More than 5 million tourists come to St. Petersburg annually. The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad is included in the list of attractions that guests of the Northern capital visit most actively. The construction was erected in honor of the 30th anniversary of the victory of the peoples of the USSR over the Nazis. It tells visitors about the most tragic page in the history of Leningrad - the 900-day blockade of the city and its heroic breakthrough.
The value of the monument
Leningrad is a city which was destined to feel all the horrors of the fascist occupation. Once in the blockade ring, he was able to withstand the incredible efforts of the local population and not surrender to the enemy. The siege of the city lasted nearly 900 days and was broken through in January 1943 after the successful operation of the Iskra operation by Soviet troops. Today, few people think about what ordinary residents surrounded by fascist forces had to experience. The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad on Victory Square is one of those few memorable places in the city that for many decades has kept the memories of the tragedy.
Construction background
The fact that in Leningrad it is necessary to erect a monument to the defenders of the city from Nazi invaders in the Soviet Union started talking even during the war. But for a long time to realize this idea did not work. Only in the 60s the city authorities managed to determine the place on which the future monument was to rise. It became Victory Square (until 1962 it was called the Middle Slingshot). Such a choice was made for a reason, because here during the war years the most intense battles took place outside the city.
Leningraders actively supported the idea of erecting a memorial to the city’s defenders during the blockade and even transferred their own money savings to its construction. For this purpose, a special personal account was opened in the State Bank. The amounts of transfers were different. For example, the Soviet poet M. A. Dudin transferred his fee for the construction of the monument for the poem Song of the Crow's Mount, published in 1964. Although it was possible to collect more than 2 million Soviet rubles at the memorial complex, its construction was delayed for a long time. At the creative competitions, many projects of the monument were presented, but they could not choose the best one.
Work on the construction of the monument
The need to create a memorial to the defenders of Leningrad was again discussed only in the early 70s. The 30th anniversary of the Great Victory was approaching, and the grand opening of the monument was planned for this date. As a result, a project created by sculptor M. Anikushin and architects S. Speransky and V. Kamensky was approved. All of them took part in the defense of the city.
The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad, the photo of which can be seen in this article, began to be built in 1974. By the end of the summer, Victory Square managed to prepare a huge foundation pit for the memorial complex and to pile the piles. But with the beginning of autumn, organizations began to recall their workers involved in the construction of the monument to other objects. In order not to disrupt the delivery of the monument on time, volunteers began to be involved in its construction. From those wishing to take part in the construction of the building there was no end. As a result, the monument was commissioned on time, and on May 9, 1975, its grand opening took place.
Description of the main part of the complex
The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad on Victory Square consists of several parts. Its peak is a 48-meter stela made of granite and 26 bronze figures depicting the brave defenders of the Northern capital (soldiers, sailors, pilots, militias, snipers, etc.). The sculptural composition is the main part of the memorial complex. It opens the gaze to everyone who comes to St. Petersburg from the Pulkovo highway. In addition to the stele and figures, the monument includes an underground Memorial Hall and an internal platform. These parts are no less interesting than the main one.
Memorial Hall Museum and Lower Square
You can get to the Underground Memorial Hall by steps located on the territory of the complex. Here visitors are presented with mosaic panels telling about the life of Leningraders in the city surrounded by fascists and about the breaking of the blockade. The Memorial Hall is a museum. Its walls are lit by 900 torches, lamps (by the number of days of the blockade of the Northern capital). The museum’s exhibits include the Book of Remembrance, which contains the names of citizens and soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of Leningrad. The underground hall was built 3 years after the opening of the stele. It has been hosting visitors since 1978. Tourists, schoolchildren, students, veterans and all those who are interested in the history of St. Petersburg come here.
Behind the stele is the lower (inner) platform. Here is a composition of sculptures called "Blockade", the heroes of which are women and a Soviet soldier, supporting children dying of hunger. The site has the shape of a torn ring, which symbolizes the liberation of Leningrad from the blockade. It has eternal lights lit in memory of people who died in a city surrounded by enemies.
