The Battle of Leningrad, its main operations and features. Battle of Leningrad Siege of Leningrad progress of the battle

The Battle of Leningrad, which lasted from July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944, the longest during the Great Patriotic War, culminated in a brilliant victory for Soviet weapons and demonstrated the high morale of the Soviet people.

The military-political leadership of Nazi Germany attached paramount importance to the capture of Leningrad. The fall of Leningrad would lead to the isolation of the northern regions of the USSR, and the Soviet state would lose one of its most important political and economic centers. The German command intended to launch the forces released after the capture of Leningrad into an attack on Moscow.

In their desire to take control of Leningrad at any cost, the Nazi leadership did not hesitate to use the most inhumane methods of struggle. Hitler repeatedly demanded to raze the city to the ground, exterminate its entire population, starve it out, and crush the resistance of the defenders with massive air and artillery strikes.

In accordance with the plans of the German command, Army Group North, consisting of the 16th and 18th armies and the 4th Panzer Group, with the support of the 1st Air Fleet, had the task of defeating Soviet troops in the Baltic states and, in cooperation with part of Army Group Center "and troops advancing from Finland to capture Leningrad and Kronstadt. At the same time, two Finnish armies, with the support of the 5th German Air Fleet, were to go on the offensive between Lakes Ladoga and Onega and on the Karelian Isthmus in order to connect with German troops on the river. Svir and in the Leningrad region.

The enemy troops were opposed by the Northern Front (commanded by Lieutenant General M.M. Popov) consisting of the 7th and 23rd armies and the Northwestern Front (commanded by Major General P.P. Sobennikov) consisting of the 8th, 11th th and 27th armies.

Due to the unsuccessful actions of the troops of the North-Western Front in the Baltic States, the Supreme High Command Headquarters, taking into account the possibility of an enemy breakthrough to Leningrad, attracted part of the forces of the Northern Front to the defense of the city. An important line covering Leningrad from the south was the river. Luga, to which the Luga operational group created by the command of the Northern Front was advanced.

Army Group North (commanded by Field Marshal W. von Leeb) at the beginning of the offensive on Leningrad had superiority over Soviet troops in infantry - 2.4, guns - 4, mortars - 5.8, tanks - 1, 2, for airplanes - 9.8 times.

To control the troops of the GKO fronts, on July 10, 1941, he formed the main command of the North-Western direction (Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov), subordinating to it the troops of the Northern and North-Western fronts, the Northern and Baltic fleets.

In the battle for Leningrad, the efforts of the front troops and the working people of the city and region united. On the approaches to the city, troops together with residents built defensive lines. A defense system consisting of several belts was created around Leningrad. Fortified areas were built on the closest approaches to the city, and the internal defense of Leningrad was created. The offensive of German troops directly towards Leningrad began on July 10, 1941. At the end of July, at the cost of heavy losses, they reached the line of the Narva, Luga and Mshaga rivers, where they were forced to go on the defensive and regroup. In the Olonetsky, Petrozavodsk and Svirsky directions, Soviet troops, with the support of the Ladoga military flotilla, fought stubborn battles in July-August and by the end of September stopped the enemy at the turn of the river. Svir. Fighting broke out on the near approaches to Leningrad. After stubborn fighting on August 21, the enemy reached the Krasnogvardeisky fortified area, trying to bypass it from the southeast and break into Leningrad, but these attempts were repulsed. On August 22, intense fighting began in the Oranienbaum direction. The enemy was stopped here northeast of Koporye. In the Luga direction, Soviet troops repelled all attacks by Hitler.

rovtsev. In the Novgorod-Chud direction, after heavy fighting, our units retreated beyond the river. Volkhov. The Soviet troops were assisted by the Ilmen flotilla, transferred to the river. Volkhov. An important role during this period was played by the offensive operation of the troops of the Northwestern Front in the area of ​​Staraya Russa, which distracted significant enemy forces and allowed them to gain time to improve the defense of Leningrad. On the Karelian Isthmus, by September 1, Soviet troops fought back to the line 30 - 40 km east of Kexgolm and Vyborg. There was a real threat of encirclement of Leningrad. On August 23, the Supreme Command headquarters divided the Northern Front into the Karelian and Leningrad fronts. The main command of the North-Western direction was disbanded on August 29, and the Karelian, Leningrad and North-Western fronts were subordinated directly to the Supreme Command Headquarters.

At the end of August, the enemy resumed the offensive along the Moscow-Leningrad highway, on August 30 he reached the Neva and cut the railways connecting Leningrad with the country. Having captured Shlisselburg (Petrokrepost) on September 8, German troops cut off Leningrad from land. The blockade of the city began, communication with which was now maintained only by Lake Ladoga and by air. The next day, the enemy launched a new offensive on Leningrad, but as a result of stubborn resistance from the troops of the Leningrad Front (commander from September 12 to October 9, 1941, Army General G.K. Zhukov), the enemy’s offensive, which suffered heavy losses, gradually weakened, and by the end September, the front on the nearest approaches to the city stabilized. The enemy’s plan to capture Leningrad immediately failed, and this entailed the disruption of the enemy’s intentions to turn the main forces of Army Group North to attack Moscow. An important role in the defense of Leningrad from the sea was played by the heroic defense of the Moonsund Islands, the Hanko Peninsula and the Tallinn naval base, the Oranienbaum bridgehead and Kronstadt. On August 28 - 30, the ships of the Baltic Fleet (commanded by Vice Admiral V.F. Tributs), repelling continuous German air raids, made an exceptionally difficult transition from Tallinn to Kronstadt. The soldiers and commanders who arrived in Kronstadt, as well as the sailors of the Baltic Fleet, joined the defense of Leningrad.

Hitler's command, having failed to realize their plans to capture Leningrad from the south, attacked Tikhvin in mid-October with the goal of reaching the river. Svir, unite with Finnish troops and carry out a complete blockade of Leningrad. The enemy captured Tikhvin on November 8, cutting off the last railway along which cargo was delivered to Lake Ladoga and transported by water to the besieged city. In mid-November, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive and on December 9 captured Tikhvin, driving the enemy beyond the river. Volkhov.

The struggle for Leningrad continued to be fierce. Trying to break the city’s defenders, the Nazis carried out barbaric bombings and shelling. During the battle for Leningrad, about 150 thousand shells were fired at the city and over 102 thousand incendiary and about 5 thousand high-explosive bombs were dropped. But the heroic defenders of the city did not flinch. The defense of Leningrad acquired a national character, expressed in the close unity of troops and the population under the leadership of the city defense committee, which headed the political, military and economic life of the city during the blockade. On the initiative of party organizations, in July-September 1941, 10 divisions of the people's militia were formed in the city. Despite the most difficult conditions, the industry of Leningrad did not stop its work. During the blockade it was repaired And 2 thousand tanks, 1.5 thousand aircraft, thousands of guns, many warships were built, 225 thousand machine guns, 12 thousand mortars, about 10 million shells and mines were manufactured. The city defense committee, party and Soviet bodies did everything possible to save the population from hunger. Assistance to Leningrad was carried out along the transport route across Lake Ladoga, called the Road of Life. Transportation during navigation periods was carried out by the Ladoga Flotilla and the North-Western River Shipping Company. On November 22, the military highway, laid on the ice of Lake Ladoga, began operating, along which more than 360 thousand tons of cargo were delivered in the winter of 1941/42 alone. About 550 thousand people, about 3.7 thousand wagons of equipment, cultural values ​​and other property were taken out of the city. Over the entire period of operation, over 1.6 million tons of cargo were transported along the Road of Life, and about 1.4 million people were evacuated. To supply petroleum products to the city, a pipeline was laid along the bottom of Lake Ladoga on May 5 - June 16, 1942, and an energy cable was laid in the fall of 1942.

Leningrad was covered from the sea by the Baltic Fleet. It actively participated in the defensive and offensive operations of the troops of the Leningrad Front using its aviation, naval and coastal artillery, and marines, and also provided military transportation in the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. In the enemy-occupied territory of the Leningrad, Novgorod and Pskov regions, partisans launched an active struggle.

In January - April 1942, the strike groups of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, advancing towards each other, fought stubborn battles in the Lyuban, and in August - October in the Sinyavinsk directions in order to break the blockade of the city. However, due to a lack of forces and means, the operations were not successful.

In the winter of 1943, during the Battle of Stalingrad, Operation Iskra was carried out near Leningrad in order to break the blockade of the city on the Neva. On January 12, 1943, formations of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front (commander, Lieutenant General of Artillery, from January 15, Colonel General L.A. Govorov), the 2nd Shock and part of the forces of the 8th Army of the Volkhov Front (Commander of the Army General K .A. Meretskov) with the support of the 13th and 14th Air Armies, long-range aviation, artillery and aviation of the Baltic Fleet

carried out counter attacks on a narrow ledge between Shlisselburg and Sinyavin. On January 18, they united in the areas of workers' settlements No. 5 and No. 1. A corridor 8-11 km wide was formed south of Lake Ladoga, through which Leningrad received rail and road connections with the country. Breaking the blockade became a turning point in the battle for Leningrad. In the summer and autumn battles of 1943, troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts actively thwarted the enemy’s attempts to restore the complete blockade of Leningrad. And although the city was still under siege, the position of its defenders improved significantly.

As a result of the victories of the USSR Armed Forces in the battles of 1943, by the beginning of 1944, favorable conditions had developed for conducting an offensive near Leningrad and Novgorod. The Leningrad (commander Army General Govorov), Volkhov (commander Army General Meretskov) and 2nd Baltic (commander Army General Popov) fronts were tasked with close cooperation with the Baltic Fleet (commander Admiral Tributs), Ladoga and Onega military flotillas, aviation long-range, partisan formations to defeat the Nazis who were besieging the city, to finally eliminate the blockade of Leningrad, to clear the Leningrad region of the enemy and to create conditions for a subsequent offensive in order to liberate the Baltic states.

On January 14, Soviet troops went on the offensive from the Oranienbaum bridgehead to Ropsha, and on January 15 - from Leningrad to Krasnoye Selo. On January 20, the advancing troops united in the Ropsha area and eliminated the encircled enemy group. At the same time, on January 14, Soviet troops went on the offensive in the Novgorod area, on January 16 - in the Lyuban direction, and on January 20 they liberated Novgorod. By the end of January, the cities of Pushkin, Krasnogvardeysk, Tosno, Lyuban, and Chudovo were liberated. The date January 27 is immortalized in the Russian Federation as the day of military glory of Russia - Day of lifting the blockade of Leningrad (1944 year)1. By February 15, as a result of fierce fighting, the enemy defenses in the Luga area were overcome. After this, the Volkhov Front was disbanded, and the troops of the Leningrad and 2nd Baltic Fronts, continuing to pursue the enemy, reached the border of the Latvian SSR by the end of March 1. As a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod operation, Army Group North was severely defeated, almost the entire Leningrad region and part of the Kalinin region were liberated, Soviet troops entered the Estonian SSR, and favorable conditions were created for the defeat of the enemy in the Baltic states.

In the summer of 1944, troops of the Leningrad and Karelian (commanded by Army General Meretskov) fronts, with the participation of the Baltic Fleet, Ladoga and Onega military flotillas, defeated

enemy grouping on the northern wing of the Soviet-German front, which predetermined Finland’s exit from the war, the security of Leningrad was completely ensured and most of the Karelo-Finnish SSR was liberated.

By August 10, the battle for Leningrad, which had great political and military-strategic significance, ended. The 900-day heroic defense of Leningrad pinned down large forces of German troops and the entire Finnish army, and contributed to the victories of our troops in other sectors of the Soviet-German front. The defense of Leningrad became a symbol of the courage and heroism of the Soviet people. Leningraders showed examples of perseverance, endurance and patriotism. The city's residents paid a heavy price. During the siege in Leningrad, about 1 million people died.

The Motherland highly appreciated the feat of the defenders of Leningrad. Over 350 thousand soldiers of the Leningrad Front were awarded orders and medals, 226 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. About 1.5 million people were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad”. On January 26, 1945, Leningrad was awarded the Order of Lenin, and on May 8, 1965, the hero city of Leningrad was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

July 10, 1941 – August 9, 1944
The Battle of Leningrad was the longest during the Great Patriotic War. The military-political leadership of Nazi Germany designated Leningrad as one of the initial targets of its aggression. But during the 900-day defense of Leningrad, Soviet troops did not surrender the city to the enemy, pinned down large enemy forces and the entire Finnish army, contributing to the victories of the Red Army in other sectors of the front. And the defense of Leningrad became a symbol of the courage and heroism of the Soviet people and their Armed Forces.

The first battles for Leningrad took place in July 1941 on the Luga defensive line. To help the Red Army, people's militia divisions began to be created in Leningrad, which helped delay the enemy on the distant approaches to the city. But on August 25, German units broke through the defenses of the Soviet troops, cut the Oktyabrskaya Railway and on September 8 captured the Petrofortress. The city found itself surrounded by a blockade. The defenders and the remaining population of Leningrad, in conditions of continuous bombing, hunger, cold, and disease, heroically repelled the enemy's onslaught. On September 9, the Badaevsky warehouses, in which almost all of Leningrad’s food supplies were concentrated, burned down due to the bombing of German aircraft.

But the enemy failed to capture the city on the move - Soviet troops, in cooperation with the fleet, put up stubborn resistance. Soon the offensive of the Nazi troops was suspended. The situation near Leningrad gradually stabilized. On October 6, due to the worsening situation near Moscow, G.K. Zhukov returned to the capital at Stalin’s call.

Unable to capture Leningrad outright, the Nazis subjected the city to brutal bombing and artillery shelling, and tried to kill the population and defenders with hunger and cold. Attempts by Soviet troops to release Leningrad in December 1941 and the summer of 1942 were unsuccessful. When winter came, navigation on Lake Ladoga ceased and the supply of food was sharply reduced. The rations issued by ration cards in besieged Leningrad were reduced to 125 grams of bread per day. There were days when people did not receive bread at all. The water supply system froze; water had to be drawn from the Neva. There was no fuel or electricity. Bakeries have almost stopped baking bread. Leningraders were starving, many died from exhaustion, cold and disease.

But hunger and cold did not break the Leningraders. Many enterprises operated in the city. They manufactured and repaired military equipment and weapons, and provided ammunition to the front. During the siege in Leningrad, 2,000 tanks, 1,500 thousand aircraft, more than 7,000 field and naval guns, 12,000 mortars, 225,000 machine guns and rifles, about 10 million shells and mines were repaired and manufactured.

At the end of 1941, the famous “Road of Life” was laid across the ice of Lake Ladoga, connecting Leningrad with the mainland. When the ice hardened, long columns of trucks with food, fuel, weapons and equipment pulled along the icy road.

On January 12, 1943, having accumulated reserves, the troops of the Leningrad Front began a counter-offensive under the command of Lieutenant General L.A. Govorov and parts of the Volkhov Front under the command of Army General K.A. Meretskova. They were supported by long-range aviation and parts of the Baltic Fleet. On January 18, the advanced units of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts met in the Sinyavin area. The blockade of Leningrad was broken. The entire southern coast of Lake Ladoga has been cleared of the enemy. A corridor 8–11 km wide was formed, in which a temporary railway was built. Under enemy fire, trains with food for the starving city and reinforcements for the front went to Leningrad along this road. Despite the fact that the Red Army’s further offensive did not develop, the operation to break the blockade was a turning point in the battle for Leningrad. The enemy’s plan to starve the defenders and residents of the city was thwarted.

The Red Banner Baltic Fleet made a great contribution to the battle for Leningrad. Artillery of the main calibers of ships and forts fired at the positions of the Nazi troops. Naval aviation covered ground forces. The fleet defended the sea borders of Leningrad. From the beginning of the war, Captain 3rd Rank A.I. took part in the hostilities of the Baltic Fleet. Marinesko.

On January 14, 1944, the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation began, which was carried out by troops of the Leningrad, Volkhov and part of the forces of the 2nd Baltic fronts. As a result of fierce offensive battles, the troops of the Red Army and Navy inflicted a major defeat on the German Army Group North and on January 27, 1944, completely lifted the blockade of Leningrad. To commemorate the lifting of the siege of Leningrad by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin on January 27, 1944, a salute was given in Leningrad in honor of the troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet. Red Army troops liberated almost the entire Leningrad, Novgorod, and Kalinin regions from the occupiers and entered the territory of Estonia, and then continued their offensive to the west.

Among the many feats accomplished by the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War, the defense of Leningrad stands out as a striking example of perseverance, as a manifestation of mass heroism. During the 900 days of the siege of Leningrad, more than 800,000 defenders and residents of the city died from bullets, shells and bombs, from hunger, cold and disease. For courage and heroism, over 350,000 soldiers, officers and generals of the Leningrad Front were awarded orders and medals, 226 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of December 22, 1942, the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad” was established, which was awarded to 1.5 million people. On May 8, 1965, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council, Leningrad was awarded the title of Hero City.

Perevezentsev S.V., Volkov V.A. To prepare the article, materials from the website portal-slovo.ru were used

Battle for Leningrad- this is a set of defensive and offensive operations of Soviet troops in the Great Patriotic War, carried out from 07/10/1941 to 08/09/1944 in the northwestern strategic direction, with the aim of defending Leningrad and defeating the German Army Group North and Finnish troops located between Onega and Lakes Ladoga and the Karelian Isthmus.

The battle for Leningrad became the longest during the Great Patriotic War.For the German leadership, the capture of Leningrad was of great military and political significance. Leningrad was one of the largest political, strategic and economic centers of the Soviet Union. The loss of the city meant the isolation of the northern regions of the USSR, depriving the Baltic Fleet of basing opportunities in the Baltic Sea.

In accordance with the plans of the German command, Army Group North, consisting of the 16th and 18th armies and the 4th Panzer Group, was tasked with defeating Soviet troops in the Baltic states and in cooperation with part of Army Group Center and the advancing troops from Finland, capture Leningrad and Kronstadt.

From the air, Army Group North was supported by the 1st Air Fleet, which had 760 combat aircraft. In total, the group directed against the troops of the Baltic Military District had 42 divisions, including 7 tank and 6 motorized. This group consisted of about 725 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 13 thousand guns and mortars, and at least 1,500 tanks.

The enemy troops were opposed by the Northwestern Front (commander - Major General P.P. Sobennikov) consisting of the 8th, 11th and 27th armies and the Northern Front (commander - Lieutenant General M.M. Popov) consisting of 7th and 23rd armies. An important line covering Leningrad from the south was the Luga River, to which the Luga operational group created by the command of the Northern Front was advanced.

To organize the interaction of troops, the State Defense Committee on July 10, 1941 formed the Main Command of the North-Western Direction, headed by Marshal of the Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov, subordinating to him the troops of the Northern and Northwestern Fronts, the Northern and Red Banner Baltic Fleets (commander - Vice Admiral V.F. Tributs). After the start of the war, the hasty construction of several belts of defensive lines began around Leningrad, and the internal defense of Leningrad was also created.

German troops on the outskirts of Leningrad. 1941

Stages of the Battle of Leningrad:

Defense at distant and close approaches (June-October 1941)

Combat operations of Soviet troops from October 1941 to January 12, 1943

Breaking the siege of Leningrad and the fighting of Soviet troops in 1943

The offensive of Soviet troops in the northwestern direction in 1944, the complete lifting of the blockade of Leningrad

January 27, 1944 Fireworks were fired in Leningrad to commemorate the final liberation of the city from the siege, which lasted 872 days. The order to the victorious troops of the Leningrad Front, contrary to the established order, was signed by L. A. Govorov (the commander of the front that lifted the blockade), and not by Stalin. Not a single front commander was awarded such a privilege during the Great Patriotic War.

The date January 27 is immortalized in the Russian Federation as the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of Lifting the Siege of the City of Leningrad.

Historical significance of the Battle of Leningrad

ABOUTthe harrow of besieged Leningrad became symbol of courage and heroism of the Soviet people. The defenders and residents of the city, being under blockade, selflessly repelled the superior forces of the Nazi troops. Despite unprecedented difficulties and hardships, countless sacrifices and losses, they did not doubt victory for a minute, stood and won, showing examples of perseverance, endurance and patriotism. The history of wars does not know such a feat.
Leningrad, its residents and defenders had to endure unprecedented difficulties and suffering during the blockade winter of 1941-1942. The city was deprived of food and fuel supplies. Electricity supply to residential buildings was cut off. The water supply system failed and 78 km of the sewer network was destroyed. Trams stopped and public utilities stopped working. In the fall of 1941, food standards were reduced five times. From November 20, workers received 250 grams of bread per day, all others - 125 grams. The bread was raw and consisted of 2/5 impurities. Scurvy and dystrophy began.
Hitler's command carried out barbaric bombings and artillery shelling of Leningrad. During the blockade, about 150 thousand shells were fired at the city and over 102 thousand incendiary and about 5 thousand high-explosive bombs were dropped. During September - November 1941, an air raid warning was announced in the city 251 times. The average daily duration of artillery shelling in November 1941 reached 9 hours.
The city's residents paid a heavy price. During the harsh days of the blockade, 641,803 people died from artillery shelling and bombing, hunger and cold. Many of them are buried in mass graves at the Piskarevskoye cemetery.
Hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers lost their lives in the battle for Leningrad. Irreversible losses amounted to 979,254 people, sanitary losses - 1,947,770 people.

The Battle of Leningrad was a great military-strategic significance. It influenced the course of hostilities in other directions of the Soviet-German front. Large forces of Nazi troops and the entire Finnish army were drawn into battles in the North-West. If in June 1942 there were 34 divisions in Army Group North, then in October there were already 44. Hitler’s command, due to the activity of Soviet troops, could not transfer large forces from Leningrad to other sectors of the front (near Moscow, Stalingrad, Northern Caucasus, Kursk), when large-scale hostilities took place there. With the end of the battle for Leningrad, a significant number of troops from the Leningrad and Karelian fronts were released, which the Supreme High Command Headquarters used in other strategic directions.

During the battle for Leningrad further Soviet military art has developed. For the first time in the history of modern wars, the enemy, who had been blockading the largest city for a long time, was defeated here by an attack from the outside combined with a powerful blow from the besieged city. The offensive carried out according to this plan was fully prepared and successfully completed.
The victory was achieved through the efforts of all types and branches of the military with the active assistance of the partisans. The Supreme High Command headquarters directed and coordinated the actions of the fronts, fleet, air defense army, flotillas and air force. The skillful selection of the main directions of action of the troops, the timely assignment of combat missions to them, the strengthening of fronts in accordance with these tasks, and the prompt redirection of troops during operations were of great importance for the successful outcome of the battle.

The Battle of Leningrad was a big military-political event and its significance went far beyond the borders of the Soviet Union. She was highly appreciated by our allies.

“On behalf of the people of the United States of America, I present this certificate to the city of Leningrad in memory of its valiant warriors and its faithful men, women and children who, being isolated by the invader from the rest of their people and despite constant bombing and unheard of suffering from cold, hunger and disease, successfully defended their beloved city during the critical period from September 8, 1941 to January 18, 1943, and thereby symbolized the undaunted spirit of the peoples of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and all the peoples of the world resisting the forces of aggression.”

(US President F. Roosevelt “Letter sent to Leningrad”)

Victory in the battle for Leningrad was achieved thanks to to the heroic feat of home front workers. The military highway, laid on the ice of Lake Ladoga and called the Road of Life, had no analogues in world history. In the first blockade winter of 1941 - 1942 alone, more than 360 thousand tons of cargo were delivered along it, including about 32 thousand tons of ammunition and explosives, about 35 thousand tons of fuel and lubricants. About 550 thousand people, about 3.7 thousand wagons of equipment, cultural values ​​and other property were taken out of the city. Over the entire period of operation, 1,615 thousand tons of cargo were transported along the Road of Life, about 1,376 thousand people were evacuated.
Despite the most difficult conditions, the industry of Leningrad did not stop its work. In the difficult conditions of the blockade, the working people of the city provided the front with weapons, equipment, uniforms, and ammunition. During the blockade, 2 thousand tanks, 1.5 thousand aircraft, thousands of guns, many warships were repaired and built, 225 thousand machine guns, 12 thousand mortars, about 10 million shells and mines were manufactured.

To this day, the feat of Leningrad residents, army and navy soldiers who defended our northern capital, personifies the military glory of Russia. He serves as an example for current generations of fidelity to patriotic and military duty, courage and bravery in defending the freedom and independence of the Fatherland.

The Motherland highly appreciated the feat of the defenders of Leningrad. Many units and formations were converted into guards, awarded orders, and received honorary titles of Leningrad. For courage, bravery and heroism, over 350 thousand soldiers of the Leningrad Front were awarded orders and medals, 226 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. About 1.5 million people were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad”. On January 26, 1945, Leningrad was awarded the Order of Lenin, and on May 8, 1965, the hero city of Leningrad was awarded the Gold Star medal.

Medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" Obelisk to the Hero City of Leningrad

This battle was of great political and military-strategic significance. The 900-day heroic defense of Leningrad pinned down large forces of German troops and the entire Finnish army, and contributed to the victories of our troops in other sectors of the Soviet-German front. The defense of Leningrad became a symbol of the courage and heroism of the Soviet people.

The Motherland highly appreciated the feat of the defenders of Leningrad. Over 350 thousand soldiers of the Leningrad Front were awarded orders and medals, 226 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. About 1.5 million people were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad”.

Battle of Leningrad (Now St. Petersburg)

The Battle of Leningrad lasted from July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944 and became the longest during the Great Patriotic War.

For the German leadership, the capture of Leningrad was of great military and political significance. Leningrad was one of the largest political, strategic and economic centers of the Soviet Union. The loss of the city meant the isolation of the northern regions of the USSR, depriving the Baltic Fleet of basing opportunities in the Baltic Sea.

In accordance with the plans of the German command, Army Group North, consisting of the 16th and 18th armies and the 4th Panzer Group, was tasked with defeating Soviet troops in the Baltic states and in cooperation with part of Army Group Center and the advancing troops from Finland, capture Leningrad and Kronstadt. From the air, Army Group North was supported by the 1st Air Fleet, which had 760 combat aircraft. In total, the group directed against the troops of the Baltic Military District had 42 divisions, including 7 tank and 6 motorized. This group consisted of about 725 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 13 thousand guns and mortars, and at least 1,500 tanks.

The enemy troops were opposed by the Northwestern Front (commander - Major General P. P. Sobennikov) consisting of the 8th, 11th and 27th armies and the Northern Front (commander - Lieutenant General M. M. Popov) consisting of 7th and 23rd armies. An important line covering Leningrad from the south was the Luga River, to which the Luga operational group created by the command of the Northern Front was advanced.

To organize the interaction of troops, the State Defense Committee on July 10, 1941 formed the Main Command of the North-Western Direction, headed by Marshal of the Soviet Union K. E. Voroshilov, subordinating to it the troops of the Northern and North-Western Fronts, the Northern and Red Banner Baltic Fleets (commander - Vice- Admiral V.F. Tributs). After the start of the war, the hasty construction of several belts of defensive lines began around Leningrad, and the internal defense of Leningrad was also created. On this day, German and Finnish troops launched an attack on the city from the southwestern and northern directions. Almost simultaneously, strikes were carried out in the Luga, Novgorod and Staraya Russian directions, in Estonia, in the Petrozavodsk and Olonets directions. On July 14, the 11th Army of the Northwestern Front suddenly launched a counterattack on the enemy's 8th Tank Division in the area of ​​the city of Saltsy, where the Germans suffered significant losses during four days of fighting. The German 56th Mechanized Corps was thrown back 40 km to the west.

The unrelenting resistance of Soviet troops on the Luga defensive line and the counterattack in the area of ​​​​the city of Soltsy forced the German command to suspend the attack on Leningrad until the main forces of Army Group North arrived.

In the northern direction, Soviet troops, with the support of the Ladoga military flotilla, fought defensive battles in July-August. By the end of August, the 23rd Army retreated to the old state border. By the end of September, the troops of the 7th Army were pushed back to the Svir River. Here the front stabilized until June 1944. In August, fighting broke out on the near approaches to Leningrad. From August 8, the enemy launched an offensive in the Red Guard direction, and from August 10 - in the Luga-Leningrad and Novgorod-Chudov directions. On August 12, the 16th German Army broke through the defenses at Shimsk and began to develop an offensive towards Novgorod.

In this difficult situation, the 34th and 11th armies of the Northwestern Front launched a counterattack in the area of ​​Staraya Russa, which provided significant assistance to the defenders of Leningrad. They advanced almost 60 km, creating a threat of reaching the rear of Army Group North. The offensive operation distracted significant enemy forces and allowed us to gain time to improve the defense of Leningrad. The German command was forced to suspend the offensive in the Luga direction and transfer the 39th Motorized Corps from the Novgorod direction to repel the attack of the Soviet troops. Despite local successes, Soviet troops abandoned the city of Novgorod on August 19, and Chudovo on August 20. On August 21, after stubborn fighting, German troops reached the Krasnogvardeisky fortified area and tried, bypassing it from the southeast, to break into Leningrad, but these attempts were repulsed. On August 22, intense fighting began in the Oranienbaum direction. Here the enemy was stopped northeast of Koporye. Soviet troops also repelled all attacks in the Luga direction. On August 23, the Supreme Command Headquarters reorganized the forces of the Northern Front, dividing it into the Karelian (Lieutenant General V. A. Frolov) and Leningrad (Lieutenant General M. M. Popov) fronts. On August 29, the Karelian, Leningrad and Northwestern fronts were transferred to the direct subordination of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. The Main Command of the North-Western Direction was disbanded, and Marshal Voroshilov took command of the Leningrad Front on September 5.

At the end of August, the enemy continued the offensive along the Moscow-Leningrad highway and on August 30 reached the Neva, cutting off the railway connection between Leningrad and the country. By September 1, a tense situation had arisen on the Karelian Isthmus. Soviet troops fought back to the line 30-40 km east of Kexholm, Vyborg, and a real threat of encirclement of Leningrad was created.

Communication with the city was now maintained only by Lake Ladoga and by air. On September 9, the enemy continued the attack on Leningrad. On September 12, Army General G.K. Zhukov was appointed commander of the Leningrad Front. In the current critical situation, he took a number of measures to mobilize forces and repel enemy formations rushing towards Leningrad. Some troops from the Karelian Isthmus were transferred to the most threatening sectors of the front. The reserve units were replenished with militia units. Ship crews have been reduced and a significant number of sailors have been transferred to land. Some anti-aircraft guns have been deployed to combat enemy tanks.

In September, fierce fighting continued in the immediate vicinity of the city. The Germans took Krasnoe Selo, Pushkin, Ligovo, and New Peterhof. Soviet troops offered stubborn resistance, as a result of which heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy, and his offensive mood gradually weakened. By the end of September the front

the nearest approaches to Leningrad stabilized.

Army Group North was forced to go on the defensive.

The intention of the German command to capture Leningrad on the move with little loss of life and to use the forces of Army Group North to attack Moscow was thwarted. An important role in the defense of Leningrad during this period was played by the heroic defense of the Moonsund Islands, the Hanko Peninsula and the Tallinn naval base, the Oranienbaum bridgehead and Kronstadt. At the end of August, the ships of the Baltic Fleet made an exceptionally difficult transition from Tallinn to Kronstadt and joined the defense of Leningrad. The German command, realizing the impossibility of capturing Leningrad with the available forces, made efforts to tighten its blockade. To do this, in mid-October, it attacked Tikhvin with the goal of linking up with Finnish troops on the Svir River and implementing a complete blockade of Leningrad. On November 8, the enemy captured Tikhvin, cutting the railway along which cargo was delivered to Lake Ladoga and transported to the besieged city.

In mid-November, Soviet troops, having created a slight superiority in personnel and artillery, launched a counter-offensive and, after stubborn fighting, captured Tikhvin on December 9, pushing the enemy beyond the Volkhov River.

The situation of the besieged city was extremely difficult. Utility systems were not functioning. The city was deprived of heat and water supply. Electricity supply was limited. “Pulkovo Frontier” is a memorial complex that is part of the Green Belt of Glory of Leningrad. Located at the line where the advance of German troops was stopped in September 1941, the city's inhabitants, who died from hunger, cold, disease and as a result of bombing and shelling, reach 1 million people.

On November 22, a military highway, laid on the ice of Lake Ladoga, began operating, along which more than 360 thousand tons of cargo were delivered in the winter of 1941/42. About 550 thousand people, a large amount of industrial equipment, cultural values ​​and other property were removed from the city. Over the entire period of operation, over 1.6 million tons of cargo were transported along the Road of Life, and about 1.4 million people were evacuated. To supply oil products to the city, in the early summer of 1942, the Nevsky Pyatachok was laid along the bottom of Lake Ladoga. On this section of the Neva coast in 1941-1943, troops of the Leningrad Front tried to break the blockade of Leningrad for about 400 days.

The evacuation of residents, primarily children, continued throughout the blockade period. However, the possibilities of the only path connecting the besieged with the “Mainland” through Lake Ladoga - the Road of Life - were limited.

The German troops besieging the city subjected it to regular bombing and shelling from high-power siege weapons. About 150 thousand shells were fired into the city and over 102 thousand incendiary and about 5 thousand high-explosive bombs were dropped.

Despite the difficult conditions, the city continued to fight. 10 divisions of the people's militia were formed from the population, 7 of which became personnel. The city's industry continued to produce weapons and military equipment. During the blockade, 2 thousand tanks, 1.5 thousand aircraft, thousands of guns, many warships were repaired and built, 225 thousand machine guns, 12 thousand mortars, about 10 million shells and mines were manufactured.

In the spring and autumn of 1942, troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov Front made several attempts to break the blockade of the city, but due to a lack of forces and means they were unable to succeed.

In the winter of 1943, Operation Iskra was carried out to break the blockade of the city. On January 12, 1943, formations of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front (Lieutenant General of Artillery, from January 15, 1943 - Colonel General L.A. Govorov), the 2nd Shock and part of the forces of the 8th Army of the Volkhov Front (Army General K . A. Meretskov), with the support of aviation and the Baltic Fleet, launched counter strikes in a narrow ledge between Shlisselburg and Sinyavin.

On January 18, they broke through a corridor 8-11 km wide in enemy formations south of Lake Ladoga, through which railroads and roads were built within 17 days. This did not completely solve the problem of restoring the city’s connection with the country, because a large group in the area of ​​Mga station still maintained the threat of a breakthrough to Ladoga and restoration of the blockade of Leningrad.

During the summer and autumn of 1943, troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts carried out active operations in order to thwart the enemy's attempts to restore the blockade. Soviet troops cleared the Kirishi bridgehead on the Volkhov River from the Germans, captured the powerful defense center of Sinyavino and improved their operational position.

Favorable conditions for carrying out an offensive near Leningrad and Novgorod and completely lifting the blockade of Leningrad had developed by the beginning of 1944. Leningrad (Army General L.A. Govorov), Volkhov (Army General K.A. Meretskov) and 2nd Baltic (Army General M.M. Popov) fronts received the task together with the Baltic Fleet (Admiral V.F. Tributs) , the Ladoga and Onega military flotillas, long-range aviation with the participation of partisan formations, defeat the German units besieging the city, finally eliminate the blockade of Leningrad, clear the Leningrad region of the enemy and create conditions for a subsequent offensive to liberate the Baltic states.

On January 14, Soviet troops launched an offensive from the Oranienbaum bridgehead to Ropsha, and on January 15 - from Leningrad to Krasnoye Selo. On January 20, the advancing troops united in the Ropsha area and eliminated the encircled enemy group. At the same time, on January 14, Soviet troops went on the offensive in the Novgorod area, on January 16 - in the Lyuban direction, and on January 20 they liberated Novgorod. By the end of January, the cities of Pushkin, Krasnogvardeysk, Tosno, Lyuban, and Chudovo were liberated.

During the Great Patriotic War, Luga was the site of fierce battles on the outskirts of Leningrad. In 1975, the grandiose monument “Partisan Glory” was built in honor of the partisans of the Leningrad, Pskov and Novgorod regions.

The troops of the Leningrad and 2nd Baltic fronts, continuing to pursue the enemy, reached the border of the Latvian SSR by the end of March 1. As a result of the operation, Army Group North was severely defeated, almost the entire Leningrad region and part of the Kalinin region were liberated, and favorable conditions were created for the defeat of the enemy in the Baltic states.

By August 10, after the troops of the Leningrad and Karelian (Army General K. A. Meretskov) fronts with the participation of the Baltic Fleet, Ladoga and Onega military flotillas defeated the enemy group on the northern wing of the Soviet-German front, the battle for Leningrad, which had a great political impact, ended and military-strategic significance.

By the beginning of 1944, favorable conditions had developed for carrying out an offensive near Leningrad and Novgorod and completely lifting the blockade of Leningrad. The troops of the Leningrad (commander - Army General L. A. Govorov), Volkhov (commander - Army General K. A. Meretskov) and 2nd Baltic (commander - Army General M. M. Popov) fronts deeply covered the flanks of the German group opposing them armies "North" (commanders - Field Marshal G. Küchler, from the end of January 1944 - Colonel General V. Model). The front forces numbered more than 1.2 million people, over 20 thousand guns and mortars, 1,580 tanks and self-propelled guns against 741 thousand people, 10 thousand guns and mortars and 385 tanks and assault guns in Army Group North. 13 partisan brigades numbering 35 thousand people were also involved in the Leningrad-Novgorod operation.

Despite the fact that the enemy was inferior to the Soviet troops in numbers and quantity of military equipment, its defensive capabilities remained high. In 2.5 years, German troops created a powerful defensive system near Leningrad and Novgorod - the so-called North-Rubezhny Stone.

Nevsky patch

During the Great Patriotic War, the Road of Life was the only transport route across Lake Ladoga. During its construction, the features of wooded and swampy terrain were used throughout, and the total depth reached 230-260 km. Almost all settlements and important intersections of transport routes were fortified and prepared for all-round defense.

At the first stage of the operation, it was envisaged that simultaneous attacks by troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts near Leningrad and Novgorod would defeat the 18th Army. At the same time, the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front actively pinned down the main forces of the 16th Army and the operational reserves of Army Group North. Then the troops of three fronts were supposed to, advancing in the Narva, Pskov and Idritsa directions, defeat the 16th Army, clear the territory of the Leningrad region from the enemy and create conditions for an offensive in the Baltic states.

Memorial "Sinyavinsky Heights"

The Baltic Fleet (commanded by Admiral V.F. Tributs) was tasked with using artillery fire and air strikes to assist the Leningrad Front in breaking through the enemy’s defensive lines. Air support for the troops was provided by 1,386 aircraft from front-line aviation, long-range aviation (commanded by Air Marshal A. E. Golovanov) and the Leningrad Air Defense Army.

The operation began on January 12-14, when formations of the 3rd Shock, 10th Guards and 22nd Army of the 2nd Baltic Front attacked the enemy and began fierce battles in the Novosokolniki area. On January 14, the troops of the 2nd Shock Army of the Leningrad and 59th Army of the Volkhov Front began an offensive. Before the start of the operation, the 2nd Shock Army was secretly transferred to the Oranienbaum bridgehead

The ships of the Baltic Fleet transported 44 thousand personnel, 600 guns, tanks, self-propelled guns and a large amount of other military equipment and cargo across the Gulf of Finland in close proximity to the enemy. On January 15, the 42nd Army of the Leningrad Front began its offensive. The enemy, occupying the prepared lines, resisted desperately. On January 17, Soviet troops overcame the first line of defense and penetrated the second. Fearing encirclement, the enemy began to withdraw troops from the areas of Krasnoye Selo and Ropsha, and in order to delay the advancing units of the 42nd Army, he transferred three infantry divisions, units of the motorized SS Norland division and construction units to its offensive zone.

In the auxiliary direction, units of the 59th Army crossed Lake Ilmen on the fragile ice on the night of January 14; Using the factor of surprise, they captured a number of enemy strongholds, and by the end of the day they expanded the captured bridgehead to 6 km along the front and to 4 km in depth. In the following days, Soviet troops broke through enemy defenses north and south of Novgorod, expanding the breakthrough in the direction of the main attack to 20 km along the front and up to 8 km in depth. On January 16, the troops of the 54th Army went on the offensive in the Lyuban direction. On January 20, the 59th Army completed the encirclement of the enemy units that did not have time to withdraw from Novgorod and, having received reinforcements from the front reserve as part of the rifle corps, destroyed them, after which they liberated Novgorod. By January 30, the troops of the left wing of the Volkhov Front pushed the enemy back 30-60 km from Novgorod. The troops of the right wing, having switched to pursuing the retreating enemy on the night of January 21, together with the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front, deeply enveloped the German troops operating east and northeast of Luga from the North.

The enemy, having established a strong group at the turn of the Luga River, tried to stop the Soviet offensive. However, the troops of the Volkhov Front, in cooperation with the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front, overcame the Luga line and liberated Luga on February 12. By February 15, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts captured the enemy’s Luga fortified zone and advanced another 100-120 km, reaching the Narva River and the eastern shore of Lake Peipus.

After the defeat of the German 18th Army, the flank and rear of the 16th Army were under threat and the German command began to withdraw its formations to the west. On February 15, the Headquarters abolished the Volkhov Front, transferring its formations to the Leningrad and 2nd Baltic Fronts.

In the second half of February, the troops of the right wing of the Leningrad Front expanded the bridgehead captured on the western bank of the Narva River, while the troops of the left wing of the Leningrad Front and the main forces of the 2nd Baltic Front continued to pursue the retreating enemy. By the end of February, both fronts reached the enemy’s Pskov-Ostrovsky fortified area and on March 1, by order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, they went on the defensive.

As a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod operation, Soviet troops completely lifted the blockade of Leningrad, threw the enemy back 180-280 km from the city, liberated almost the entire Leningrad and part of the Kalinin region and entered the territory of Estonia, marking the beginning of the liberation of the Baltic republics from German occupation.

By the end of the day, the mobile groups of the 2nd Shock and 42nd armies completed the encirclement of the Peterhof-Strelninsky enemy group. The enemy began to retreat from the Mginsky ledge, and, pursuing him, on the night of January 21, the 67th Army went on the offensive. Building on their success, the troops of the Leningrad Front advanced 70-100 km in a southwestern direction. By January 30, they liberated Pushkin, Krasnogvardeisk, and other cities and, having reached the Luga River with their main forces, crossed it in some areas.