891 day of courage of the Leningraders. The blockade of Leningrad is a terrible test of fortitude

The blockade of Leningrad, the present St. Petersburg, was perhaps one of the most serious tests that fell to the share of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War. This is truly a feat of courage and fortitude, faith and hope, will and spirit - 891 days of courage of the Leningraders. Leningrad will remain an eternal monument of struggle on the last breath.

The encirclement of the cultural capital

The plan for the military seizure of the USSR, known as the Barbarossa plan, was approved by Adolf Hitler back in the late 1940s. The military company in the East, according to the military bet, was to be completed in the autumn of 1941. Three groups of German armies were sent to capture - the "North" was aimed at Leningrad, the "Center" was supposed to occupy the capital, a group of armies "South" was sent toward Kiev.

The northern capital of Hitler attached the same importance as Moscow. And it was justified - it had more than three hundred large industrial enterprises. The city with a population of 3.2 million people was an important strategic artery. It was here that a quarter of the heavy engineering products were produced. In addition, a powerful defense complex was concentrated in the city.

The beginning of the blockade

Officially, the blockade began on September 8, when Schlisselburg (Petrokrepost) was taken. The blocked source of the Neva cut off the city from land. All railway, water and auto-messages were eliminated. Communication with the city was preserved only by air. Over the Leningrad sky, then and there, fierce battles unfolded. It lasted 891 days. The courage of the Leningraders was enough for not a day to grumble and endure all deprivations.

Leningrad, like any large metropolis, was provided with food, as they say, from the wheels. Therefore, the stocks that were in the city and which were destroyed with such thoroughness by fascist aviation and artillery would last for several days. After a short time, the city began to overcome the famine - a loyal ally of the enemy. This was done almost the right calculation - some really tried to escape from hunger and constant bombings to the German trenches. And yet, the overwhelming majority suffered a hardship exactly 891 days. The courage of the Leningraders did not shake the deteriorating position of the city even in the most difficult winter days.

The road of life

Hungry death, as well as cannibalism, began to appear in November. Funeral city services only on the streets selected for a hundred corpses. Norms of bread distribution were regularly reduced. The bread itself by the end of the year was half of the pulp. Given the almost constant bombing in the city per day perished up to 4 thousand people. In addition, the cold became a terrible test - there were no more fuels in the city either. The stoves were drowning everything that could be found.

The dear life was Lake Ladoga: in the warm season, it was swammed by it with food, and in winter - by ice. Until the lake was covered by it, the city was completely cut off. The crossing was constantly shelled. And despite the danger, the city supplied the necessary supplies to the last. 891 day of the courage of the Leningraders and the incredible strength of their spirit was enough to not surrender the city.

Attempts to break through the blockade were made immediately after the formation of the ring, but ended in failure and heavy losses. The breakthrough was successful only in the first half of January 1943, when a corridor with a width of 8-11 kilometers was punched in the environment. By that time, the population of Leningrad numbered about 800 thousand people, many were evacuated. Completely the blockade was liquidated in a year.

891 day of the courage of the Leningraders ... An analysis of those events and the study of Hitler's plans in the event of the capture of the northern capital (which happened much later) leaves no doubt: the city had to be defended, and all the monstrous trials and great feat were not in vain.