The Piskarevsky Memorial in St. Petersburg is one of the most iconic memorable places not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Russia. These are nine hundred days embodied in stone, these are the tears, blood and suffering experienced by Leningraders during the years of the blockade, this is eternal memory and the deepest bow to those people who defended our freedom and independence in the cruel years of World War II.
Memory must live with us
Leningrad during the war became a symbol of resilience and courage of Soviet soldiers. However, the 900-day blockade was not in vain: more than four hundred thousand residents and seventy thousand Red Army soldiers were killed or died of hunger and cold. Most of them were buried in the main cemetery of the city - Piskarevsky.
The war ended, and in the city, not only destroyed objects were gradually restored, but also new houses, factories, educational institutions, healthcare and culture were being built. Piskarevo, which was previously the outskirts of Leningrad, quickly became the center of the young district, and new-fashioned high-rise buildings began to gradually build up the territory of the cemetery. It was then that the city leadership and residents decided to create the Piskarevsky Memorial dedicated to the heroic pages of 1941-1944.
Construction and opening of the complex
From the very beginning of its creation, the memorial at Piskarevsky cemetery has become the business of all residents of Leningrad. People who survived the blockade considered it their duty to contribute to the cause of perpetuating the memory of their dead relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Construction progressed quite rapidly. May 9, 1960, just on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the Great Victory, the Piskarevsky memorial was opened. The leadership of the city and the region took part in the ceremony. Special honors were given to the architects of the complex - A. Vasiliev and E. Levinson.
Mother Motherland and other memorials
The Motherland Motherland Memorial at Piskarevsky Cemetery occupies a central place. Its creators - R. Taurit and V. Isaeva - tried to make sure that with her whole pose she would tell tourists about the huge sacrifices made by Leningrad residents in the name of the Motherland. The harsh oak leaves in the hands of a woman, which are intertwined with a mourning ribbon, give a mournful character.
From the sculpture of Mother Motherland, after walking three hundred meters along the central alley, you can get to the central stele, in front of which from May 9, 1960, without fading for a second, the Eternal Flame burns. The inscription on the Piskarevsky cemetery memorial was made by the famous poetess O. Bergolts, who herself survived a terrible blockade. With particular anguish, the last line is read: "no one is forgotten and nothing is forgotten."
On the eastern side of the complex, a blockade of memory has been planted by blockades. In tribute to the heroic defenders of the city, memorial plates are installed here from all the republics of the former Soviet Union, as well as from enterprises that forged industrial glory to the city.
Piskarevsky memorial in St. Petersburg: the eternal memory of heroic defenders
On both sides of the Central Alley there are endless mounds of mass graves. As you know, the 900-day blockade led to the deaths of seventy thousand soldiers of the Red Army and more than four hundred thousand civilians. Most of them are buried here, and the graves are mostly nameless.
In addition to the fraternal ones, there are about six thousand individual burials at the Piskarevsky Memorial, as well as the graves of soldiers who died during the winter campaign of 1939-1940. The military lists at the Piskarevsky complex memorial can also be carefully examined at the local museum. Here is the latest information catalog, in which all city residents who died in the blockade are mentioned, as well as all Leningrad residents who gave their lives on all fronts of World War II.
Piskarevsky memorial - one of the largest military museums in Russia
Even before the official opening of the memorial at the Piskaryovskoye Cemetery, the USSR Council of Ministers approved a special resolution, according to which this complex was eventually to become a modern museum. For several years, a composition was opened on the first two floors of the main building, reflecting the heroism of the city’s defenders and the intention of the Nazi leadership to completely destroy Leningrad and all its inhabitants.
The museum almost immediately became an extremely popular place not only among the Leningrad residents themselves, but also among the guests of the city. A visit to the Piskarevsky Memorial has become an indispensable part of almost any excursion, and solemn events are held here on memorial days May 8, September 8, January 27 and June 22.
The basis of the museum exposition is documents, photographs, newsreels. At any time, you can watch the films “Memories of the blockade” and “Blockade album” here.
