The Scale of Devastation in the Siege of Leningrad

The siege of the Soviet Union's 2nd largest city during World War II began in September of 1941 and lasted until January of 1944. To Russians, especially those from St. Petersburg (it's current name), this period is more commonly referred to as the "Блокада" or "900 Days".

My wife and I traveled to Kirovsk, which is located about 30 minutes outside of St. Petersburg and just South of Schlissel'burg. We went to visit a new museum dedicated to the efforts and final success of Soviet forces in breaking the Siege of Leningrad by forging across the frozen Neva River. The museum was very nice and has great attention to detail. There were some captivating paintings of the battle and real Soviet tanks on display from the early and late periods of the war.

In the U.S. I think there is a significant amount of admiration for what we call the Greatest Generation. There is no doubt that the sacrifice of American soldiers and those on the home front during World War II are something that we, as Americans, should be proud of. However, there is absolutely no comparison to the Soviet experience of World War II. The Soviets, now Russians and those former Soviet nations, call the conflict, The Great Patriotic War.

Between 20 and 30 million (some references show more) Soviet citizens lost their lives in the conflict depending on whose statistics you use. Most of the German casualties in the war came at the hands of the Soviets. For Russians, there is no forgetting. There is no loss of total and complete appreciation for what transpired when Germany invaded. The images, stories, and experience are branded into every young person in the nation and the largest holiday of the year besides New Year is Victory Day which is celebrated on the day when the Germans surrendered.

Inside the Numbers

During the 900 Days, over 1 million Soviet citizens died in Leningrad. 650,000 of these were civilians and the leading cause of death was starvation.

Imagine if the entire population of Washington D.C. were to perish. How about the entire population of the state of Delaware, Vermont, or Wyoming?

Here's another way to look at it - The U.S. has been at war in one respect or another since the Revolutionary War (over 200 years). During this span of near constant war, U.S. combat deaths are less than the amount of Soviet deaths in this one city in a period of only 900 days.

The bloodiest conflict in U.S. history is the American Civil War, which saw the deaths of 750,000 American civilians and combatants. The conflict averaged over 400 deaths a day spread over the whole nation. The citizens of Leningrad saw 3 times that many deaths a day. After the first few months of the siege, mass graves were created because the energy and manpower required for individual graves was too great. You can visit these mass graves today in the city.

Background

The German Army and their Finnish allies effectively encircled Leningrad and the surrounding area with the exception of Lake Ladoga, which lies just Northeast of the city. Failing to advance into the city, the German commanders chose to "starve the city into submission".

The first winter was called "unusually cold". Today it is -15 degrees celsius here in St. Petersburg and it isn't "unusual". The water system stopped working and fires started by German bombing would continue to burn for days. The electricity gave out and then the heat. People continued to work at factories and man the trenches around the city to defend it.

Food became scarce quickly. Within months of the start of the siege, residents were rationed 125 grams of bread a day. The bread eventually became mixed with sawdust and carpenter's glue. No animal of any size remained. Those citizens that took to cannibalism, and there were many, were shot.

Everyone was affected. Poets and artists became infantry. Mothers became factory workers. Grandparents became teachers. No family escaped the loss of life and some saw their family names erased from history.

To relieve the city, an ice road was made across Lake Ladoga and supplies were driven into the city as could be collected and transported. Women and children were evacuated along the same road. The route was bombed by German artillery and aircraft continually. This route was known as the Дорога Жизни (Highway of Life) and every kilometer of it is marked in commemoration to this day.

Unfortunately, the main tourist draws here in St. Petersburg are not the many monuments, museums, and sites dedicated to the siege of Leningrad and the Great Patriotic War, but rather those from a different era. The Hermitage, Peterhof Palace, Peter and Paul Fortress, and St. Isaac's Cathedral still draw the majority of non-Russian tourists, but if you want to really understand the Russian experience of the Great Patriotic War, these places are well worth the visit.

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Photos are my own. Maps are believed to be in the public domain and no credit was available.

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