Memories of Horror and Glory From the 900 Day Siege of Leningrad Live on in St. Petersburg

This day is special for the city on the Neva. There's no city in the world which gave more blood for its liberation than Leningrad. According to the latest data, in 900 days of siege, almost 1.5 million citizens died of hunger, cold, and shelling.

This day is special for the city on the Neva. There's no city in the world which gave more blood for its liberation than Leningrad. According to the latest data, in 900 days of siege, almost 1.5 million citizens died of hunger, cold, and shelling. Each one who went through this horrible path has their own tragic story.

My colleague Salima Zarif is reporting from St. Petersburg.

 

Galina Fomina was seven in January 1943. Her family spent the whole siege in Leningrad. She was at the hospital when she got to know that the deadly ring was broken.

Galina Fomina: "There was a heavy shelling on January 18. We were all taken to the shelter. And we danced there. We were all barefoot, though we had shoes. I guess it was more comfortable to dance barefoot. Why did we dance? Because nurses told us that there would be more food after the siege was broken".

The siege children's memories are all about food. Her family lived in this house in an 8-room shared apartment. Two daughters, mother, grandmother. Around the corner, there was a bakery where one could exchange cards for bread. There was a shelter in the backyard.

Galina Fomina: "My grandmother carried my sister, and I carried a bag with blankets and bottles with food. Once, when we left the shelter, I hit the stairs and broke the bottles".

Sister Ira died before she turned 6 months old. After her death, the grandmother went to work. She disassembled wooden houses for firewood. And Galya was sent to a kindergarten, where there's a subway station now.

Galina Fomina: "I don't remember us using salt".

It hard to believe but exhausted, hardly standing teachers organized parties for the children. This is the New Year party in the horrible 1942 winter. Those who took care of other people survived more often. Their example contradicted the cold calculus of the Third Reich scientists about an inevitable death of hunger. Understanding of the high rightness gave Leningrad forces to struggle to the last breath.

More than a year passed after the breakthrough till the siege lifting. New enemy's attack, difficult fights, and new victims were ahead. But at that time, the hope for victory was replaced by the knowledge of the fact that the city would withstand and be able to cure its wounds, and that it would come back to normal life but would never forget the siege.

Salima Zarif, Yevgeny Kostin, Alexander Burushkov, Dmitry Lukashevich, and Galina Orlova, Vesti, hero-city Leningrad.