The Day of the complete lifting of the blockade of Leningrad

On January 27, 1944, one of the most tragic episodes of the Great Patriotic War ended: the siege of Leningrad, which had lasted 872 days, was completely lifted.

The historical significance of the defense of Leningrad is enormous. The Soviet troops, having stopped the fascists near Leningrad, turned it into a powerful bastion of the entire Soviet-German front in the northwest.

Leningrad is the only city in world history that has been able to withstand an almost 900-day encirclement. The blockade ring closed around Leningrad on September 8, 1941, on the 79th day of the Great Patriotic War. Hitler's plans left Leningrad with no future: the German leadership and Hitler himself expressed their intentions to raze the city to the ground. Similar statements were made by the leadership of Finland, Germany's ally in the military actions to blockade Leningrad.

2 million 544 thousand inhabitants, including 400 thousand children, were in Leningrad at the time of the blockade. According to the plans of the Nazi command, Leningrad was to be wiped off the face of the earth, and the city's population was to die of hunger and cold. The enemy conducted fierce barbaric bombardments, making several raids and shelling per day. In total, 150,000 shells were fired at the city during the blockade, and over 107,000 incendiary and high-explosive bombs were dropped. The siege of Leningrad became the bloodiest blockade in the history of mankind. But the very first months of the blockade showed that the Leningraders would defend their city to the end, and all enemy attempts to force Leningrad to capitulate in the fall of 1941 failed.

Together with all Leningraders, the staff and students of our university joined the ranks: they participated in the defense of the city and the construction of defensive structures around Leningrad.

The Institute was evacuated in March 1942, but the equipment and property were not removed, and a small group of staff remained to protect them, along with 75 workshop workers. It was possible to organize training sessions for senior students (there were 16 of them left in Leningrad), which were not interrupted even during shelling and bombing. The Institute building was hit by 8 long-range shells during 1943-1944, one of which, having penetrated three floors, fell on a tiled stove in the telegraph laboratory, but did not explode.

There are fewer and fewer eyewitnesses of those terrible years of the siege, and the responsibility for preserving the memory of besieged Leningrad lies with us. Low bow to our veterans and blockade survivors for their feat, eternal glory to the Leningraders and defenders of the city, who won freedom at the cost of their own lives!

We wish veterans and all residents of St Petersburg peace and goodness, happiness and prosperity!