov the piece is entitled in the iron nights of leningrad, a line taken from the powerful poem kirov is with us, penned in 1941, at the height of the leningrad blockade. Drawing on her recent book, the war within harvard university press, alexis peri chronicles the leningrad blockade from the perspective of those who endured the unendurable. For twentyfive years the distinguished journalist and historian harrison salisbury pieced together this remarkable. Jan 27, 2017 the nazi siege of leningrad, the soviet unions second largest city after moscow, began on september 8, 1941 and lasted until january 27, 1944 though the blockade was partially breached on.
First, in the winter of 194142, when the frontline stabilized near leningrad into a blockade one, the priority for the german armed forces was taking moscow. Petersburg is marking 65 years since the breaking of the nazi blockade. Jan 18, 2018 resources, priorities, and battlefield realities all played a role. It implicated stalin and his regime in the mass starvation. The siege of leningrad deadliest blockade of wwii rt. During the coldest winter on record, corpses were left to lie in the snow, and the spring thaw brought forth the horrors of the stench of death and a lingering putrid flavor to the drinking water that no one who tasted it could ever forget.
It became known as the great patriotic war, due to the suffering of the soviet people, and the blockade was one of the toughest times. Myth and reality of the leningrad siege is as lovingly made as it is overwhelming in its. The siege of leningrad world war iis most infamous siege began a little over two months after the launch of operation barbarossa, adolf hitlers surprise invasion of the soviet union. It implicated stalin and his regime in the mass starvation and murder of a million and a half of his own people. It is a sad story that the soviet government refused to allow so many of the details to come out, and it took the crumbling of that empire to get many details out. Jul 10, 2019 to tell the truth, i was disappointed in the book. The 900day blockade of the city by german and finnish forces was finally lifted on january 27, 1944.
Dec 24, 2016 the siege of leningrad by german and finnish forces lasted 872 days, from september 1941 to 27 january 1944. Jan 18, 2017 the railway to leningrad, named victory road, with a length of almost 30 km, was built over 17 days. 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. The book was well written and the stories conveyed were properly cited.
Over a course of nearly 900 days, from early september 1941 until late january 1944, german and finnish military forces undertook a prolonged military blockade of the soviet russian city which at that time was named leningrad and is today known as st. The epic siege of world war ii, 19411944 by anna reid, the 900 days. The details of what went on in leningrad were still disturbing, although i was aware of some snippets of them. The soviets won at the cost of more than 1 million soldiers killed, captured, or missing and more than 640,000 civilian dead.
During 1942 soviet forces attempted to break the blockade five times, but all the operations were unsuccessful. Formerly known as leningrad, the city lived through 900 days of starvation and horror. Aug 29, 2018 on september 8, 1941, german forces closed in around the soviet city of leningrad, initiating a siege that would last nearly 900 days and claim the lives of 800,000 civilians. Petersburg blockade of the great patriotic war wwii as she, maya peterson, experienced it. Salisbury wrote no fewer than six books about the soviet union during his journalistic career. Apparently, the blockade was to be maintained on the town for as long as the russians kept resisting occupation of germany. The sign on the house reads, this side of the street is most dangerous during bombings. The 900 days is a reprint of the 1969 edition that was banned in russia, and no wonder. In 1944, then leningrad was fully freed from the blockade by fascist troops that had kept the city besieged from 8 september 1941 for 872 days causing numerous deaths of. This was undoubtedly the most tragic period in the history of the city, a period full of suffering and heroism. The first german artillery shell fell on leningrad on september 1st, 1941.
Oct 05, 2012 the nazi siege of leningrad began on september 8, 1941. Siege of leningrad 14 books meet your next favorite book. By the end of the siege, some 632,000 people are thought to have died with nearly 4,000 people from leningrad starving to death on christmas day, 1941. The railway to leningrad, named victory road, with a length of almost 30 km, was built over 17 days. The russians lasted an entire nine hundred days from september 8th, 1941, to january 27th, 1944 withholding this horror. The rest of the 75 pages basically skimmed through the next 300 days and then totally skipped over the last 300 days. Petersburg in the soviet union by german and finnish armed forces during world war ii. Diaries of the leningrad blockade a presentation by alexis peri, author of the war within. By the sieges end, as many as 1,500,000 military men and civilians were killed, and 1,400,000 citizens were evacuated from the city itself in hopes of saving lives. Pavlov and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
The siege lasted 900 days, during which time people died by the thousands every day. In june 1941, nazi germany launched a surprise attack on its ally, stalins soviet union. The end of the 900 day leningrad blockade january 27, 1944. For twoandahalf years, the citizens of leningrad suffered chronic privations and constant bombardment. Specifically, this blockade was to isolate leningrad from the rest of russia. Siege of leningrad, prolonged siege september 8, 1941january 27, 1944 of the city of leningrad st.
Museum of the defense and siege of leningrad this small but extremely moving museum commemorates perhaps the most harrowing period of the citys history the 900day blockade of leningrad which lasted from 8 september 1941 to 17 january 1944. Myth and tragedy at the siege of leningrad gallery books. Myth and tragedy at the siege of leningrad gallery. It is untainted by cold war rhetoric and propaganda. Russia remembers 900day leningrad siege 70 years later. Although sieges were an extremely common method of breaking down city walls and royal fortresses during the middle ages and the crusades, they fell out of favor as warfare advanced during world war i and all the skirmishes and battles that followed within the international community. This resulted in the deaths of up to 1,500,000diers and civilians and the evacuation of 1,400,000 more, mainly women and children, many of whom died during evacuation due to starvation and bombardment. In june 1941, nazi germany launched a surprise attack on. Petersburg the siege of leningrad is an important part of the citys heritage. This is my 2nd read on the eastern front but my first on leningrad. Nonetheless, this provides a solid history into one of the darkest chapters of world war ii. It ended 874 days later, one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history. For twentyfive years the distinguished journalist and historian harrison salisbury pieced.
Siege of leningrad, also called 900day siege, prolonged siege september 8, 1941january 27, 1944 of the city of leningrad st. Petersburg, which during the war was known as leningrad, suffered a devastating blockade by nazi troops for almost 900 days, but never surrendered. Like russia at war, the 900 days is written by a us journalist, shortly after the end of wwii. I wish to share with you the narrative as my mother recounted the heroic story of my grandmother and her family during the terrible events of the ninehundred dayslong st. Leningrader blockade was a prolonged military blockade undertaken from the south by the army group north of nazi germany against the soviet city of leningrad now saint petersburg on the eastern front in world war ii. It was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history and quite. Based largely on formerly topsecret soviet archival documents including 66 reproduced documents and 70 illustrations, this book portrays the inner workings of the communist party and secret police during germanys horrific 194144 siege of leningrad, during which close to one million citizens perished. Resources, priorities, and battlefield realities all played a role.
On september 8, 1941, german forces closed in around the soviet city of leningrad, initiating a siege that would last nearly 900 days and claim the lives of. Leningrad was the site of the most detrimental, most damaging, and deadliest sieges in all of history, but its citizens and soldiers lasted almost 900 days under fire from german troops to see a brighter future. On september 8 1941 the germans had fully encircled leningrad and the siege began. The 872 days of the siege caused unparalleled famine in the leningrad region through disruption of utilities, water, energy and food supplies. The leningrad blockade is known as one of the deadliest, most prolonged and lengthy sieges in history. The siege of leningrad world war iis most infamous siege began a little over two months after the launch of operation barbarossa, adolf hitlers surprise invasion of. Formerly known as leningrad, the city lived through 900 days of.
The finnish army invaded from the north, cooperating with the germans until finland had recaptured. Nov 08, 2017 over a course of nearly 900 days, from early september 1941 until late january 1944, german and finnish military forces undertook a prolonged military blockade of the soviet russian city which at that time was named leningrad and is today known as st. The nazi siege of leningrad from 1941 to 1944 was one of the most gruesome episodes of world war ii. The nazi siege of leningrad began on september 8, 1941. Zhdanov anniversary and the leningrad blockade part i. Leningrad 1941 the blockade by pavlov dmitri v abebooks. The finnish army invaded from the north, cooperating with the germans until finland had. The citys name was changed back from leningrad to st. The following historical account was orally passed on to me by my mother. Published on jan 26, 2009 russias northern capital st.