Here lie the Leningraders.
All my life
The cradle of the revolution.
Olga Berggolts
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.
Olga Berggolts
Saint Petersburg. Piskarevsky Memorial Cemetery.
Olga Bergholz. Brief historical background.
Olga Fedorovna Berggolts (1910-1975) - Russian Soviet poet, prose writer.
Born in St. Petersburg.
At the end of 1938, for refusing to “cooperate with the investigation” in the case of her first husband, the poet Boris Kornilov (shot in 1938 as an “enemy of the people”), she was arrested and, despite her pregnancy, was tortured and tortured. There, in prison, she gave birth to a dead child. Earlier, in the 30s, she buried her two little daughters, who died as a result of serious illnesses.
After the intervention of the writer Alexander Fadeev (the future Secretary General Union Soviet writers) was released from prison and fully rehabilitated - a rare occurrence for that time!
Then she wrote in her diary: “They took out the soul, dug into it with smelly fingers, spit on it, crap, then put it back and say: live!”
Before the war, in March 1941, she wrote prophetic verses:
I don't know, I don't know, I live - and I don't know
when will I have time, when will I sing
azure in the middle, black on the edge
cherished, my best song ...
What will it be about? I do not know,
but the June surf knows about it,
Yes, a brave flock of homeless seagulls,
Yes, a heart that is only with you.
During the war years, Olga Fedorovna, working on the Leningrad radio, became the Muse and Voice of the besieged Leningrad. During all the days of the Siege, her poems, her programs were for hundreds of thousands of Leningraders the only thread that connected them with the outside world, and with life itself - on the verge of death. On her initiative, on August 9, 1942, a live broadcast of the first performance in Leningrad of Dmitri Shostakovich's famous 7th symphony was organized. Great music was heard by the residents of Leningrad, the soldiers of the Red Army, as well as the soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht who besieged the city, many of whom realized at that moment that there would be no victory here ...
In the 42nd, the most difficult year of the Blockade, Olga Berggolts continued to lose her closest people. Her second husband, literary critic Nikolai Molchanov, died of starvation. Then, he was arrested and exiled to the Siberian town of Minusinsk, his father - a famous surgeon - Fedor Khristoforovich Berggolts. Behind him, according to the "authorities", there were two "mortal sins" - nationality (German) and unwillingness to become an informer. In the same year, 1942, Olga Fedorovna wrote her the best works dedicated to the defenders of Leningrad - "February Diary" and "Leningrad Poem".
On the granite stele of the Piskarevsky memorial cemetery, where hundreds of thousands of people who died during the Siege and in the battles defending the city are buried, the words of Olga Berggolts are carved (given above).
After the war, she was awarded the Stalin Prize (1951). In the future, she became a holder of the Orders of Lenin (1967) and the Red Banner of Labor (1960).
Olga Fedorovna Bergholz died in Leningrad on November 13, 1975. Her last will - to be buried at the Piskarevsky cemetery - was not fulfilled - this was opposed by the first secretary of the Leningrad regional party committee G.V. Romanov. She was buried at the Literary bridges of the Volkovsky cemetery.
19 years after her death - in 1994 - she was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of St. Petersburg".
Face of Victory
Victory's face is not girlish,
and it is like a grave com.
Victory's face is not chiseled,
but outlined with a bayonet.
Victory has a weeping face.
Her forehead is like a hillock in the trenches.
Victory has a face that has suffered -
Olga Feodorovna Bergholz.
Evgeny Yevtushenko
70 years ago, a great event took place, after 900 days of a complete blockade, a decisive blow was dealt to the Nazi troops and the blockade was broken. Soviet army together with civilian population Leningrad, the city was liberated.
We bow before the courage of the participants in the defense and the inhabitants of Leningrad. Faith in victory, in goodness, justice, in a peaceful life helped them overcome completely unimaginable trials. No matter how many years have passed since January 1944, the feat of the defenders of Leningrad will forever remain in our memory and the memory of future generations. A low bow to you, dear veterans and blockade survivors, for your gift to us, for the opportunity to live and work in peace today.
Roman Chernov wished the veterans peace, prosperity, happiness and health, for long years life, attention and love of loved ones.
Now in the northern capital there is a historical installation dedicated to the besieged city. In just one night, the former Rakov Street turned into an open-air museum - the life of the besieged city is carefully recreated here. The legendary "lorry", which carried food to the city, anti-aircraft guns that defended northern capital, and anti-tank hedgehogs. The equipment is real, the organizers assure: everything is the same as it was 70 years ago.
In December 1941, due to a lack of electricity in Leningrad, the public transport. The city was destroyed, the Germans said then. However, on April 15, 1942, the cars entered the routes. Then the poet Nikolai Tikhonov said: spring was brought to the city not by swallows, but by trams.
At that time, public transport saved many lives: in the salons, people escaped from severe frosts, and today Leningraders bring flowers to the vehicles. And Alexandra Pavlovna remembers those days well - in 1941 she was barely 20 years old, she worked at the Arsenal arms factory. He says that he still remembers almost every day of the blockade. One scene especially stuck in my memory: “Young guys are sitting by the stove, they are sharing tobacco, young guys. They say: “Well, why didn’t you give me so little, I gave you more bread!” That’s the state people had.”
Even more accurately, the state of people is conveyed by documents - pictures of destroyed buildings or copies of advertisements: then Leningraders tried to exchange literally everything for food - from underwear to furniture. Dozens of volunteers tell about this on the "Street of Life" - they conduct excursions for schoolchildren. “They are shocked that they ate everything then, even belts,” volunteer Albina Kalmykova says.
More more stories you can learn from the blockade runners themselves - how they defended the city, how they brought food to Leningrad, how they hid St. Isaac's Cathedral from the Germans. “They climbed up, painted the bonnet - in this way the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral disappeared in a week,” recalls Mikhail Bobrov, a participant in the defense of Leningrad.
It will be possible to see how the city lived during the most terrible 900 days of blockade in its history for two days. Everything will end on January 27 after a minute of silence - from the first notes of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, which the whole world knows as "Leningrad".
How the besieged Leningrad lived
Leningrad blockade
The blockade of Leningrad is a tragic and heroic period in the history of the city. Offensive fascist troops to Leningrad, the capture of which the German command attached importance strategic importance began in the summer of 1941. Army Group North under the command of Field Marshal von Leeb was advancing on Leningrad. In August, heavy fighting was already on the outskirts of the city, German troops cut off the railways that connected Leningrad with the country. On September 8, 1941, the 900-day siege of Leningrad began.
According to Hitler's plan, the city was to be wiped off the face of the earth, and the troops defending it were to be destroyed. Having failed in attempts to break through the defense Soviet troops inside the blockade ring, the Germans decided to starve the city out. On September 13, shelling of the city began, which continued throughout the war.
More than 2.5 million inhabitants, including 400,000 children, turned out to be in the besieged city.
There were very few food and fuel supplies. The resulting famine, exacerbated by bombing, problems with heating and paralysis of transport, led to hundreds of thousands of deaths among the inhabitants. But Leningraders continued to work - administrative and children's institutions, printing houses, clinics, theaters worked, scientists continued to work. Teenagers worked in factories, replacing their fathers who had gone to the front.
Lake Ladoga remained the only way to communicate with besieged Leningrad. On November 22, the movement of cars began along the ice road, which was called the Road of Life. The Germans bombed and shelled the road, but they failed to stop the movement. In winter, the population was evacuated and food was delivered. In total, about a million people were evacuated.
On January 18, 1943, the blockade was broken and the enemy was driven back from the city. And the blockade was finally lifted on January 27, 1944. The blockade of Leningrad became the bloodiest blockade in the history of mankind. According to various sources, from 400 thousand to 1.5 million people died in the city over the years.
On Monday, January 27, St. Petersburg will celebrate 70 years since the city was completely liberated from the fascist blockade. The program of events, the start time of memory actions, festive concerts, fireworks and other details of tomorrow's holiday are in our material.
January 27 , on Monday, St. Petersburg is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the complete liberation of the city from the fascist blockade. 872 days survived Leningrad in the ring German troops, having only a thin thread of connection with the mainland. Operation to liberate Leningrad from fascist invaders started January 14, 1944, when the troops of the Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic fronts united and launched the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation. Leningrad was completely liberated from the blockade ring January 27, 1944. On this occasion, a salute took place in the liberated city, which the inhabitants of the besieged city call the Leningrad salute.
January 27, 2014 at 19:00 on both sides of Nevsky Prospekt 1944 young girls and boys will commemorate dead by the minute silence, holding candles in their hands. At this time, the light of city shop windows will be extinguished.
Beginning with 19:00 hours, the action of memory will continue on the Palace Square. From 19:00 to 21:00 a live composition "900 days" will be created on Palace Square, a youth action in memory of "Undefeated Leningrad" will be held. At the Pillar of Alexandria, the atmosphere of the blockade years will be recreated - there will be military equipment, guns, anti-tank "hedgehogs". The installation “Children of Besieged Leningrad” will be located near the Arch of the General Staff building, and a 3D film based on military newsreels will be projected onto the facade of the General Staff Building. At 21:00 The big holiday will end with a solemn salute from the Peter and Paul Fortress.
On Monday, January 27, many cultural venues in St. Petersburg will host events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the city from the fascist blockade.
IN 10:00 in the Museum of Gorelektrotransport (Sredny Prospekt V.O., 77) the Choir of the Siege will perform and an exhibition will open, as well as a flower-laying ceremony at commemorative plaque in honor of the feat of the trammen of besieged Leningrad (Sredny Prospekt V.O., 69),
Immediately after the end of the ceremony, blockade trams will take to the streets of the city. Blockade trams will pass along the route: Sredny Prospect V.O., Gavanskaya Street, Maly Prospekt V.O., Nalichnaya Street, Korablestroiteley Street and back;
IN 11:00 a parade of troops from the St. Petersburg Territorial Garrison of the Western Military District will begin on Nepokorennyh Avenue;
IN 19:00 on the second stage of the Mariinsky Theater (Dekabristov Street, 34) a gala concert "Songs of the War Years" will take place;
IN 19:00 in the Great Hall of the Academic Philharmonic named after D.D. Shostakovich (Mikhailovskaya street, house 2) will host the "Leningrad Concert";
IN 19:00 a gala concert will take place in the Academic Chapel (Moika Embankment, 20);
IN 20:00 at the Drama Theater named after A.S. Pushkin (Ostrovsky Square, building 2) will host the performance "Requiem", organized by the Boris Eifman Academic Ballet Theatre;
On the square in front of the Anichkov Palace (Nevsky Prospekt, 39) a memorial action "Candle in the Window";
- January to June V exhibition hall Archival Committee (Tavricheskaya Street, 39) will open an exhibition of archival blockade documents;
In honor of the holiday of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade, torches will be lit on the Rostral columns - with 10:00 to 13:00 and from 19:00 to 22:00;
- January 27 at 21:00 in the Peter and Paul Fortress, in Victory Park and in the park of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, fireworks will thunder.
Local events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade will be held in all districts of St. complete list celebrations can be found.
The editors of the site sincerely congratulate the citizens of Leningrad-Petersburg on the heroic holiday - the 70th anniversary of the complete liberation of the city from the fascist blockade!
January 23 at 12 noon in the Upper Park at the memorial "Common Grave of Soviet Soldiers Who Died in the Great Patriotic War" a solemn and mourning ceremony dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade will be held.January 24 at 18:00 V music school Krasnoye Selo (Lenin Ave., 98) - a concert dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Leningrad from the blockade. The program includes performances by the soloists of the school, songs of the war years. Everyone is welcome.
January 27 at 17:00 in the library on Lermontov, 26, a musical evening "Music of the Leningrad Siege" will be held with the participation of the singer-songwriter Alexei Nosov. Everyone is welcome.
January 26, solemn and mourning ceremonies of laying wreaths and flowers will be held in the following places:
- at 9:30 on Nevsky prospect, house 14;
- at 11:00 at the Piskarevsky Memorial Cemetery (the ceremony will be broadcast);
- at 11:00 at the Serafimovsky cemetery;
- at 11:00 on Victory Square;
- at 11:00 at the Smolensk memorial cemetery;
- at 11:00 to the memorial to the defenders of the Oranienbaum bridgehead;
- at 12:00 at the Nevsky Memorial Cemetery "Cranes";
- at 12:30 at the Theological Cemetery (Hill of Glory);
- at 12:30 to the monument to Marshal L.A. Govorov (Stachek Square).
January 26, at 12:00 The 45th International Winter Marathon "Road of Life" starts. Everyone can take part in the run for 5, 10, 21.097 or 42.195 kilometers. The start of the run is on the shore of Lake Ladoga near the Broken Ring monument, the finish of the marathon is at the Flower of Life memorial, 3 kilometers from Vsevolozhsk. For the first time, pacemakers will be presented at the main distance of the marathon - experienced athletes who will run for a predetermined time. They will have a mark indicating the time they are running. Thus, the athletes will serve as a guide for other participants in the run.
January 26, at 15:00 at the memorial "January Thunder" (Lomonosovsky district Leningrad region) will be organized military-historical reconstruction"In the breakthrough zone." Military aircraft, tanks (including the legendary T-34), artillery, cars, motorcycles and other equipment of the war years will be used in the reconstruction of the battles. More than 400 participants and more than 10,000 spectators will take part in it. A field kitchen will be organized. Free admission.
January 27, at 10:00 in the Museum of Gorelektrotransport (Sredny Prospekt VO, 77) the Choir of the Siege will perform and an exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade will open.
At 10:30 there will be a flower-laying ceremony at the memorial plaque in honor of the feat of the trammen of besieged Leningrad (69, Sredny Prospekt V.O.).
After the ceremony, a parade of retro trams that worked on the streets of Leningrad during the years of the blockade will begin. Retro trams will run along Sredny Prospekt V.O., along Gavanskaya Street, along Maly Prospekt V.O., Nalichnaya Street, Korablestroiteley Street, and further to reverse side.
January 27, at 19:00 on two sides of Nevsky Prospekt 1944 young girls and boys with candles in their hands will line up for a city-wide Minute of Silence. At the expense of the famous Leningrad metronome, the main avenue of the city will be turned off from the light of advertising windows. The action will continue on Palace Square with the creation of a live composition "900 days".
January 27, from 19:00 to 21:00 a youth action in memory of "Undefeated Leningrad" will be held on Palace Square. On this day, the atmosphere of the life of besieged Leningrad will be recreated at the Pillar of Alexandria. More than 20 pieces of military equipment, artillery pieces and anti-tank barriers will be exhibited on Palace Square. The installation site "Children of besieged Leningrad" will be open near the arch of the General Staff from 19:00, where young citizens will be able to learn about the life and life of their peers who found themselves in the besieged city. A large-scale 3D event created on the basis of newsreel footage will be broadcast on the facade of the General Staff Building. It will take the Petersburgers to the military besieged Leningrad. On the screens, viewers will see photo and video chronicles of air raids, air bombardments, battles for the liberation of the city, tears of joy of people who survived until the day of liberation. The holiday will end with the Salute of Victory.
On January 27 at 21:00 in the Peter and Paul Fortress, in Victory Park and in the park of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, fireworks will thunder.
Dear veterans! Dear Leningraders!
Residents of the Krasnoselsky district!
January 27, 2014 70th anniversary of one of the most greatest events Great Patriotic War: "The day of the complete liberation by the Soviet troops of the city of Leningrad from the blockade by the Nazi troops." This date is rightfully the day of military glory of Russia, which embodies the unseen in the history of human civilization fortitude, courage and mass heroism of the inhabitants of the city, who withstood the 900-day blockade, fettering the largest strategic grouping of the enemy and thereby saving not only their beautiful city from destruction, Baltic Fleet, Moscow, but the whole country as a whole. This is a special date for the Krasnoselsk land, which since September 1941 has become the fiery frontier of the city's defense. Names will remain forever in the memory of Leningraders settlements Uritsk, Volodarsky, Krasnoye Selo, Dudergovka, Voronya Gora.
For more than 3 years, the besieged city went to the long-awaited Victory. In January 1943, the blockade was broken. But for a whole year the city lived in conditions when the enemy fired at it from convenient positions. On January 14, 1944, Operation January Thunder began. During the period when the blockade ring was broken, Krasnoselskaya land became an arena significant events. Soviet troops went on the offensive from the Primorsky bridgehead to Ropsha, and on January 15, 1944 from Leningrad to Krasnoe Selo. After stubborn fighting on January 20, Soviet troops united in the Ropsha area and completely destroyed the encircled Peterhof-Strelninskaya enemy grouping. By January 21, 1944, the territory of the modern Krasnoselsky district was completely liberated. On January 27, 1944, in honor of the complete lifting of the blockade of Leningrad, a festive salute thundered in the city.
The Krasnoselsky district still remains closely connected with the events of the blockade days. The layout of the post-war quarters was organized in such a way as to preserve memorable places: Polezhaevsky park and the line of defense, on which there are monuments and streets dedicated to the events and heroes who defended the hero city of Leningrad. The memory of those battles, the courage and heroism of the fighters and commanders, of our countrymen who were not broken by the enemy, will remain in our hearts forever.
Dear veterans, residents of besieged Leningrad, home front workers, a deep bow to you for your feat, for your military work! We are indebted to you and always remember this!
Member of the Government of St. Petersburg
head of administration of the Krasnoselsky district
E.V. Nikolsky
DEAR VETERANS! January 19 marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Krasnoye Selo, on January 27 we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade.
The memory of the heroism of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War is immortal. A low bow and many thanks to you, dear veterans, to all those who defended victory in the rear and at the front. You carried through the years the memory of losses and suffering, you managed to find the strength in yourself, to endure, and in spite of everything, joyfully meet today!
We sincerely wish you good health, well-being, optimism, warmth and care of your loved ones!
Low bow to you, honor and glory!
The head of the city of Krasnoe Selo N.S. Koloshinskiy,
Deputies of the Municipal Council of the Moscow Region of Krasnoe Selo,
Acting Head of the Local Administration G.S. Mikaelyan
Similar news:
DAYS OF MILITARY GLORY
And the one that today says goodbye to the dear,
Let her melt her pain into strength.
We swear to children, we swear to graves,
That no one will force us to submit.
July 1941, Leningrad. A. Akhmatova
Day of the liberation of Leningrad from the enemy blockade.
January 27 is the day of complete liberation from the enemy blockade of Leningrad. The offensive operation "Iskra", which began on January 12, 1943, ended six days later with the uniting of the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts and the liberation of Shlisselburg, a fortress at the source of the Neva, so the breakthrough of the Blockade began. A year later, the city was completely liberated.
Breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad began on the orders of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on January 12, 1943.
The general plan of the operation was to defeat the grouping of Nazi troops holding the Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky ledge with counter attacks from two fronts - Leningrad from the west and Volkhov from the east. The command of the fronts was entrusted to Lieutenant General L. A. Govorov and General of the Army K. A. Meretskov. The interaction was coordinated by representatives of the Headquarters - General of the Army G.K. Zhukov and Marshal K.E. Voroshilov.
January 12, 1943. after careful preparation, the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front (General M.P. Dukhanov) delivered a powerful blow from west to east. The 2nd shock and 8th armies of the Volkhov Front under the command of generals V. Z. Romanovsky and F. N. Starikov made their way towards her. The offensive was supported by fire from ships, coastal artillery and aviation Baltic Fleet and long-range aviation.
January 18, 1943. at 9.30 on the eastern outskirts of Workers' settlement No. 1 near Shlisselburg, after a decisive attack, units of the 123rd Infantry Brigade of the Leningrad Front joined with units of the 372nd Division of the Volkhov Front. Later there were meetings and other Soviet military formations. On the same day, Shlisselburg and the entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga were completely liberated.
Around midnight on January 18, a message was broadcast on the radio about the breaking of the blockade. The townspeople who took to the streets and avenues rejoiced. Early in the morning of January 19, the hero city was decorated with flags.
The Germans recaptured a corridor along the southern shore of Lake Ladoga with a width of 8 to 11 kilometers, which restored the land connection of the long-suffering city on the Neva with the "mainland". For 17 days, roads and railways were laid along the coast, which was shot through by the enemy. But it was not possible to build on this success: the blockade was completely lifted only a year later.
Construction began on the southern shore of Lake Ladoga railway Shlisselburg - Glades with a length of 36 km. On February 6, trains went to Leningrad along the new "Road of Life".
With the breaking of the blockade, the situation on the entire Leningrad front improved significantly. The complete blockade ring was removed only a year later - on January 27, 1944.
sad dates important events Besieged Leningrad.
1941
September 4 - The beginning of the artillery shelling of the city of Leningrad and its environs.
September 8 - Shlisselburg is captured by the Nazis. The beginning of the economic blockade of Leningrad. The first massive enemy air raids on the city begin.
September 12 - Reducing the norms for issuing food products to the population (bread, meat, cereals). The first ships with food for the besieged city arrive in Osinowitz east coast Lake Ladoga.
November 16 - food cargoes began to arrive in Leningrad by air.
December 25 - For the first time, on the eve of the new year 1942, the rate of distribution of bread to the population was increased.
1942
1943
January 18 - breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad by formations of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts.
February 6 - The first train with food arrived in Leningrad along the railway built after the breakthrough.
1944
As eyewitnesses of the blockade recall, in July 1941 it was still possible to buy crabs, stew, and chocolate in commercial stores. And the bread, which they began to give on the cards, was enough in abundance. Even in September, the approach of the catastrophe was not yet felt. In October, the meager food supplies of the townspeople dried up, and there was nothing left in stores except black bread on food cards. And in November, when the norms for issuing bread fell to 125 grams (this is the size of a modern bun), famine set in.
In two and a half years, 632,253 Leningraders died of starvation.
Operation Spark
By the beginning of 1943, the situation of besieged Leningrad remained extremely difficult.
Breaking the blockade
Meeting of the soldiers of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts
By the beginning of 1943, the situation of besieged Leningrad remained extremely difficult. Bombs and shells continued to explode on its streets and squares, people died, buildings collapsed. The lack of a land connection with the country made it difficult to supply fuel and raw materials for industry, and did not allow satisfying the urgent needs of the troops and the population for food. Nevertheless, the situation of Leningraders was somewhat better than the previous winter: electricity was supplied to the city through an underwater cable, and oil products were supplied through an underwater pipeline. Leningrad was supplied with products through the ice highway(See: Road of Life), and in addition to the highway, a railway line was also built right on the ice of Lake Ladoga.
After the failure of attempts to capture Leningrad in 1942, the German fascist command was forced to stop fruitless attacks and ordered the troops to go over to the defensive. The troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were opposed by the 18th german army, numbering up to 26 divisions. She was supported by the aviation of the 1st Air Fleet. On the northwestern approaches to Leningrad, against the 23rd Army of the Leningrad Front, there were more than 4 Finnish divisions from the Karelian Isthmus Task Force.
The enemy had the densest grouping of troops in the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge (its depth did not exceed 15 km). Here, between the city of Mga and Lake Ladoga, there were about five divisions. They included almost 700 guns and mortars, up to 50 tanks and assault guns. The divisions were well manned (up to 10-12 thousand people each).
The development of an operation plan to break the blockade of Leningrad began in the autumn of 1942. On November 22, the Military Council of the Leningrad Front reported to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command its thoughts on military operations for the winter period. This document, in particular, stated: “... The Leningrad Front should begin preparations together with the Volkhov Front offensive operation in order to break through the blockade and thereby achieve a decisive change in the operational position of the front ... Assessing the various directions for striking, we consider it most advantageous to organize a breakthrough of the enemy's front in the Shlisselburg direction (in the sector 1st Gorodok - Shlisselburg) with a breakthrough front width of 10 km and for the Volkhov Front, respectively, in the Lipka-Mishkino sector, with both fronts delivering a blow to Snnyavino. The coordination of the actions of the fronts was entrusted to Marshal Voroshilov.
On the morning of January 12, 1943, the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts simultaneously launched an offensive.
Of particular difficulty was the breakthrough of the defense in the band of the 67th Army. Here the enemy positions passed along the steep, icy left bank of the Neva, which had an excess over the right. Enemy firepower deployed in tiers covered the approaches to the shore with multi-layered fire. When crossing the Neva on the ice and storming the front line of the enemy defense, the troops were required to exert maximum effort. The most important condition success in this was the reliable suppression of enemy fire weapons, especially at the forefront, by artillery fire.
From January 15 to January 18, the troops of the shock groupings of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts continued to persistently move towards each other, expanding the breakthrough towards the flanks. The enemy, suffering huge losses, lost one position after another. The ring around its units operating in the northern part of the Sinyavino ledge was gradually shrinking.
In the morning of January 18, the troops of the 2nd shock and 67th armies united in the area of Workers' settlements No. 1 and No. 5. By the end of the day, the south coast of Lake Ladoga was cleared of the enemy, and his scattered groups were eliminated. In these battles, the troops of the Volkhov Front captured the German new heavy tank Tiger.
Artillery of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet provided effective assistance to the advancing troops. The fire of large-caliber guns of the 301st, 402nd and 405th artillery battalions, destroyers "Svirepy" and "Storozhevoy", gunboats"Oka" and "Zeya" destroyed fortifications the enemy, reliably suppressed his batteries. During the offensive, naval artillery used up 15.5 thousand shells.
January 18, 1943, as soon as Moscow received information about the breaking of the blockade, State Committee The defense decided to accelerate the construction of a railway line on the liberated narrow strip of land, which was supposed to connect Leningrad with the Volkhov railway junction. This road from Polyana station to Shlisselburg was built in just 18 days. Across the Neva, the builders erected a temporary railway bridge. On the morning of February 7, Leningraders met the first train that came from big land. Automobile traffic also began along the southern shore of Lake Ladoga. The Road of Life continued to work as before. The largest political, industrial and cultural center Soviet Union after a hard 16-month struggle, he regained land communication with the country. With the establishment of rail and road links with Leningrad, the food supply to the city improved significantly. Industrial enterprises began to receive more raw materials and fuel. Beginning in February 1943, electricity generation in the city increased sharply, and the production of weapons increased noticeably.
The restoration of land communications made it possible to continuously reinforce the troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet with replenishment, military equipment and ammunition. As a result, the forces of the defenders of the city began to grow rapidly. All this improved the strategic position of the Soviet troops operating in the northwestern direction.
However, a year after the blockade was broken, Leningrad was under a state of siege, and the siege was completely lifted only during Operation January Thunder.
Although only a narrow corridor from the Volkhov Front to Shlisselburg was recaptured as a result of the breakthrough, a strip of peat bog eight to eleven kilometers wide made it possible to restore land communications with Leningrad until the final lifting of the blockade. On the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, the construction of the Shlisselburg-Polyany railway, 36 km long, began. On February 6, trains went to Leningrad along the new "Road of Life".
With the breaking of the blockade, the situation on the entire Leningrad front improved significantly. The completely blockade ring was removed only a year later - on January 27, 1944
The material is collected on the Internet sites. For more complete information refer to historical sites and pages of major libraries.
