In accordance with the Program of outreach and military-patriotic events in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, we publish another material for conducting classes in the UCP system with military personnel serving under contract and conscription .

The battle for 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, demonstrated the high morale of the Soviet people, and became a symbol of the courage and heroism of the 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 the Soviet troops in the Baltic states, on July 10, the fascist German troops launched an offensive on the southwestern approaches to Leningrad. 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, cut the highway and the Moscow-Leningrad 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.
An important role in the defense of Leningrad from the sea was played by the heroic defense of the Moonsund Islands, the Hanko Peninsula and the naval base of Tallinn, the Oranienbaum bridgehead and Kronstadt. Their defenders showed exceptional courage and heroism.
As a result of the stubborn resistance of the troops of the Leningrad Front, the enemy offensive weakened, and by the end of September the front had stabilized. The enemy's plan to capture Leningrad immediately failed.
2nd stage (October 1941 - January 12, 1943) - defensive military operations of the Soviet troops. Blockade of the city of Leningrad.
Soviet troops repeatedly attempted to lift the blockade of the city. In 1941, the Tikhvin defensive and offensive operations were carried out, in 1942 - the Lyuban and Sinyavin operations.
The German command revised the tactics of the struggle for Leningrad. Unable to take the city by storm, it decided to achieve its goal by a long blockade, artillery shelling and aerial bombardment. Assistance to Leningrad was carried out along the transport highway 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 gave the front weapons, equipment, uniforms, and ammunition.
From the sea, Leningrad was covered by the Baltic Fleet. In January - April 1942, the shock groups of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, advancing towards each other, fought stubborn battles in the Luban, and in August-October - in the Sinyavino directions in order to break through the blockade of the city. Due to the lack of forces and means, the operations were not successful, but serious damage was inflicted on the enemy in manpower and military equipment. His powers were shackled.
3rd stage (1943) - the fighting of the Soviet troops, breaking through the blockade of Leningrad.
In January 1943, the Iskra strategic offensive operation 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 General of the Army K.A. Meretskov) with the support of 13- The 1st and 14th air armies, long-range aviation, artillery and aviation of the Baltic Fleet delivered counter strikes on a narrow ledge between Shlisselburg and Sinyavin. On January 18 they joined. To the south of Lake Ladoga, a corridor 8-11 km wide was formed. A 36-kilometer railway was built along the southern coast of Ladoga in 18 days. Trains went to Leningrad along it.
Breaking the blockade was a turning point in the battle for the city on the Neva. And although it still remained a front-line city, the plan of its capture by the Nazis was thwarted.
In the summer and autumn battles of 1943, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts thwarted the enemy's attempts to restore the complete blockade of Leningrad by active actions. The combat activity of our troops fettered about 30 enemy divisions.
4th stage (January - February 1944) - the offensive of the Soviet troops in the north-western direction, the complete lifting of the blockade of Leningrad.
During this stage, the Soviet troops carried out the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation, in which the troops of the Leningrad Front carried out the Krasnoselsko-Ropshinsky, and the Volkhov Front - the Novgorod-Luga offensive operation.
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 liquidated the encircled enemy grouping. At the same time, on January 14, Soviet troops went on the offensive in the Novgorod region, on January 16 - in the Luban direction, and on January 20 liberated Novgorod.
On January 27, 1944, the blockade of Leningrad was completely eliminated. This date of January is immortalized in the 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 that, 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 defeating the enemy in the Baltic.
The defense of besieged Leningrad became a symbol of the courage and heroism of the Soviet people, and was of great military and strategic importance. During the battle for Leningrad, Soviet military art was developed. The battle became a great military-political event and, in its significance, went beyond the borders of the Soviet Union. The battle for Leningrad demonstrated the great strength of the moral and political unity of Soviet society, the friendship of the peoples of our Motherland. The defense of Leningrad had a nationwide character.
The motherland highly appreciated the feat of the defenders of Leningrad. For courage, courage and heroism, over 350 thousand soldiers were awarded orders and medals, 226 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" was awarded to about 1.5 million people. Leningrad itself was awarded the Order of Lenin, and on May 8, 1965, the hero city of Leningrad was awarded the Gold Star medal.
At present, attempts are being made to distort and misrepresent the heroic defense of Leningrad. It is argued, for example, that it was necessary to simply hand over the city to the Nazis, and it would remain intact. This shameless lie is dictated by the political situation, the deliberate falsification of 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 for the winter without food, wait for surrender. Those who will remain alive by spring will be driven out of the city, while Leningrad itself will be destroyed.
66 years have passed since the momentous victory in the battle for Leningrad, but even now the feat of the Leningraders, the soldiers of the army and navy who defended our northern capital, personifies the military glory of Russia. He serves as an example for current generations of loyalty to patriotic and military duty, courage and courage in defending the freedom and independence of the Fatherland.

"January Thunder" , Krasnoselsko-Ropsha operation , or Operation " Neva-2" (January 14-30, 1944) - an offensive operation of the troops of the Leningrad Front as part of the strategic Leningrad-Novgorod operation against the 18th German army, which was besieging Leningrad.

As a result of the operation, the troops of the Leningrad Front destroyed the enemy’s Peterhof-Strelna grouping, pushed the enemy back at a distance of 60-100 km from the city, liberated Krasnoe Selo, Ropsha, Krasnogvardeisk, Pushkin, Slutsk and, in cooperation with the troops of the Volkhov Front, completely liberated Leningrad from the enemy blockade .

After the victory at the Kursk Bulge, Stavka developed an ambitious plan for the 1944 campaign. It provided for an offensive along the entire front line: from the Black Sea to the Barents Sea. This plan was later called 10 Stalinist strikes. And the first of them was applied near Leningrad. The Germans were expecting an offensive where many times the attacks were choked in blood: in the area of ​​​​Mga, Pulkovo, Kolpino. Meanwhile, Govorov and Meretskov proposed the Neva-2 operation to Stavka, according to which the main blow was delivered from the Oranienbaum patch. On October 12, 1943, the Headquarters approved this plan, setting an approximate date for the offensive at the beginning of January 1944.

From November 5, 1943, 211 tanks, 700 guns and 50 thousand soldiers and officers were secretly transported along the Gulf of Finland through Kronstadt from Leningrad to the Oranienbaum bridgehead. The 2nd shock and 42nd armies were to break through the German defenses on the eastern flank of the Oranienbaum bridgehead and southwest of Pulkovo, join in Ropsha, encircle and destroy German troops in the area of ​​Krasnoye Selo, Ropsha and Strelna.

The main blow of the Neva-2 operation was planned to be carried out by the forces of the 2nd shock army. Then, from the Pulkovo Heights, the 42nd Army was to deliver a counterattack. At the same time, the Volkhov Front went on the offensive in the direction of Novgorod. The operation was being prepared for a long time, it was possible to create a powerful strike force. Our troops outnumbered the Germans in manpower by 3 times, by the number of artillery pieces by 4 times, and by the number of tanks and self-propelled guns by 6 times.

The general plan of the offensive operation of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts was to deliver simultaneous strikes on the flanks of the 18th German Army in the Peterhof-Strelna area (Krasnoselsko-Ropsha operation) and in the Novgorod area (Novgorod-Luga operation). Then it was planned, advancing in the Kingisepp and Luga directions, to surround the main forces of the 18th Army and develop an offensive against Narva, Pskov and Idritsa. The main goal of the upcoming offensive was the complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade. In addition, it was planned to liberate the Leningrad region from German occupation and create the prerequisites for a further successful offensive into the Baltic states.

According to the final plan of the operation, the troops of the Leningrad Front went on the offensive with the forces of the 2nd shock army from the Oranienbaum bridgehead and the forces of the 42nd army from the area southwest of Leningrad. Having united in the area of ​​Krasnoye Selo - Ropsha, the troops of the 2nd shock and 42nd armies were to destroy the enemy's Peterhof-Strelna grouping, and then continue the offensive in the south-west direction to Kingisepp and in the south direction to Krasnogvardeisk, and then to Luga.

A few days after the start of the operation, the 67th Army was to join the offensive. The army troops were given the task of liberating Mga, Ulyanovsk, Tosno and, in cooperation with the troops of the Volkhov Front, to fully restore control over the Kirov and Oktyabrskaya railways. In the future, units of the 67th Army were to develop an offensive against Pushkin and Krasnogvardeisk. Simultaneously with the troops of the Leningrad Front, the troops of the Volkhov Front went on the offensive, which, after the defeat of the Novgorod grouping of the enemy, were to rapidly develop the offensive on Luga. Having united in the Luga region, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhoz fronts were supposed to surround the main forces of the 18th German army.

By the end of January 1944, the troops of the Leningrad Front, in cooperation with the troops of the Volkhov Front, inflicted a heavy defeat on the 18th German Army, advanced 70-100 kilometers, liberated a number of settlements (including Krasnoe Selo, Ropsha, Krasnogvardeisk, Pushkin, Slutsk ) and created the prerequisites for a further offensive. Although the Leningrad-Novgorod operation continued, the main task of the entire strategic offensive was completed - Leningrad was completely liberated from the blockade.

Jan 21 L.A. Govorov and A.A. Zhdanov, not doubting the success of the further offensive, turned to I.V. Stalin with a request, in connection with the complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade and from enemy artillery shelling, to allow the order to be issued and published on this occasion to the troops of the front and, in honor of the victory won, fire a salute in Leningrad on January 27 with twenty-four artillery volleys from 324 guns.

Despite the fact that the Soviet troops completely regained control over the Oktyabrskaya railway only by January 29, on January 27 the order of the Military Council of the Leningrad Front was read on the radio, which spoke of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade. In the evening, almost the entire population of the city took to the streets and watched with glee the artillery salute, which was fired in honor of this historic event.

Leningrad was completely liberated from the enemy blockade. On January 27, 1944, from the cannonade of hundreds of guns in the city, glass flew out of the surviving windows, and some people fell in horror into the snow. Others rushed to them and shouted: Get up, don't be afraid, it's fireworks! This is victory! For the first time in the history of the Great Patriotic War, Stalin allowed the victory salute to be held outside of Moscow. By 1944, the Red Army, at the cost of huge losses, gained cohesion and combat experience that was not inferior to the Wehrmacht. The soldiers of the German Army Group North retreated to Pskov as quickly as our troops retreated in 1941. But the rapid advance of our troops was stopped. Along the Velikaya River, the Wehrmacht troops prepared a powerful Panther defense line. It was built for almost two years. But the rapid advance of our troops was stopped. Along the Velikaya River, the Wehrmacht troops prepared a powerful Panther defense line. It was built for almost two years. The Germans called this line the gates to the Baltic states, which must be closed tightly.

The main blow of the Neva-2 operation

According to the plans of the command, the Soviet troops failed to capture Narva and Pskov by February 15. The offensive began with an unprecedented artillery barrage. The 2nd shock army attacked in the direction of Ropsha. The next day, the 42nd Army struck from the Pulkovo Heights, in the center of which the 30th Guards Corps of General Simonyak advanced. After the Iskra operation, Simonyak received the nickname of the breakthrough general. On the very first day, his corps crashed into the German defenses for 5 kilometers. The commander of the 18th Army, Lindemann, understood that his troops were in danger of encirclement and now begged Küchler to be allowed to withdraw as soon as possible. Kühler, after waiting a day, gave the order to retreat. On the night of January 18, Simonyak's corps stormed the strongest defense center, Voronya Gora. Already at dawn, a red flag was raised over the mountain. On the morning of January 20, units of the 2nd shock army and the 42nd army met in the Ropsha area. The Peterhof-Strelninskaya group of Germans was destroyed.

Yes, we will not hide: these days
We ate earth, glue, belts;
But after eating the stew from the belts
A stubborn master got up to the machine,
To sharpen the pieces of guns necessary for the war.

Olga Berggolts "Leningrad Poem".

Towards the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945

May 9 is a special and sacred date in the history of Russia. In 2015, it will be 70 years since the Great Victory over the fascist invaders. All these years, the memory of the immortal feat of the people who defended the independence of the Motherland lives in the hearts of Russians. This year marks 71 years since the liberation of Leningrad from the Siege.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in April 2013 signed the Decree "On the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

The decree was signed in order to coordinate the activities of federal executive authorities, executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, local governments and public associations in preparing and holding the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, and taking into account the world-historical significance of the victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

It is impossible to recall the events of the Great Patriotic War without tears and shudder, which became a victorious, heroic and tragic page in the history of our people.

One of these events was the blockade of Leningrad, which lasted 900 long days of death, hunger, cold, bombing, despair and courage of the inhabitants of the Northern capital.

We dedicate a series of our articles to the sacred time in the history of Russia ...

Day of military glory of Russia - The day of lifting the blockade of the city of Leningrad (1944) is celebrated in accordance with the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ "On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia."

The beginning of the blockade of Leningrad. Hitler's plans

The offensive of the Nazi troops on Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), the capture of which the German command attached great strategic and political importance, began on July 10, 1941.

In August, heavy fighting was already on the outskirts of the city. On August 30, German troops cut the railroads connecting Leningrad with the country. On September 8, the Nazis managed to block the city from land. According to Hitler's plan, Leningrad was to be wiped off the face of the earth. Having failed in their attempts to break through the defenses of the Soviet troops inside the blockade ring, the Germans decided to starve the city out. According to all the calculations of the German command, the population of Leningrad had to die of hunger and cold.

September 8, the day the blockade began, the first massive bombardment of Leningrad took place. About 200 fires broke out, one of them destroyed the Badaev food warehouses.

The destruction by blockade of the civilian population of Leningrad was originally planned by the Nazis. Already on July 8, 1941, on the seventeenth day of the war, a very characteristic entry appeared in the diary of the Chief of the German General Staff, General Franz Halder:

... The Fuhrer's decision to raze Moscow and Leningrad to the ground is unshakable in order to completely get rid of the population of these cities, which otherwise we will then be forced to feed during the winter. The task of destroying these cities must be carried out by aviation. Tanks should not be used for this. It will be “a national disaster that will deprive the centers not only of Bolshevism, but also of the Muscovites (Russians) in general.

Hitler's plans were soon embodied in the official directives of the German command. On August 28, 1941, General Halder signed an order from the High Command of the Wehrmacht Ground Forces to Army Group North on the blockade of Leningrad:

... on the basis of the directives of the supreme command, I order:

1. Block the city of Leningrad with a ring as close as possible to the city itself in order to save our strength. Do not demand surrender.

2. In order for the city, as the last center of red resistance in the Baltic, to be destroyed as quickly as possible without great casualties on our part, it is forbidden to storm the city with infantry forces. After the defeat of the enemy's air defense and fighter aircraft, his defensive and vital abilities should be broken by destroying waterworks, warehouses, power supplies and power plants. Military installations and the ability of the enemy to defend must be suppressed by fires and artillery fire. Every attempt of the population to go outside through the encirclement troops should be prevented, if necessary - with the use of weapons ...

As you can see, according to the directives of the German command, the blockade was directed precisely against the civilian population of Leningrad. Neither the city nor its inhabitants were needed by the Nazis. The fury of the Nazis towards Leningrad was terrifying.

The poisonous nest of St. Petersburg, from which the poison bubbles up into the Baltic Sea, must disappear from the face of the earth, Hitler said in a conversation with the German ambassador in Paris on September 16, 1941. - The city is already blocked; now all that remains is to shell it with artillery and bomb it until the water supply, energy centers and everything that is necessary for the life of the population are destroyed.

It was planned, with the help of Army Group North, to destroy Soviet troops in the Baltic states, capture Leningrad, capture the most important land and sea routes and communications for supplying troops and an advantageous initial bridgehead for striking at the rear of the Red Army defending Moscow. The German offensive against Leningrad began on July 10, 1941.

The situation after the attack on the city remained very tense. The enemy attacked with large forces along the Moscow-Leningrad highway and at the end of August captured Lyuban, Tosno, went to the Neva and blocked the railway communication with Leningrad. For about two weeks fierce battles were fought in the area of ​​Krasnogvardeysk, where the German attacks were repulsed. However, having broken through the Mga station to Shlisselburg, the Nazi troops cut off the city from land. The blockade of Leningrad began.

"Road of Life" for besieged Leningrad

About 2.5 million inhabitants remained in the city. The constant bombardment of enemy aircraft destroyed people, houses, architectural monuments, food warehouses. During the blockade, there was no area in Leningrad that could not be reached by an enemy shell. Areas and streets were identified where the risk of becoming a victim of enemy artillery was greatest. Special warning signs were hung there with, for example, the text: “Citizens! During shelling, this side of the street is the most dangerous.” Several of them have been preserved in the city today in memory of the blockade.

Communication with the city was maintained only by air and via Lake Ladoga. From the first days of the blockade, the Road of Life began its dangerous and heroic work - the pulse of besieged Leningrad A. In summer - water, and in winter - an ice path 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 went along the Road of Life.

In the city and its environs at that time there were almost 3 million civilians (almost two-thirds of them women), including about half a million children, and food and fuel supplies remained for one and a half to two months.

The whole country helped besieged Leningrad in its heroic struggle. With incredible difficulties, food and fuel were delivered from the mainland to the besieged city across the frozen Lake Ladoga. The people very accurately called this road - "The Road of Life." The salvation of the inhabitants of Leningrad, the provision of the front with everything necessary depended on it. On November 22, 1941, the first trucks carrying flour entered the still fragile ice.

In Leningrad, a food rationing system was introduced: from November 20, 1941, workers received 250 grams of bread a day, and everyone else - 125 grams. But even in such conditions the city worked. Protective fortification anti-tank structures were built, tanks and weapons were being repaired at the enterprises. From the end of autumn, famine began in the city, from which about 500 thousand people died in December 1941 alone.

Military Highway No. 101, as this route was called, made it possible to increase the bread ration and evacuate a large number of people. The Germans constantly tried to break this thread connecting the besieged city with the country, but thanks to the courage and fortitude of the Leningraders, the Road of Life lived by itself 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 a museum "The Road of Life".

Life of besieged Leningrad

At the same time, Leningraders did their best to survive and not let their native city die. Not only that: Leningrad helped the army by producing military products - the factories continued to work even in such conditions. Theaters and museums restored their activities. It was necessary - to prove to the enemy, and, most importantly, to ourselves: the blockade of Leningrad will not kill the city, it continues to live!

One of the clearest examples of amazing selflessness and love for the Motherland, life, and hometown is the story of the creation of one piece of music. During the blockade, D. Shostakovich's most famous symphony was written, later called the "Leningrad" symphony. Rather, the composer began to write it in Leningrad, and finished already in the evacuation. When the score was ready, it was taken 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 let a single fascist aircraft near the city! All the days of the siege, the Leningrad radio worked, which for all Leningraders was not only a life-giving source of information, but also simply a symbol of continuing life.

The blockade became a cruel test for all city services and departments that ensured the vital activity of the huge city. Leningrad gave a unique experience of organizing life in conditions of famine. The following fact attracts attention: during the blockade, unlike many other cases of mass starvation, no major epidemics occurred, despite the fact that hygiene in the city was, of course, much lower than the normal level due to the almost complete absence of running water, sewerage and heating. Of course, the severe winter of 1941-1942 helped to prevent epidemics. At the same time, researchers also point to effective preventive measures taken by the authorities and the medical service.

The most severe during the blockade was hunger, as a result of which dystrophy developed among the inhabitants. At the end of March 1942, an epidemic of cholera, typhoid fever, and typhus broke out, but due to the professionalism and high qualifications of doctors, the outbreak was minimized.

Children's contribution to the liberation of Leningrad from the blockade. Ensemble of A.E.Obrant

At all times there is no greater grief than a suffering child. Blockade children are a special topic. Having matured early, not childishly serious and wise, they, along with adults, did their best 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 a besieged city. During the first winter of the siege of Leningrad, many children were evacuated, but despite this, for various reasons, many children remained in the city. The Palace of Pioneers, located in the famous Anichkov Palace, switched to martial law with the outbreak of war. I must say that 3 years before the start of the war, the 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 pupils in the besieged city, and the ballet master A.E. Obrant created a dance group from the children who remained in the city. It is terrible even to imagine and compare the terrible blockade days and pre-war dances! Nevertheless, the ensemble was born. At 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 band took place. The fighters, 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 alerts, it happened that young dancers performed a few 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".

Victims of the siege of Leningrad

We will probably never know the exact number of victims. According to historians, at the Nuremberg Tribunal, it was about 641,000 dead civilians. According to the latest estimates, this number is at least 800 thousand, according to other sources, up to a million people died in Leningrad during the blockade.

Russian historians and eyewitnesses of the tragedy say that post-war statistics ranked only the native inhabitants of Leningrad among the dead. In fact, before the siege of the city, there were a lot of refugees in it. They didn't know what was really going on.

If you listen to the information of the Information Bureau of that time, they said that the Germans were advancing, and we were fighting back, then that we were suddenly going over to a successful counteroffensive. It was simply impossible to understand something. It was the refugees, who were not registered, and therefore did not even have the right to bread cards, who became the first victims of the blockade of Leningrad. They died of hunger, froze to death in the streets, their bodies filled anonymous graves at Piskarevsky and other cemeteries in the city. The blockade and war are complex and painful topics, both for Russia and for Germany.

The plans of the Nazi leadership did not leave the right to life to the inhabitants of Leningrad, just as they did not leave the right to life to the Jews.

The Nazis deliberately doomed hundreds of thousands of people to starvation both in besieged Leningrad and in the Leningrad region occupied by them. So the blockade and the Holocaust, no matter how many victims it may be, are really phenomena of the same order, undoubted crimes against humanity. This, by the way, has already been legally fixed: in 2008, the German government and the Commission for the presentation of Jewish material claims against Germany (Claims Conference) came to an agreement according to which the Jews who survived the blockade of Leningrad were equated with the victims of the Holocaust and received the right to one-time compensation .

Due to the actions of the Nazis, the city was actually turned into a gigantic ghetto dying of starvation, the difference of which from the ghetto in the territories occupied by the Nazis was that auxiliary police units did not break into it to carry out massacres and the German security service did not carry out mass executions here. However, this does not change the criminal essence of the blockade of Leningrad.

Liberation of besieged Leningrad

As a result of the victories of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, near Smolensk, in the Left-Bank Ukraine, in the Donbass and on the Dnieper, in late 1943 - early 1944, favorable conditions were created for a major offensive operation near Leningrad and Novgorod.

By the beginning of 1944, the enemy had created a defense in depth with reinforced concrete and wood-and-earth structures, covered with minefields and barbed wire. The Soviet command organized an offensive by troops of the 2nd shock, 42nd and 67th armies of the Leningrad, 59th, 8th and 54th armies of the Volkhov, 1st shock and 22nd armies of the 2nd Baltic fronts and Red Banner Baltic Fleet. Long-range aviation, partisan detachments and brigades were also involved.

The purpose of the operation was to defeat the flank groupings of the 18th Army, and then, by actions in the Kingisepp and Luga directions, complete the defeat of its main forces and reach the line of the Luga River. In the future, acting on the Narva, Pskov and Idritsa directions, defeat the 16th Army, complete the liberation of the Leningrad Region and create conditions for the liberation of the Baltic states.

On January 14, Soviet troops went on the offensive from the Primorsky bridgehead to Ropsha, and on January 15 from Leningrad to Krasnoe Selo. After stubborn fighting on January 20, Soviet troops united in the Ropsha area and liquidated the encircled Peterhof-Strelninskaya enemy grouping. At the same time, on January 14, Soviet troops went on the offensive in the Novgorod region, and on January 16 in the Luban direction, on January 20 they liberated Novgorod.

In commemoration of the final lifting of the blockade on January 27, 1944, a festive salute was given in Leningrad.

On January 27, 1944, Leningrad saluted with 24 volleys of 324 guns in honor of the complete elimination of the enemy blockade - the defeat of the Germans near Leningrad.

... And again the world hears with delight
Russian peal salute.
Oh, it breathes deeply
liberated Leningrad!

... We remember autumn, forty-first,
The clear air of those nights
When, like a whip, often, measuredly
The executioners' bombs whistled.

But we, humbled fear and crying,
They repeated, listening to wild explosions:
- You lost the war, executioner,
Barely entered our land! …

(O. Bergholz, 1944)

The armies of the Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic fronts pushed back the German troops from the city, liberated almost the entire Leningrad region.

The blockade, in the iron ring of which Leningrad was suffocating for 900 long days and nights, was put to an end. That day became one of the happiest in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Leningraders; one of the happiest - and, at the same time, one of the most mournful - because everyone who lived to see this holiday during the blockade lost either relatives or friends. More than 600 thousand people died of terrible starvation in the city surrounded by German troops, several hundred thousand in the area occupied by the Nazis.

Exactly one year later, on January 27, 1945, units of the 28th Rifle Corps of the 60th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp, an ominous Nazi death factory where a huge number of people were killed. The Soviet soldiers managed to save a few - seven and a half thousand emaciated people who looked like living skeletons. All the rest - those who could walk - the Nazis managed to steal. Many of the liberated prisoners of Auschwitz could not even smile; they were only strong enough to stand.

The coincidence of the day of lifting the blockade of Leningrad with the day of the liberation of Auschwitz is something more than a mere accident. The blockade and the Holocaust, symbolized by Auschwitz, are phenomena of the same order.

After the war, on the granite stele of the Piskarevsky memorial cemetery, where 470,000 Leningraders who died during the Leningrad Siege and in the battles defending the city are buried, the words of the poetess Olga Berggolts were carved:

Here lie the Leningraders.
Here the townspeople are men, women, children.
Next to them are Red Army soldiers.

All my life
They protected you, Leningrad,
The cradle of the revolution.

We cannot list their noble names here,
So there are many of them under the eternal protection of granite.
But know, listening to these stones:
Nobody is forgotten and nothing is forgotten.

The historical significance of the Battle of Leningrad

The Battle of Leningrad was of great political and strategic importance. Soviet troops in the battle for Leningrad pulled back up to 15-20% of the enemy forces on the Eastern Front and the entire Finnish army, defeated up to 50 German divisions. Warriors and residents of the city showed examples of heroism and selfless devotion to the Motherland. Many units and formations that participated in the Battle of Leningrad were transformed into guards or became order-bearing. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers received government awards, hundreds received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, five of them twice: A. E. Mazurenko, P. A. Pokryshev, V. I. Rakov, N. G. Stepanyan and N. V. Chelnokov.

The daily care of the Central Committee of the Party, the Soviet government and the support of the whole country were inexhaustible sources of strength for the people of Leningrad to overcome the trials and hardships of the 900-day blockade.

On December 22, 1942, the Soviet government established the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad". On January 26, 1945, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awarded Leningrad the Order of Lenin, and on May 8, 1965, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45, awarded Leningrad the honorary title of Hero City.

On January 27, 2014, St. Petersburg celebrated the 70th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad. On both sides of Nevsky Prospekt, thousands of people lit candles in memory of those who died during this terrible time.

Leningrad blockade- a tragic and great page in 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, is passed from hand to hand to descendants - this will not happen again! The blockade of Leningrad was briefly but succinctly described by Vera Inber, her lines are a hymn to the great city and at the same time a requiem for the departed.

Glory to you, great city,
Merged front and rear.
In unprecedented difficulties
Survived. Fought. Won.

And I would like to end with poems by the great Soviet poetess Olga Berggolts, who survived the blockade with her beloved city.

Enemies broke into our free city,
crumbled the stones of the city gates.
But I went out to International Avenue
armed working people.

He walked with the immortal
exclamation
in chest:
- We will die, but Red Peter
we won't give up!

The Red Guards, remembering the past,
formed new units
in collecting bottles every house
and built his own barricade.

And for this - long nights
the enemy tortured us with iron and fire.
- You will give up, you will be afraid - bombs to us

crash into the ground, fall prone ...
Trembling, they will ask for captivity, as mercy,
not only people are the stones of Leningrad.

But we stood on high rooftops
with your head up to the sky,
did not leave our fragile towers,
shovel squeezing numb hand.

... The day will come, and, rejoicing, hurrying,
still sad without removing the ruins,
we will decorate our city like this,
like people never decorated.

And then on the most slender building
facing the sunrise itself
put up a marble statue
a simple air defense worker.

Let it stand, always embraced by the dawn,
as he stood, holding an unequal battle:
with your head up to the sky,
with the only weapon - a shovel.

Bergholz Olga (1941).

The victory of Leningraders over the Blockade is truly a miracle that showed the whole world the strength of the spirit of the Russian people.

If there are blockade survivors in your family, be sure to congratulate them today. It is likely that after congratulations, you will hear an amazing story of a person who knew the hardships of that time ...

70 years ago, on January 27, 1944, Soviet troops completely lifted the blockade of Leningrad that had lasted for 900 days. German troops surrounded the second capital of the Soviet Union on September 8, 1941. But the most important political, industrial and cultural center of the USSR, despite fierce battles, bombing and artillery shelling, withstood the onslaught of the enemy. Then the German command decided to starve the city.

Memorial "Broken Ring"

It should be noted that not only German troops took part in the siege of Leningrad, 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. The main highway through which the country could supply the city was for a long time the "Road of Life" - an ice road along Lake Ladoga.

The capacity of this transport artery could not meet all the needs of a huge city, so Leningrad lost from 700 thousand to 1.5 million people. The vast majority of people died from starvation and cooling caused by lack of fuel and food. Especially heavy losses occurred in the first blockade winter. In the future, the supply improved, subsidiary farms were organized. Deaths have dropped significantly.

The blockade of Leningrad became one of the most heroic and terrible pages of the Great Patriotic War. Suffice it to recall the penetrating diary of the Leningrad schoolgirl Tatyana Savicheva. There are only 9 pages in the document, and six of them are devoted to the death of people close to her - mother, grandmother, sister, brother and two uncles (" The Savichevs are dead. All died. Only Tanya left"). Almost the entire family died during the first blockade winter: from December 1941 to May 1942. Tanya herself was saved by evacuating to the "mainland". But the girl's health was undermined, and she died in 1944.

"Road of Life" - an 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, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts had broken through a small corridor along the shore of Lake Ladoga, restoring the land connection between the city and the country. Here, in the shortest possible time, a railway line and an automobile route (“Victory Road”) were laid. This made it possible to evacuate a significant part of the civilian population and supply the city.

At the beginning of 1944, in the Leningrad region, the Red Army carried out an offensive strategic operation (the first "Stalinist strike"), which led to the final de-siege of Leningrad. As a result of a number of strategic operations, among which one can single out the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of the Oryol-Kursk Bulge, the Donbass Operation and the Battle of 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 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 the Eastern Front. The military operations that took place in Italy, in their scope and significance, could not have a serious impact on the Wehrmacht.

Blockade Leningrad

In December 1943, the Headquarters decided to organize a series of strikes against enemy troops from Leningrad to the Black Sea, focusing on the flanks of the Soviet-German front. In the southern direction, they planned to liberate the Crimea, Right-Bank Ukraine and go to 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 solved by the troops of the Leningrad Front, the Volkhov Front, the 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 14 January. The enemy, relying on well-prepared defensive lines, put up stubborn resistance. The factor of the marshy and wooded area also affected. The beginning of a thaw, unexpected for January, interfered with the operation of armored vehicles.

On January 19, Soviet troops liberated Ropsha and Krasnoye Selo. German troops were thrown back from Leningrad for 25 km, the Peterhof-Strelninskaya enemy grouping was defeated, partially surrounded and destroyed. The Mginsky group was under the threat of encirclement, the Germans began to hastily withdraw troops. On January 20, the troops of the Volkhov Front liberated Novgorod.

Soviet soldiers raise the red flag over the liberated Gatchina, January 26, 1944

For 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 temples 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 Novgorod land for settlement to East Prussian colonists, tried to wipe out all evidence of the Russian historical and cultural presence in this territory. The monument "Millennium of Russia" was dismantled and planned to be melted down.

On 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, the Soviet partisans sharply intensified their actions. The German command had to throw in the fight against them not only separate security divisions, but also a battalion from each field division. The central headquarters of the partisan movement organized a series of attacks on the German rear.

On January 27, a solemn salute was fired in Moscow and Leningrad in honor of the final deblockade of the northern capital. Three hundred and twenty-four guns struck in honor of the great victory. The Soviet Union was illuminated by a flash of triumphant joy.

Diary of a Leningrad schoolgirl Tatyana Savicheva

The offensive of the Soviet troops continued in the Narva, Gdov and Luga directions. The Germans made strong counterattacks. They even managed to encircle individual Soviet units. So, for two weeks they fought surrounded by a compound of the 256th Infantry 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 into the long-term German defenses and pushed the Germans back into the Baltic. 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, the Soviet troops of the Leningrad and 2nd Baltic fronts (the Volkhov front was disbanded, most of its troops were transferred to the Leningrad front, part to the 2nd Baltic) reached the line Narva - Lake Peipsi - Pskov - Ostrov - Idritsa. The Germans held on to the Panther line. At the direction of the Headquarters, the Soviet fronts went on the defensive. For more than a month and a half they fought continuous heavy battles. The armies suffered heavy losses in manpower, 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 blockade 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 the Days of Military Glory and Commemorative Dates of Russia”. The name of the Day of Military Glory was somewhat changed, it became known as "Day of the complete liberation by the Soviet troops of the city of Leningrad from the blockade of its Nazi troops (1944)".

The myth about the possibility of saving the inhabitants of Leningrad

The topic of the blockade of Leningrad did not remain aloof from the attention of "humanists and liberals." So, it has been said more than once that if the “cannibalistic regime” of Stalin surrendered the city to “European civilizers” (Germans and Finns), then it would be possible to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the northern capital.

Blockade Leningrad

These people completely forget about the military-strategic factor of Leningrad, when the fall of the northern capital would have caused a serious deterioration in the situation on the Soviet-German front. The German command got 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 storming Moscow or capturing the Caucasus. They do not even remember the moral factor: the loss of the northern capital would have weakened the morale of the people and the army at the most critical moment.

The “humanists” do not even remember the fact that the Nazi 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, Halder, Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces Command, noted in his diary Hitler's unshakable decision to "raze Moscow and Leningrad to the ground" in order to completely get rid of the population of these large cities. The Germans were not going to solve the problem of feeding the population of Soviet cities.

On July 16, 1941, at a meeting of the top leaders of the German Empire, this plan was confirmed. Finland claimed the Leningrad region. Hitler proposed to raze the northern capital of the USSR to the ground and give 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 he considered various options for the future of Leningrad. The authors of the report rejected the option of occupying the city, since they would have to supply the population. A scenario was proposed for a hermetic blockade of the city, 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 offered to "let go". It is clear that no one was going to feed them.

From Finland, Leningrad also did not have to expect anything good. 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 supplies to provide for the civilian population. On September 11, Finnish President Ryti told Berlin that "Leningrad should be liquidated as a large city," and the Neva would become the border between the two states.

Thus, the "enlightened Europeans" - Germans and Finns - proposed to raze Leningrad to the ground, and its population was to die of hunger. No one was going to feed the "Russian barbarians".

Know the Soviet people that you are the descendants of fearless warriors!
Know, Soviet people, that the blood of great heroes flows in you,
Those who gave their lives for their Motherland, without thinking about the benefits!
Know and honor the Soviet people the exploits of grandfathers and fathers!

On January 18, 1943, as a result of Operation Iskra, the blockade of Leningrad was broken! January 27, 1944, as a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod operation, Leningrad was finally liberated from the fascist blockade!

Documentary film "Ladoga" -1943 About the battle for Leningrad:

Documentary film "Ladoga" -1943 About the battle for Leningrad watch In contact with

By the beginning of 1943, the situation in Leningrad, surrounded by German troops, remained extremely difficult. The troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet were isolated from the rest of the Red Army. Attempts to de-blockade Leningrad in 1942 - the Lyuban and Sinyavin offensive operations - did not bring success. The shortest route between the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts - between the southern coast of Lake Ladoga and the village of Mga (the so-called Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky ledge, 12-16 km), was still occupied by units of the 18th German army.

Shells and bombs continued to explode on the streets and squares of the second capital of the USSR, people died, buildings collapsed. The city was under constant threat of air raids and artillery fire. The lack of land communication with the territory under the control of the Soviet troops caused great difficulties in the supply of fuel, raw materials for factories, and did not allow meeting the needs of the troops and the civilian population for food and essentials.

However, the position of Leningraders in the winter of 1942-1943. it was still a little better than the previous winter. Electricity was supplied to the city through a cable laid under water, and fuel was supplied through an underwater pipeline. The city was supplied with the necessary products and goods on the ice of the lake - the Road of Life. In addition, in addition to the highway, an iron branch was also built right on the ice of Lake Ladoga.

Major General Nikolai Pavlovich Simonyak, commander of the 136th Infantry Division, at an observation post. The photo was taken during the first day of the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad (Operation Iskra).

By the end of 1942, the Leningrad Front under the command of Leonid Govorov included: 67th Army - Commander Lieutenant General Mikhail Dukhanov, 55th Army - Lieutenant General Vladimir Sviridov, 23rd Army - Major General Alexander Cherepanov, 42nd Army in the army - Lieutenant General Ivan Nikolaev, the Primorsky Operational Group and the 13th Air Army - Colonel General of Aviation Stepan Rybalchenko. The main forces of the LF - the 42nd, 55th and 67th armies, defended themselves at the turn of Uritsk, Pushkin, south of Kolpino, Porogi, the right bank of the Neva to Lake Ladoga. The 67th Army operated in a 30 km strip along the right bank of the Neva from Poroga to Lake Ladoga, having a small foothold on the left bank of the river, in the area of ​​Moscow Dubrovka. The 55th Rifle Brigade of this army defended the road from the south, which passed through the ice of Lake Ladoga. The 23rd Army defended the northern approaches to Leningrad, located on the Karelian Isthmus.

Formations of the 23rd Army were often transferred to other, more dangerous directions. The 42nd Army defended the Pulkovo line. The Primorsky Operational Group (POG) was located on the Oranienbaum bridgehead.

The actions of the LF were supported by the Red Banner Baltic Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Vladimir Tributs, which was based at the mouth of the Neva River and in Kronstadt. He covered the coastal flanks of the front, supported the ground forces with his aircraft and naval artillery fire. In addition, the fleet held a number of islands in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, which covered the western approaches to the city. Leningrad was also supported by the Ladoga military flotilla. The air defense of Leningrad was carried out by the Leningrad Air Defense Army, which interacted with aviation and anti-aircraft artillery of the front and fleet. The military road on the ice of the lake and the transshipment bases on its shores were covered from the attacks of the Luftwaffe by the formations of a separate Ladoga air defense region.

By the beginning of 1943, the Volkhov Front under the command of General of the Army Kirill Meretsky included: the 2nd shock army, the 4th, 8th, 52nd, 54th, 59th armies and the 14th air army. But they took a direct part in the operation: the 2nd shock army - under the command of Lieutenant General Vladimir Romanovsky, the 54th Army - Lieutenant General Alexander Sukhomlin, the 8th Army - Lieutenant General Philip Starikov, the 14th Air Army - General Aviation Lieutenant Ivan Zhuravlev. They operated in a 300 km strip from Lake Ladoga to Lake Ilmen. On the right flank from Lake Ladoga to the Kirov railway, units of the 2nd shock and 8th armies were located.

The German command, after the failure of attempts to take the city in 1942, was forced to stop the fruitless offensive and order the troops to go on the defensive. The Red Army was opposed by the 18th German Army under the command of Georg Liederman, which was part of Army Group North. It consisted of 4 army corps and up to 26 divisions. The German troops were supported by the 1st Air Fleet of Aviation Colonel General Alfred Keller. In addition, on the northwestern approaches to the city, opposite the 23rd Soviet Army, there were 4 Finnish divisions from the Karelian Isthmus Task Force.

The tank landing of the Red Army is moving towards a breakthrough!

A unique film about the siege of Leningrad. Chronicle of those years:

Red Army soldiers take position and prepare for battle - breaking through the blockade of Leningrad

German defense

The Germans had the most powerful defense and dense grouping of troops in the most dangerous direction - the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge (its depth did not exceed 15 km). Here, between the city of Mga and Lake Ladoga, 5 German divisions were stationed - the main forces of the 26th and part of the divisions of the 54th Army Corps. They included about 60 thousand people, 700 guns and mortars, about 50 tanks and self-propelled guns. Each village was turned into a stronghold prepared for all-round defense, the positions were covered with minefields, wire fences and fortified with pillboxes. There were two lines of defense in total: the first included the constructions of the 8th State District Power Plant, the 1st and 2nd Gorodoks and the house of the city of Shlisselburg - from Leningrad, Lipka, Workers' settlements No. 4, 8, 7, Gontovaya Lipka - from the Volkhov Front , the second included work settlements No. 1 and No. 5, Podgornaya and Sinyavino stations, work settlement No. 6, and Mikhailovsky settlement. The defensive lines were saturated with nodes of resistance, had a developed network of trenches, shelters, dugouts, and means of fire destruction. As a result, the entire ledge resembled one fortified area.

The situation for the attacking side was aggravated by the wooded and swampy terrain in the area. In addition, there was a large area of ​​Sinyavino peat extraction, which was cut by deep ditches. The territory was impassable for armored vehicles and heavy artillery, and they were needed to destroy enemy fortifications. To overcome such a defense, powerful means of suppression and destruction were required, as well as a huge effort of the forces and means of the attacking side.

On January 2, 1943, in order to break the blockade of Leningrad, the Iskra strategic offensive operation began.

Girl from the besieged city-People of the legend (USSR 1985):

Plan and prepare for the operation. Shock groups of the Soviet army

Back in November 1942, the LF command submitted to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief their proposals for preparing a new offensive near Leningrad. It was planned to carry out two operations in December 1942 - February 1943. During the "Shlisselburg operation" it was proposed by the forces of the LF, together with the troops of the Volkhov Front, to break the blockade of the city and build a railway along Lake Ladoga. During the "Uritsa operation" they were going to break through a land corridor to the Oranienbaum bridgehead. The headquarters approved the first part of the operation - breaking through the blockade of Leningrad (directive No. 170696 of December 2, 1942). The operation received the code name "Iskra", the troops were to be in full combat readiness by January 1, 1943.

The operation plan was set out in more detail in Directive No. 170703 of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of December 8. The troops of the LF and VF received the task of breaking the German grouping in the area of ​​Lipka, Gaitolovo, Moscow Dubrovka, Shlisselburg and, thus, lifting the complete blockade of Leningrad. By the end of January 1943, the Red Army was to reach the line of the Moika River - Mikhailovsky - Tortolovo. The directive also announced the conduct of the "Mginsk operation" in February with the aim of defeating the German group in the Mga region and ensuring a strong railway link between Leningrad and the country. The coordination of the actions of the fronts was entrusted to Marshal Kliment Voroshilov.

Almost a month was allotted for the preparation of the operation. Much attention was paid to the interaction between the troops of the two fronts. In the rear, training fields and special camps were created for practicing offensive actions of formations in wooded and swampy areas and storming the enemy's echeloned defense. Formations of the 67th Army practiced methods of forcing the Neva on the ice and establishing a crossing for tanks and artillery. In the LF, on the instructions of Govorov, artillery groups were formed: long-range, special purpose, counter-mortar and a separate group of guards mortar units. By the beginning of the operation, thanks to the efforts of intelligence, the command was able to get a pretty good idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe German defense. In December, a thaw occurred, so the ice on the Neva was weak, and the swampy terrain was difficult to access, therefore, at the suggestion of the commander of the LF, the Headquarters postponed the start of the operation to January 12, 1943. In early January, the State Defense Committee sent Georgy Zhukov to the Volkhov Front to reinforce it.

To carry out the operation, strike groups were formed as part of the LF and VF fronts, which were reinforced with armored, artillery and engineering formations, including those from the Stavka reserve. On the Volkhov front, the basis of the shock group was the 2nd shock army of Romanovsky. In its composition, including the army reserve, there were 12 rifle divisions, 4 tank, 1 rifle and 3 ski brigades, a breakthrough tank guards regiment, 4 separate tank battalions: 165 thousand people, 2100-2200 guns and mortars, 225 tanks. From the air, the army was supported by about 400 aircraft. The army received the task of penetrating the enemy's defenses on a 12 km section from the village of Lipki on the shores of Lake Ladoga and to Gaitolovo, reaching the line of Workers' settlements No. In addition, the troops of the 8th Army: 2 rifle divisions, a marine brigade, a separate tank regiment and 2 separate tank battalions, delivered an auxiliary strike in the direction of Tortolovo, the village of Mikhailovsky. The offensive of the 2nd shock and 8th army was supported by about 2885 guns and mortars.

On the part of the LF, the main role was to be played by Dukhanov's 67th Army. It consisted of 7 rifle divisions (one Guards), 6 rifle, 3 tank and 2 ski brigades, 2 separate tank battalions. The offensive was supported by the artillery of the army, the front, the Baltic Fleet (88 guns with a caliber of 130-406 mm) - about 1900 barrels, the 13th Air Army and naval aviation - about 450 aircraft and about 200 tanks. Parts of the 67th Army were to cross the Neva on the 12 km section between the Nevsky Piglet and Shlisselburg, concentrating the main efforts in the direction of Maryino, Sinyavino. The troops of the LF, having broken through the German defenses in the Moscow Dubrovka, Shlisselburg sector, were supposed to connect with the formations of the VF at the turn of Workers' settlements No. 2, 5 and 6, and then develop the offensive to the southeast and reach the line on the Moika River.

Both shock groups numbered about 300 thousand people, about 4900 guns and mortars, about 600 tanks and more than 800 aircraft.

Sappers of the Volkhov Front, Red Army soldier A.G. Zubakin and Sergeant M.V. Kamensky (right) making passes in a wire fence in the Sinyavino area. The photo was taken during the first day of the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad (Operation Iskra).

Blockade Leningrad. 7th symphony by Shestakovich:

Beginning of the offensive. January 12, 1943

On the morning of January 12, 1943, the troops of the two fronts simultaneously launched an offensive. Previously, at night, aviation dealt a powerful blow to the positions of the Wehrmacht in the breakthrough zone, as well as to airfields, command posts, communications and railway junctions in the enemy rear. Tons of metal fell on the Germans, destroying their manpower, destroying defenses and suppressing morale. At 9:30 am, the artillery of the two fronts began artillery preparation: in the offensive zone of the 2nd shock army, it lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes, and in the sector of the 67th army - 2 hours and 20 minutes. 40 minutes before the start of the movement of infantry and armored vehicles, attack aviation, in groups of 6-8 aircraft, attacked previously reconnoitered artillery, mortar positions, strongholds and communication centers.

At 11:50, under the cover of the “barrage of fire” and the fire of the 16th fortified area, the divisions of the first echelon of the 67th Army went on the attack. Each of the four divisions - the 45th Guards, 268th, 136th, 86th Rifle Divisions - were reinforced by several artillery and mortar regiments, an anti-tank artillery regiment, and one or two engineer battalions. In addition, the offensive was supported by 147 light tanks and armored cars, the weight of which could withstand the ice. The particular complexity of the operation was that the defensive positions of the Wehrmacht went along the steep, icy left bank of the river, which was higher than the right. The German fire weapons were located in tiers and covered all the approaches to the coast with multi-layered fire. In order to break through to the other side, it was necessary to reliably suppress the German firing points, especially in the first line. At the same time, care had to be taken not to damage the ice near the left bank.

The assault groups were the first to break through to the other side of the Neva. Their fighters selflessly made passages in the barriers. Rifle and tank units crossed the river behind them. After a fierce battle, the enemy defenses were broken in the area north of the 2nd Gorodok (268th rifle division and 86th separate tank battalion) and in the Maryino area (136th division and formations of the 61st tank brigade). By the end of the day, Soviet troops broke the resistance of the 170th German Infantry Division between the 2nd Gorodok and Shlisselburg. The 67th Army captured the bridgehead between the 2nd Gorodok and Shlisselburg, the construction of a crossing for medium and heavy tanks and heavy artillery began (completed on January 14). On the flanks, the situation was more difficult: on the right wing, the 45th Guards Rifle Division in the "Nevsky Piglet" area was able to capture only the first line of German fortifications; on the left wing, the 86th Infantry Division was unable to cross the Neva near Shlisselburg (it was transferred to the bridgehead in the Maryino area in order to strike Shlisselburg from the south).

In the offensive zone of the 2nd shock (went on the offensive at 11:15) and the 8th armies (at 11:30), the offensive developed with great difficulty. Aviation and artillery were unable to suppress the main enemy firing points, and the swamps were difficult to pass even in winter. The most fierce battles were fought for the points of Lipka, Workers' Settlement No. 8 and Gontovaya Lipka, these strongholds were on the flanks of the breaking forces and continued the battle even in complete encirclement. On the right flank and in the center - the 128th, 372nd and 256th rifle divisions, were able to break through the defenses of the 227th infantry division by the end of the day and advance 2-3 km. The strongholds of Lipka and Workers' Settlement No. 8 could not be taken that day. On the left flank, only the 327th Infantry Division was able to achieve some success, which occupied most of the fortification in the Kruglaya grove. The attacks of the 376th division and the forces of the 8th army were not successful.

The German command, already on the first day of the battle, was forced to commit operational reserves into battle: formations of the 96th Infantry Division and the 5th Mountain Division sent to the aid of the 170th Division, two regiments of the 61st Infantry Division (“Major General Huner’s group ”) were introduced into the center of the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge.

Leningrad in the fight (USSR, 1942):

Full film Leningrad in the fight (USSR, 1942) watch In contact with V YouTube

Leningrad Front- commander: lieutenant general (since January 15, 1943 - colonel general) L.A. Govorov

Volkhov Front- commander: general of the army K.A. Meretskov.

Fights 13 - 17 January

On the morning of January 13, the offensive continued. The Soviet command, in order to finally turn the tide in its favor, began to bring into battle the second echelon of the advancing armies. However, the Germans, relying on strongholds and a developed defense system, offered stubborn resistance, the battles took on a protracted and fierce character.

In the offensive zone of the 67th Army on the left flank, the 86th Infantry Division and a battalion of armored vehicles, with support from the north of the 34th Ski Brigade and the 55th Infantry Brigade (on the ice of the lake), stormed the approaches to Shlisselburg for several days. By the evening of the 15th, the Red Army reached the outskirts of the city, the German troops in Shlisselburg found themselves in a critical situation, but continued to fight stubbornly.

In the center, the 136th Rifle Division and the 61st Tank Brigade developed an offensive in the direction of Workers' Settlement No. 5. To ensure the left flank of the division, the 123rd Rifle Brigade was brought into battle, it was supposed to advance in the direction of Workers' Settlement No. 3. Then, to ensure the right flank, the 123rd Infantry Division and a tank brigade were brought into battle, they advanced in the direction of Workers' Settlement No. 6, Sinyavino. After several days of fighting, the 123rd Rifle Brigade captured Rabochey Settlement No. 3 and reached the outskirts of Settlements No. 1 and No. 2. The 136th Division made its way to Workers Settlement No. 5, but could not immediately take it.

On the right wing of the 67th Army, the attacks of the 45th Guards and 268th Rifle Divisions were still unsuccessful. The Air Force and artillery were unable to eliminate firing points in the 1st, 2nd Gorodok and 8th GRES. In addition, the German troops received reinforcements - formations of the 96th Infantry and 5th Mountain Divisions. The Germans even made fierce counterattacks, using the 502nd heavy tank battalion, which was armed with heavy Tiger I tanks. Soviet troops, despite the introduction of troops of the second echelon - the 13th rifle division, the 102nd and 142nd rifle brigades into battle, could not turn the tide in this sector in their favor.

In the zone of the 2nd shock army, the offensive continued to develop more slowly than that of the 67th army. German troops, relying on strongholds - Workers' settlements No. 7 and No. 8, Lipke, continued to put up stubborn resistance. On January 13, despite the introduction of part of the forces of the second echelon into the battle, the troops of the 2nd shock army did not achieve serious success in any direction. In the following days, the army command tried to expand the breakthrough in the southern sector from the Kruglaya grove to Gaitolovo, but without significant results. The 256th Rifle Division was able to achieve the greatest success in this direction; on January 14, it occupied Workers' Settlement No. 7, Podgornaya station and reached the approaches to Sinyavino. On the right wing, the 12th ski brigade was sent to help the 128th division, it was supposed to go on the ice of Lake Ladoga to the rear of the Lipka stronghold.

On January 15, in the center of the offensive zone, the 372nd Rifle Division was finally able to take Workers' settlements No. 8 and No. 4, and on the 17th they left the village No. 1. By this day, the 18th Rifle Division and the 98th Tank Brigade of the 2nd UA had already been several days fought a stubborn battle on the outskirts of Workers' Settlement No. 5. Units of the 67th Army attacked it from the west. The moment of joining the two armies was close...

As a result of the January battles of 1943, the southern coast of Lake Ladoga was cleared of the enemy. Between Lake Ladoga and the front line formed corridor 8-11 km wide, through which within 17 days railroads and roads were built.

The blockade was completely lifted January 27, 1944 as a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation.

The blockade of Leningrad lasted from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944. During this time, 107 thousand air bombs were dropped on the northern capital, about 150 thousand shells were fired. According to various sources, from 400 thousand to 1 million people died during the years of the blockade. In particular, the number of 632 thousand people appeared at the Nuremberg trials. Only 3% of them died from bombing and shelling, the remaining 97% died of starvation.

The daily norm of bread in besieged Leningrad.

The light cruiser "Kirov" salutes in honor of the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad!

Leningrad. Firework. Breaking the blockade of Leningrad (January 27, 1944):