Figure 1.--We have archived many heart breakingh World War II images. This is one of the sadest. Some 1.5 million Leningrders persished durung the 900 day stage (1941-44). Here is one of them. His or her family and friends gather to say good bye outside their patment in early 1942. This was the worst time because food had reached rock bottom. and few people had been evcuated. Mother and probanly an aunt are taking the child to the cemetary.

Life in Leningrad was distopian combination of the new daily mysery and normality. The seige has been described as a daily struggle between life and death. Food became the major concrern of daily life. Leningraders had to endure hunger as they attempted yo fight off starvation. They had to take desperate measures to survive and save loved ones. It all came as a shock as one Leningraders relates. "We did not expect any hostile actions from Germany. Not too long ago we signed a peace treaty between countries. .... Russian secret services gave enough warnings about German aggressive plans, but our government [meaning Stalin who could not be singled out] simply could not believe this. [Dovgiallo] Food and the struggle to obtain it meant life and death. There were many causes of deth, but most were related to food. Malnutrition mde on sisseoptble to disease. Both children and the elderly were the most vulnerable. Actually many Leningraders report that hunger was so paonful that it made one less afraid of the shelling and bombing. At first Leningraders truged to the cemetary with their deceased loved ones. As the seige contunued, they were less and less cpable of doing so. Bodies had to laid out on the streets with little or no ceremony. Despite the horendous conditions. life in Lenningrad went on. The pricelass artistic treasures of the Hermitage and the suburban palaces of Petrodvorets, Pushkin, and others were hidden in the basements of the Hermitage and St Isaac's Cathedral. Schools continued to operate. Most students were thus able to continued their studies. Examinations were given on dchedule at the end of the school year. Composer Dmitry Shostakovich wrote his Seventh "Leningrad" Symphony and it was performed to packed audiences in the besieged city. Some factories, especially the war industries, continued to operate and delivered arms and amunition to the troops defending the city.

Sources

Dovgiallo, Helen. 900 Days of the Leningrad Siege.

Created: 6:52 PM 3/29/2022
Last updated: 6:52 PM 3/29/2022