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In 1965, in honour of the twentieth anniversary of the Great Patriotic War Victory it was decided to confer the title of the Hero-City onto Leningrad. Up until then the city was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Golden Star Medal. Devising the USSR invasion plan, the Nazi aggressors saw the capture of Leningrad as one of their immediate objectives. In July 1941, the armies of the Northwest and North Fronts supported by the Baltic Fleet managed to hold the enemy forces at the far outposts of Leningrand. The citizens-in-arms also fought valiantly in the bloody battles. Suffering heavy losses, the Germans were gradually approaching the city. Failing to take Leningrad by storm, the enemy switched a long-term siege. The soviet warriors courageously withstood the merciless attacks. Unable to over come soviet resistance, the Nazi commanders decided to starve the brave comrades to death, undermine the soviet defense lines by devastating airstrikes and intensive artillery shelling. The stamina and fortitude of the soviet comrades united in a single impulse to defend their home city. Their unity was the underlying principle of Leningrad’s impregnability. The Soviet Supreme Command of the Armed Forces' Headquarters, the Leningrad Fleet Military Council, the Leningrad Communist Party Division took all necessary measures to fortify the location. Even under siege the city’s plants and factories delivered combat vehicles, weapons, ammunition. The only link with the outer world was the infamous road over Lake Ladoga, called the Road of Life. All soviet people rose to defend the City of Lenin. Thus, Leningrad continued to live, function and give hell to the enemy. In January 1943, after careful preparations, the troops of the Leningrad and the Volkhov Fronts assumed the offensive at the so-called Schlüsselburg-Sinyavino Area. On January 18th, 1943, the two fronts merged into one. The siege was lifted. On January 14th, 1943, the troops of the Leningrad, Volkhov and the 2nd Baltic Fronts, supported by the Baltic Fleet passed into decisive offensive near Leningrad and Novgorod. The soviet soldiers received massive support from guerilla units, who attacked the enemy reserves, disrupted enemy communications. In late January, 1944, the great city with streets and squares covered in the sweat and blood of the fearless defenders was fully liberated from the siege. Leonid Brezhnev defined the feat of Leningrad as “one of the most extraordinary people and army’s deeds in the world history of wars.” For more information on war heroes visit Our Victory social project official website.
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