At the initial stages of the war, the German leadership had every chance to capture Leningrad. And yet this did not happen. The fate of the city, in addition to the courage of its inhabitants, was decided by many factors.

Siege or assault?

Initially, the Barbarossa plan envisaged the rapid capture of the city on the Neva by Army Group North, but there was no unity among the German command: some Wehrmacht generals believed that the city should be captured, while others, including the Chief of the General Staff, Franz Halder, assumed that we can get by with a blockade.

At the beginning of July 1941, Halder made the following entry in his diary:: “The 4th Tank Group must set up barriers to the north and south of Lake Peipus and cordon off Leningrad.” This entry does not yet allow us to say that Halder decided to limit himself to blockading the city, but the mention of the word “cordon” already tells us that he did not plan to take the city right away.

Hitler himself advocated the capture of the city, guided in this case by economic rather than political aspects.

The German army needed the possibility of unhindered navigation in the Baltic Gulf.

Luga failure of the Leningrad blitzkrieg The Soviet command understood the importance of the defense of Leningrad; after Moscow, it was the most important political and economic center of the USSR.

The city was home to the Kirov Machine-Building Plant, which produced the latest heavy tanks of the KV type, which played an important role in the defense of Leningrad. And the name itself - “City of Lenin” - did not allow it to be surrendered to the enemy. So, both sides understood the importance of capturing the Northern capital. The Soviet side began construction of fortified areas in places of possible attacks by German troops. The most powerful, in the Luzhek area, included more than six hundred bunkers and bunkers. In the second week of July, the German fourth tank group reached this line of defense and was unable to overcome it immediately, and here the German plan for the Leningrad blitzkrieg collapsed. and constant requests for reinforcements from Army Group North, he personally visited the front, making it clear to the generals that the city must be taken as soon as possible.

Dizzy with success

As a result of the Fuhrer's visit, the Germans regrouped their forces and in early August broke through the Luga defense line, quickly capturing Novgorod, Shiimsk, and Chudovo.

By the end of the summer, the Wehrmacht achieved maximum success on this section of the front and blocked the last railway going to Leningrad.

By the beginning of autumn, it seemed that Leningrad was about to be taken, but Hitler, who focused on the plan to capture Moscow and believed that with the capture of the capital, the war against the USSR would be practically won, ordered the transfer of the most combat-ready tank and infantry units from Army Group North near Moscow. The nature of the battles near Leningrad immediately changed: if earlier German units sought to break through the defenses and capture the city, now the first priority was to destroy industry and infrastructure.

"Third option" The withdrawal of troops turned out to be a fatal mistake for Hitler's plans. The remaining troops were not enough for the offensive, and the encircled Soviet units, having learned about the enemy’s confusion, tried with all their might to break the blockade. As a result, the Germans had no choice but to go on the defensive, limiting themselves to indiscriminate shelling of the city from distant positions. There could be no talk of a further offensive; the main task was to maintain the siege ring around the city.

In this situation, the German command was left with three options:
1. Capture of the city after completion of the encirclement;
2. Destruction of the city with the help of artillery and aviation;

3. An attempt to deplete the resources of Leningrad and force it to capitulate.

Hitler initially had the highest hopes for the first option, but he underestimated the importance of Leningrad for the Soviets, as well as the resilience and courage of its inhabitants.

The second option, according to experts, was a failure in itself - the density of air defense systems in some areas of Leningrad was 5-8 times higher than the density of air defense systems in Berlin and London, and the number of guns involved did not allow fatal damage to the city’s infrastructure. Thus, the third option remained last hope Hitler to take the city.

It resulted in two years and five months of fierce confrontation.

Environment and hunger By mid-September 1941 german army civilian targets became targets: food warehouses, large food processing plants. From June 1941 to October 1942, many city residents were evacuated from Leningrad. At first, however, very reluctantly, since no one believed in a protracted war, and certainly could not imagine how terrible the blockade and battles for the city on the Neva would be.

The children were evacuated to the Leningrad region, but not for long - most of these territories were soon captured by the Germans and many children were returned back.

Now the main enemy of the USSR in Leningrad was hunger. It was he, according to Hitler’s plans, who was to play a decisive role in the surrender of the city.

In an attempt to establish food supplies, the Red Army repeatedly attempted to break the blockade; “partisan convoys” were organized to deliver food to the city directly across the front line. The leadership of Leningrad also made every effort to combat hunger. In November and December 1941, which were terrible for the population, active construction of enterprises producing food substitutes began. For the first time in history, bread began to be baked from cellulose and sunflower cake; in the production of semi-finished meat products, they began to actively use by-products that no one would have thought of using in food production before.

In the winter of 1941, food rations reached a record low: 125 grams of bread per person.

There was practically no distribution of other products. The city was on the verge of extinction. The cold was also a severe challenge, with temperatures dropping to -32 Celsius. And the negative temperature remained in Leningrad for 6 months. A quarter of a million people died in the winter of 1941-1942. The role of saboteurs

to the besieged city, later called the “Victory Road” and also known as the “Death Corridor”.

The road ran so close to military operations that German units often fired cannons at the trains. However, a flood of supplies and food poured into the city. Enterprises began to produce products according to peacetime plans, and sweets and chocolate appeared on store shelves.

In fact, the ring around the city lasted for another whole year, but the encirclement was no longer so dense, the city was successfully supplied with resources, and the general situation at the fronts no longer allowed Hitler to make such ambitious plans. Sergey Vasilenkov Great feat Soviet people during the Second World War should not be forgotten by posterity. Millions of warriors and civilians brought the long-awaited victory closer at the cost of their lives, men, women and even children became a single weapon that was directed against fascism. Centers of partisan resistance, plants and factories, and collective farms operated in enemy-occupied territories; the Germans failed to break the spirit of the defenders of the Motherland. A striking example perseverance in the history of the Great

Patriotic War

Leningrad became the hero city. Hitler's plan The Nazis' strategy was to launch a sudden, lightning strike in the areas that the Germans had chosen as priorities. Three army groups were to capture Leningrad, Moscow and Kyiv by the end of autumn. Hitler assessed the capture of these settlements as a victory in the war. Fascist military analysts planned in this way not only to “behead” the Soviet troops, but also to break the morale of the divisions retreating to the rear, to undermine

Leningrad, according to Hitler, was a city symbol of Soviet power, the “cradle of the revolution,” which is why it was subject to complete destruction along with the civilian population. In 1941, the city was an important strategic point; many engineering and electrical plants were located on its territory. Due to the development of industry and science, Leningrad was a place of concentration of highly qualified engineering and technical personnel. A large number of educational institutions produced specialists to work in various industries National economy. On the other hand, the city was geographically isolated and located at a great distance from sources of raw materials and energy. Hitler also helped geographical position Leningrad: its proximity to the country's borders made it possible to quickly encircle and blockade. The territory of Finland served as a springboard for the basing of fascist aviation during the preparatory stage of the invasion. In June 1941, the Finns entered the Second world war on Hitler's side. The then huge military and merchant fleet based in the Germans needed to be neutralized and destroyed, and the profitable sea routes use for your own military needs.

Environment

The defense of Leningrad began long before the encirclement of the city. The Germans advanced rapidly; on the day, tank and motorized formations passed 30 km deep into the territory of the USSR in a northern direction. The creation of defensive lines was carried out in the Pskov and Luga directions. Soviet troops retreated with heavy losses, losing a large number of equipment and leaving cities and fortified areas to the enemy. Pskov was captured on July 9, the Nazis moved to the Leningrad region along the shortest route. Their advance was delayed for several weeks by the Luga fortified areas. They were built by experienced engineers and allowed Soviet troops to hold back the enemy's onslaught for some time. This delay greatly angered Hitler and made it possible to partially prepare Leningrad for the Nazi attack. In parallel with the Germans, on June 29, 1941, the Finnish army crossed the border of the USSR, the Karelian Isthmus was occupied for a long time. The Finns refused to participate in the attack on the city, but blocked a large number of transport routes connecting the city with the “mainland”. The complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade in this direction occurred only in 1944, in the summer. After Hitler’s personal visit to Army Group North and the regrouping of troops, the Nazis broke the resistance of the Luga fortified area and launched a massive offensive. Novgorod and Chudovo were captured in August 1941. The dates of the siege of Leningrad, which are ingrained in the memory of many Soviet people, begin in September 1941. The capture of the Petrofortress by the Nazis finally cuts off the city from land routes of communication with the country; this happened on September 8. The ring has closed, but the defense of Leningrad continues.

Blockade

The attempt to quickly capture Leningrad failed completely. Hitler cannot pull forces away from the encircled city and transfer them to the central direction - to Moscow. Quite quickly, the Nazis found themselves in the suburbs, but, having encountered powerful resistance, they were forced to strengthen themselves and prepare for protracted battles. On September 13, G.K. Zhukov arrived in Leningrad. His main task was the defense of the city; Stalin at that time recognized the situation as almost hopeless and was ready to “surrender” it to the Germans. But with such an outcome, the second capital of the state would have been completely destroyed along with the entire population, which at that time amounted to 3.1 million people. According to eyewitnesses, Zhukov was terrifying in those September days; only his authority and iron will stopped the panic among the soldiers defending the city. The Germans were stopped, but kept Leningrad in a tight ring, which made it impossible to supply the metropolis. Hitler decided not to risk his soldiers; he understood that urban battles would destroy most of the northern army group. He ordered the mass extermination of the inhabitants of Leningrad to begin. Regular artillery shelling and aerial bombing gradually destroyed urban infrastructure, food warehouses, and energy sources. German fortified areas were erected around the city, which excluded the possibility of evacuating civilians and supplying them with everything they needed. Hitler was not interested in the possibility of surrendering Leningrad; he main goal there was destruction of this settlement. At the time of the formation of the blockade ring, there were many refugees in the city from the Leningrad region and surrounding areas; only a small percentage of the population managed to evacuate. A large number of people gathered at the stations, trying to leave the besieged northern capital. Famine began among the population, which Hitler called his main ally during the capture of Leningrad.

Winter 1941-42

January 18, 1943 - breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad. How far this day was from the autumn of 1941! Massive shelling and food shortages led to massive deaths. Already in November, the limits for issuing food on cards for the population and military personnel were cut. The delivery of everything necessary was carried out by air and through which the Nazis shot. The first deaths from exhaustion and cases of cannibalism, which were punishable by execution, began to be recorded among people.

With the advent of cold weather, the situation became significantly more complicated; the first, most severe, winter was approaching. The siege of Leningrad, the “road of life” are concepts inseparable from each other. All engineering communications in the city were disrupted, there was no water, no heating, no sewage system, food supplies were running out, and city transport did not function. Thanks to qualified doctors who remained in the city, mass epidemics were avoided. Many people died on the street on the way home or to work; most Leningraders did not have enough strength to carry their deceased relatives on sleds to the cemetery, so the corpses lay on the streets. The created sanitary teams could not cope with so many deaths, and not everyone was able to be buried.

The winter of 1941-42 was much colder than average meteorological indicators, but there was Ladoga - the road of life. Cars and convoys drove across the lake under constant fire from the invaders. They brought food and necessary things to the city, reverse direction- people exhausted by hunger. Children besieged Leningrad, who were evacuated across the ice to different parts of the country, still remember all the horrors of the freezing city to this day.

According to the food card, dependents (children and the elderly) who could not work were allocated 125 grams of bread. Its composition varied depending on what the bakers had available: shakes from bags of corn grits, flaxseed and cotton meal, bran, wallpaper dust, etc. From 10 to 50% of the ingredients included in the flour were inedible , cold and hunger became synonymous with the concept of “siege of Leningrad”.

The road of life that passed through Ladoga saved many people. As soon as the ice cover gained strength, trucks started driving across it. In January 1942, city authorities had the opportunity to open canteens in enterprises and factories, the menu of which was compiled specifically for exhausted people. In hospitals and established orphanages, they provide enhanced nutrition, which helps to survive the terrible winter. Ladoga is the road of life, and this name that the Leningraders gave to the crossing is completely true. Food and essential goods were collected for the siege survivors, as well as for the front, by the entire country.

Feat of the residents

In a dense ring of enemies, fighting cold, hunger and constant bombing, Leningraders not only lived, but also worked for victory. Factories in the city produced military products. The cultural life of the city did not freeze in the most difficult moments; unique works of art were created. Poems about the siege of Leningrad cannot be read without tears; they were written by participants in those terrible events and reflect not only the pain and suffering of people, but also their desire for life, hatred of the enemy and fortitude. Shostakovich's symphony is imbued with the feelings and emotions of Leningraders. Libraries and some museums were partially open in the city; at the zoo, exhausted people continued to care for the unevacuated animals.

Without heat, water or electricity, workers stood at their machines, investing the last of their vitality into victory. Most of the men went to the front or defended the city, so women and teenagers worked in the factories. The city's transport system was destroyed by massive shelling, so people walked several kilometers to work, in a state of extreme exhaustion and with no roads cleared of snow.

Not all of them saw the complete liberation of Leningrad from the siege, but their daily feat brought this moment closer. Water was taken from the Neva and burst pipelines, houses were heated with potbelly stoves, burning the remains of furniture in them, leather belts and wallpaper glued with paste were chewed, but they lived and resisted the enemy. wrote poems about the siege of Leningrad, lines from which became famous and were carved on monuments dedicated to those terrible events. Her phrase “no one is forgotten and nothing is forgotten” today is of great importance for all caring people.

Children

The most terrible aspect of any war is its indiscriminate choice of victims. Hundreds of thousands of children died in the occupied city, many died in evacuation, but those who remained participated in the approach of victory on an equal basis with adults. They stood at the machines, collecting shells and cartridges for the front line, kept watch on the roofs of houses at night, defusing incendiary bombs that the Nazis dropped on the city, and raised the spirit of the soldiers holding the defense. The children of besieged Leningrad became adults the moment the war came. Many teenagers fought in regular units of the Soviet army. It was the hardest for the little ones, who had lost all their relatives. Orphanages were created for them, where the elders helped the younger ones and supported them. Amazing fact is the creation of a children's dance ensemble by A. E. Obrant during the blockade. The guys were gathered all over the city, treated for exhaustion, and rehearsals began. This famous ensemble gave more than 3,000 concerts during the blockade; it performed on the front lines, in factories and in hospitals. The young artists’ contribution to the victory was appreciated after the war: all the guys were awarded medals “For the Defense of Leningrad.”

Operation Spark

The liberation of Leningrad was a top priority for the Soviet leadership, but there were no opportunities for offensive actions and resources in the spring of 1942. Attempts to break the blockade were made in the fall of 1941, but they did not yield results. The German troops fortified themselves quite well and were superior to the Soviet army in terms of weapons. By the fall of 1942, Hitler had significantly depleted the resources of his armies and therefore made an attempt to capture Leningrad, which was supposed to free up the troops located in the northern direction.

In September, the Germans launched Operation Northern Lights, which failed due to a counterattack by Soviet troops trying to lift the blockade. Leningrad in 1943 was a well-fortified city, built by the citizens, but its defenders were significantly exhausted, so breaking the blockade from the city was impossible. However, the successes of the Soviet army in other directions made it possible for the Soviet command to begin preparing a new attack on the fascist fortified areas.

On January 18, 1943, the breaking of the blockade of Leningrad marked the beginning of the liberation of the city. Military formations of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts took part in the operation; they were supported by the Baltic Fleet and the Ladoga Flotilla. Preparations were carried out for a month. Operation Iskra was developed since December 1942; it included two stages, the main of which was breaking the blockade. The further advance of the army was to completely remove the encirclement from the city.

The start of the operation was scheduled for January 12, at which time the southern shore of Lake Ladoga was covered with strong ice, and the surrounding impassable swamps froze to a depth sufficient for passage. The Shlisselburg ledge was reliably fortified by the Germans due to the presence of bunkers. Tank battalions and mountain rifle divisions did not lose their ability to resist after a massive artillery barrage by Soviet artillery. The fighting became protracted; for six days the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke through the enemy’s defenses, moving towards each other.

On January 18, 1943, the breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad was completed, the first part of the developed Iskra plan was completed. As a result, the encircled group of German troops received an order to leave the encirclement and join forces with the main forces, which occupied more advantageous positions and were additionally equipped and fortified. For residents of Leningrad, this date became one of the main milestones in the history of the siege. The resulting corridor was no more than 10 km wide, but it made it possible to lay railway tracks to fully supply the city.

Second phase

Hitler completely lost the initiative in the northern direction. The Wehrmacht divisions had a strong defensive position, but could no longer take the rebellious city. Soviet troops, having achieved their first success, planned to launch a large-scale offensive in a southern direction, which would completely lift the blockade of Leningrad and the region. In February, March and April 1943, the forces of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts attempted to attack the Sinyavskaya enemy group, which were called Operation Polar Star. Unfortunately, they failed; there were many objective reasons that did not allow the army to develop an offensive. Firstly, the German group was significantly reinforced with tanks (Tigers were used for the first time in this direction), aviation and mountain rifle divisions. Secondly, the line of defense created by that time by the Nazis was very powerful: concrete bunkers, a large amount of artillery. Thirdly, the offensive had to be carried out on territory with difficult terrain. The swampy terrain made moving heavy guns and tanks much more difficult. Fourthly, when analyzing the actions of the fronts, obvious command errors were identified, which led to large losses of equipment and people. But a start had been made. The liberation of Leningrad from the siege was a matter of careful preparation and time.

Removing the blockade

The main dates of the siege of Leningrad are carved not only on the stones of memorials and monuments, but also in the heart of each participant. This victory was achieved through the great bloodshed of Soviet soldiers and officers and millions of deaths of civilians. In 1943, significant successes of the Red Army along the entire length of the front line made it possible to prepare an offensive in the northwestern direction. The German group created the “Northern Wall” around Leningrad - a line of fortifications that could withstand and stop any offensive, but not Soviet soldiers. The lifting of the siege of Leningrad on January 27, 1944 is a date that symbolizes victory. A lot was done for this victory not only by the troops, but also by the Leningraders themselves.

Operation “January Thunder” began on January 14, 1944, it involved three fronts (Volkhov, 2nd Baltic, Leningrad), the Baltic Fleet, partisan formations (which were quite strong military units at that time), the Ladoga Military Fleet with aviation support. The offensive developed rapidly; the fascist fortifications did not save Army Group North from defeat and a shameful retreat in a southwestern direction. Hitler was never able to understand the reason for the failure of such a powerful defense, and those who fled from the battlefield German generals couldn't explain. On January 20, Novgorod and surrounding territories were liberated. Full January 27 became the occasion for festive fireworks in the exhausted but unconquered city.

Memory

The date of the liberation of Leningrad is a holiday for all residents of the once united Land of the Soviets. There is no point in arguing about the significance of the first breakthrough or the final liberation; these events are equivalent. Hundreds of thousands of lives were saved, although it took twice as many to achieve this goal. The breaking of the blockade of Leningrad on January 18, 1943 gave residents the opportunity to contact the mainland. The city's supply of food, medicine, energy resources, and raw materials for factories has resumed. However, the main thing was that there was a chance to save many people. Children, wounded soldiers, exhausted by hunger, sick Leningraders and defenders of this city were evacuated from the city. 1944 brought the complete lifting of the blockade, Soviet army began its victorious march across the country, victory is near.

The defense of Leningrad is an immortal feat of millions of people; there is no justification for fascism, but there are no other examples of such perseverance and courage in history. 900 days of hunger, backbreaking work under shelling and bombing. Death followed every resident of besieged Leningrad, but the city survived. Our contemporaries and descendants should not forget about the great feat Soviet people and about his role in the fight against fascism. This would be a betrayal of all those who died: children, old people, women, men, soldiers. The hero city of Leningrad must be proud of its past and build its present regardless of all renamings and attempts to distort the history of the great confrontation.

So why did the Germans never enter Leningrad?

This question has interested me for a very long time. I remember that in the 50s I discovered something interesting for myself: in the center of the city there was no destruction from the war, there were only “scratches” on the houses. Those. ALL the buildings stood intact. But on the southern outskirts (in the area of the Narva Gate) there were complete ruins, and only residential buildings.

Alexey Kungurov in his article"On mathematics and historical reality" exploring this issue, he draws attention to why the Kirov plant worked:
“It is known that the Kirov plant worked throughout the blockade. The fact is also known - he was located 3 (three!!!) kilometers from the front line. For people who did not serve in the army, I will say that a bullet from a Mosin rifle can fly at such a distance if you shoot in the right direction (I am simply silent about artillery guns of larger caliber).
From the Kirov plant arearesidents were evacuated , but the plant continued to operate under the very nose of the German command, and it was never destroyed.
Now on former line front on a pedestal there is a T-34 tank. It is very close to the Avtovo metro station, built in 1955. I don’t know whether the Kirov plant was bombed or not, but the shipbuilding plant named after. Marti (on Repin Square) was not bombed, but they were constantly shelled. Workers in the workshop died from shrapnel right next to the machines. The plant did not build new ships at that time, it only repaired damaged ones.
The Germans did not have orders to occupy Leningrad. Von Leib, commander of Army North, was a competent and experienced commander. He had up to 40 divisions (including tank ones) under his command.Front in front of Leningrad was 70 km long. The density of troops reached the level of 2-5 km per division in the direction of the main attack.
In this situation, only historians who do not understand anything about military affairs can say that under these conditions he could not take the city. We have repeatedly seen in feature films about the defense of Leningrad, how German tankers enter the suburbs, crush and shoot a tram. The front had been broken and there was no one ahead of them. In their memoirs, Von Leib and many other commanders of the German army claimed that they were forbidden to take the city and were ordered to withdraw from advantageous positions...
And at the same time there is a struggle for the capture of Murmansk. There the German troops were already bombing with all their hearts. So why did Hitler strive with such tenacity to capture Murmansk? After all, he did not take into account any losses. And even during the most difficult periods of the war for him, he preferred to transfer troops from Africa, but did not remove them from the Murmansk direction.
Tens of thousands of people died in the Murmansk direction and in the city itself. Why did the Soviet command so stubbornly send its soldiers to their deaths, without taking into account any losses, while defending the bare hills? What were they defending - the Kola Bay? But the allied convoys were also unloaded in Arkhangelsk (only with less losses).
These are the questions to which official history does not and will not give answers.
Contrary to all Soviet propaganda, Hitler was not a fool, and there were quite good reasons for all these actions of his army. Everyone already knows his desire to know the origins of the Aryan race and obtain evidence that the Germans are their descendants. He needed evidence of this and artifacts. He was looking for traces of Hyperborea and not only traces, but also technology.
Of course, he was well acquainted with the results of Barchenko’s expedition; he probably knew that the NKVD had staked out a large area of territory, fencing it with barbed wire and establishing serious security. So that’s where we had to look. This is where such tenacity in the fight for Murmansk came from.
In Murmansk, rocks and all possible artifacts are stored in the rocks. Therefore, it was possible to safely bomb the city without fear of destroying the archives of Hyperborea. But with Peter everything is much more complicated.
So why did Hitler never give the order to enter the city?
And all because Hitler knew well that what he needed was very well and reliably guarded, and not only by people. It was the same as in Murmansk, i.e. ancient artifacts. There are many ancient tunnels under St. Petersburg, built by the real builders of the city, and many entrances. One entrance was located under the Winter Palace. The tunnel went under the Neva to the Peter and Paul Fortress, and the Romanovs often used it while riding in a carriage.
The unknown metro of the Romanov family

For many years, from generation to generation, residents of Tsarskoye Selo have been passing on stories about mysterious dungeons and tunnels. Members of the royal family used underground passages for secret business meetings and secret dates with lovers, and during the time of Nicholas 2, secret construction of the Imperial Metro was carried out in Tsarskoye Selo.

In palace parks today there are bars that do not protect anything, doors that cannot be opened, stairs leading to nowhere. Perhaps this is the route to the Underground Railroad...

The idea of building a subway was first expressed in Russia during the reign of Catherine II. The underground passages dug in Tsarskoe Selo, connecting the Catherine Palace with a number of buildings in the city, allowed Her Majesty, without advertising her visits, to appear at any end of Tsarskoe Selo at any time of the day or night. The idea of creating underground transporters and elevators was also in the air. It seemed cumbersome, but the empress really liked it.
Naturally, these tunnels were made by the ancient builders of St. Petersburg and are most likely part of a large branched system of underground structures. What was “discovered” in Tsarskoe Selo was the clearing of already completed tunnels, their restoration and modernization with the laying of a rail road.

An abandoned storm well in the landscape part of Alexander Park. There is another one, if you take a direct route to the village of Aleksandrovka. Photo 2004

Construction management was entrusted to Senator N.P. Garin, who for some time now replaced the Minister of War and oversaw military-technical programs at the War Ministry.
Construction began with the fact that in May 1905 the public was strictly prohibited from freely visiting the Alexander and Farmer parks in Tsarskoe Selo. Solid wire fences and outposts were installed around the park areas. The security forces spread rumors that colossal military operations were deployed in the parks. construction works in connection with preparations for the tercentenary of the reigning House of Romanov.
For eight years, under conditions of strict secrecy, 120 trucks transported hundreds of tons of soil from here per day. Four hundred carts delivered food at night and transported workers, to accommodate whom two-story barracks were erected in the village of Aleksandrovskaya. Transported along a single-track cargo line lion's share excavated soil, later the soil began to be transported to the right bank of the Kuzminka River near the Aleksandrovskaya station.
In 1912, security measures were strengthened and a second strip of barbed wire, through which current was passed, was put into operation. A month before the facility was put into operation, unprecedented work began on the surface to cover up traces. Alexander Park was actually laid out anew.
And eight years later, during a celebration on the territory of the imperial parks, distinguished guests did not find any traces of the work carried out here in 1905. A strange top-secret facility in Tsarskoe Selo worth 15 million gold rubles remained the most secret in Russian Empire until March 1917.
On March 19, 1917, a group of warrant officers from the Tsarskoye Selo garrison discovered a pit leading to a deep dungeon. What they saw shocked the imagination of the warrant officers. At a depth of eight meters in the belly of a three-meter-high concrete tunnel, a wide single-track track was laid. In a small depot, an electric trolley with two trailed strollers with twenty seats, according to the number of members, was rusting royal family and retinues.
Electric cables could be seen all along the walls, small spotlights in the side passages illuminated the entire underground space from the basements of the Catherine Palace to the village of Aleksandrovskaya, where an electric lift for the trolley with its contents was mounted. The total width of the central tunnel with side passages was 12 meters.
To supply electricity in Tsarskoe Selo, the so-called palace power plant was built. Electrical engineer A.P. drew attention to the fact that its power was one hundred times greater than the lighting needs of the Catherine or Alexander Palaces. Currant.
The station was built with a huge reserve of power for purposes far from the power supply of the Tsarskoye Selo palaces, city and garrison. The two-story building in the Moorish style at the corner of Tserkovnaya and Malaya streets was placed in such a way as to power not only the already open tunnels, but also the new ones planned within the city limits and under the military camp of the Tsarskoye Selo garrison troops.
The secret object began with a strange house No. 14 on Pushkinskaya Street (in those days Kolpinskaya). The two-story wooden house has long attracted attention with its strange brick extension with one window along the main facade and a narrow tower from the courtyard, which had a connection only with the second floor of the building. During the time of Catherine II, her secret chambers were located here. By underground passage the empress could reach this house without being noticed by anyone. Here she conducted particularly secret, confidential negotiations.

The system of side tunnels of the Tsar's subway turned it into an underground hub with its own gold storage, a network of wide tunnels capable of accommodating troops to suppress the revolutionary elements and save the Tsar's family. Every hundred meters of the tunnel there were round brick columns - kingstones, so that if necessary, water from the ponds of Alexander Park could flood everything in a matter of minutes.
By May 1, 1917, all the side tunnels of the most secret facility in Russia had been explored and looted, including the gold reserve storage of the House of Romanov near Parnassus and under the building of the Chinese Theater. While the royal family was kept under house arrest in the Alexander Palace, they had some, if not great, chance to escape through the subway tunnels. Alas, the secret of the Tsarskoye Selo metro ceased to be a secret before the escape of the Romanovs was planned.
Engineer L. B. Krasin, appointed director of the Tsarskoe Selo palace power plant on behalf of the revolution, told V. I. Lenin about the attempt to liberate the royal family.

“Someday we will take the plunge and build a metro under the Moscow Kremlin,” said Ilyich with a devilish sparkle in his eyes and explained that the Germans are demanding the transfer of the Russian capital to Moscow.
And again the question arises: why did they need it?
Tsarskoye Selo was occupied Hitler's troops, completely looted and destroyed.

Siege or assault?

At the beginning of July 1941, Halder made the following entry in his diary: “The 4th Panzer Group must set up barriers to the north and south of Lake Peipus and cordon off Leningrad.” This entry does not yet allow us to say that Halder decided to limit himself to blockading the city, but the mention of the word “cordon” already tells us that he did not plan to take the city right away.

Hitler himself advocated the capture of the city, guided in this case by economic rather than political aspects. The German army needed the possibility of unhindered navigation in the Baltic Gulf.

Luga failure of the Leningrad blitzkrieg

The Soviet command understood the importance of the defense of Leningrad; after Moscow, it was the most important political and economic center of the USSR. The city was home to the Kirov Machine-Building Plant, which produced the latest heavy tanks of the KV type, which played an important role in the defense of Leningrad. And the name itself - “City of Lenin” - did not allow it to be surrendered to the enemy.

So, both sides understood the importance of capturing the Northern capital. The Soviet side began construction of fortified areas in places of possible attacks by German troops. The most powerful, in the Luzhek area, included more than six hundred bunkers and bunkers. In the second week of July, the German fourth tank group reached this line of defense and was unable to overcome it immediately, and here the German plan for the Leningrad blitzkrieg collapsed.

Hitler, dissatisfied with the delay in the offensive operation and the constant requests for reinforcements from Army Group North, personally visited the front, making it clear to the generals that the city must be taken as soon as possible.

Dizzy with success

As a result of the Fuhrer's visit, the Germans regrouped their forces and in early August broke through the Luga defense line, quickly capturing Novgorod, Shiimsk, and Chudovo. By the end of the summer, the Wehrmacht achieved maximum success on this section of the front and blocked the last railway going to Leningrad.

"Third option"

The withdrawal of troops turned out to be a fatal mistake for Hitler's plans. The remaining troops were not enough for the offensive, and the encircled Soviet units, having learned about the enemy’s confusion, tried with all their might to break the blockade. As a result, the Germans had no choice but to go on the defensive, limiting themselves to indiscriminate shelling of the city from distant positions. There could be no talk of a further offensive; the main task was to maintain the siege ring around the city. In this situation, the German command was left with three options:

1. Capture of the city after completion of the encirclement;
2. Destruction of the city with the help of artillery and aviation;
3. An attempt to deplete the resources of Leningrad and force it to capitulate.

Hitler initially had the highest hopes for the first option, but he underestimated the importance of Leningrad for the Soviets, as well as the resilience and courage of its inhabitants.
The second option, according to experts, was a failure in itself - the density of air defense systems in some areas of Leningrad was 5-8 times higher than the density of air defense systems in Berlin and London, and the number of guns involved did not allow fatal damage to the city’s infrastructure.

Thus, the third option remained Hitler's last hope for taking the city. It resulted in two years and five months of fierce confrontation.

Environment and hunger

By mid-September 1941, the German army completely surrounded the city. The bombing did not stop: civilian targets became targets: food warehouses, large food processing plants.

From June 1941 to October 1942, many city residents were evacuated from Leningrad. At first, however, very reluctantly, since no one believed in a protracted war, and certainly could not imagine how terrible the blockade and battles for the city on the Neva would be. The children were evacuated to the Leningrad region, but not for long - most of these territories were soon captured by the Germans and many children were returned back.

Now the main enemy of the USSR in Leningrad was hunger. It was he, according to Hitler’s plans, who was to play a decisive role in the surrender of the city. In an attempt to establish food supplies, the Red Army repeatedly attempted to break the blockade; “partisan convoys” were organized to deliver food to the city directly across the front line.

The leadership of Leningrad also made every effort to combat hunger. In November and December 1941, which were terrible for the population, active construction of enterprises producing food substitutes began. For the first time in history, bread began to be baked from cellulose and sunflower cake; in the production of semi-finished meat products, they began to actively use by-products that no one would have thought of using in food production before.

In the winter of 1941, food rations reached a record low: 125 grams of bread per person. There was practically no distribution of other products. The city was on the verge of extinction. The cold was also a severe challenge, with temperatures dropping to -32 Celsius. And the negative temperature remained in Leningrad for 6 months. A quarter of a million people died in the winter of 1941-1942.

The role of saboteurs

During the first months of the siege, the Germans bombarded Leningrad with artillery almost unhindered. They transferred to the city the heaviest guns they had, mounted on railway platforms; these guns were capable of firing at a distance of up to 28 km, with 800-900 kilogram shells. In response to this, the Soviet command began to launch a counter-battery fight; detachments of reconnaissance and saboteurs were formed, which discovered the location of the Wehrmacht's long-range artillery. Significant assistance in organizing counter-battery warfare was provided by the Baltic Fleet, whose naval artillery fired from the flanks and rear of German artillery formations.

Interethnic factor

His “allies” played a significant role in the failure of Hitler’s plans. In addition to the Germans, Finns, Swedes, Italian and Spanish units took part in the siege. Spain did not officially participate in the war against Soviet Union, with the exception of the volunteer "Blue Division". There are different opinions about her. Some note the tenacity of its soldiers, others note the complete lack of discipline and mass desertion; soldiers often went over to the side of the Red Army. Italy provided torpedo boats, but their land operations were not successful.

"Victory Road"

The final collapse of the plan to capture Leningrad came on January 12, 1943, it was at that moment that the Soviet command began Operation Iskra and after 6 days of fierce fighting, on January 18, the blockade was broken. Immediately after this, a railroad was built into the besieged city, later called the “Victory Road” and also known as the “Death Corridor.” The road ran so close to military operations that German units often fired cannons at the trains. However, a flood of supplies and food poured into the city. Enterprises began to produce products according to peacetime plans, and sweets and chocolate appeared on store shelves.

On December 18, 1940, Hitler, in his infamous Directive No. 21, laid down the main provisions of Plan Barbarossa, an attack on the Soviet Union. It listed the “occupation of Leningrad and Kronstadt” as the central condition for continuing “the offensive operation to capture the important transport and military center, Moscow.” This task was transferred ground forces, which were supposed to carry out an offensive between the Pripyat swamps in the south and the Baltic Sea towards the Baltic.

Nine months later, in the first days of September 1941, the troops of Army Group North approached the outskirts of Leningrad. But we were no longer talking about the rapid capture of the city. Instead, Hitler ordered the city to be cut off from the outside world and left to his own care. What did this mean specifically - starvation for three million residents (of which 400 thousand were children) and about 500 thousand Red Army soldiers defending the city. The blockade lasted almost 900 days, until the end of January 1944. It claimed the lives of one million civilians.

With the change in the directive for Army Group North, it became clear that the course of the operation had taken a different turn. On the other hand, it clearly showed that the main motive of the offensive remained unchanged - to destroy the Soviet Union as a means of “Jewish-Bolshevik global conspiracy"through racial and ideological genocide on an unprecedented scale.

Of the three army groups that attacked the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Group North was the weakest. At its disposal was only the so-called tank group (tank army), which also had fewer weapons than Army Group Center, which was supposed to advance on Moscow.

The troops of Field Marshal Wilhelm von Leeb very quickly realized what it meant to wage war in the vastness of the East. Supply routes extended to the very outskirts, and some divisions faced the impossible task of controlling a hundred-kilometer-wide front.

It became clear that the planned blitzkrieg would not be implemented for several weeks, and the offensive slowed down. In addition, it became clear that the Red Army, despite huge losses, still has sufficient reserves to give battle to the Wehrmacht and fight for every house. It was the greatest success of the Germans in the first months of the war, the conquest of Kyiv, that should have clearly demonstrated this. In addition, there was the task of supplying hundreds of thousands of Soviet prisoners, as well as a city whose logistics were completely destroyed.

Context

Leningrad was surrounded, Kyiv was taken, then Moscow

ABC.es 05/24/2014

World War II through the eyes of Western media

06.11.2015

Leningrad, 1944 - the beginning of the end for the Wehrmacht

Die Welt 01/31/2014

About the war 1939-1945

31.07.2019

Arbejderen: the collapse of Operation Barbarossa

Arbejderen 06/23/2016
The fact that German logistics was already practically unable to deliver the most necessary things to the front, and instead identified the conquered territories in the east, the breadbaskets of Ukraine, as future food suppliers for the Third Reich, the Nazi regime came to a different decision. The famine would literally wipe out the second largest city in the Soviet Union, the cradle of the Bolshevik Revolution. In this sense, Hitler forbade his soldiers to enter the city even in case of surrender. Namely, “for economic reasons,” since otherwise the Wehrmacht would “be responsible for providing food for the population.”

After the allied Finnish army stopped the advance on the line, which before the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. marked the border, Leeb was faced with a lack of funds for a direct attack on the city. Instead of reinforcements, he was ordered to send most of his tanks to support Army Group Center for the planned attack on Moscow.

A note from the Wehrmacht High Command was dated September 21, which analyzed the serious consequences for the besiegers. Concerns were expressed about epidemics and waves of refugees that would further worsen the supply situation.

But above all, Hitler's headquarters were concerned about the morale of the Wehrmacht: controversial issue, will our soldiers have the courage to start shooting at women and children. In this regard, it was recommended to destroy Leningrad with the help of artillery and aircraft and thereby drive the unarmed into the interior of the country. The fortified areas were to be left to their own devices after the winter of 1941/1942, the survivors were to be sent inland or captured, and the city was to be razed to the ground by bombing.

These arguments clearly show that the famine strategy was no longer pursuing a military goal, but rather the destruction of the city and its inhabitants through genocide. And the fact that the Fuhrer’s concern extended only to the moral side of his troops shows the nature of German warfare, says military historian Rohl-Dieter Müller.

The fact that these plans were not realized is due to the courage and willingness to make sacrifices of the defenders, as well as the heartless cruelty of Stalin. He sent General Zhukov, whom he had previously dismissed from the post of Chief of the General Staff due to criticism of himself, to the city with instructions to keep him by any means necessary.

In the spirit of Stalin, who forbade any sentimentality, Zhukov explained to the soldiers that the families of anyone who surrendered to the enemy would be shot, just like themselves if they returned from captivity. Half a million civilian population was obliged to participate in the construction of fortifications. At the same time, the NKVD established a terrorist regime in the city, which threatened death to anyone identified as an enemy agent, defeatist or counter-revolutionary.

The spy mania went so far that food reserves were not distributed, but were stored centrally in warehouses so that they could be better guarded. This made them easy targets for German bombers. The result was a hungry winter, in which the daily ration was reduced to 125 g of bread, which half consisted of wood flour and cellulose. People ate bark, rats and cats. There was no electricity or wood for the stoves.

“People were so weak from hunger that they did not resist death; they died as if falling asleep. But the people lying nearby didn’t even notice. Death became a phenomenon that could be observed at every turn,” wrote a survivor. Only through Lake Ladoga did a minimal amount of supplies reach the besieged city, where mountains of bodies lay in the streets because no one had the strength to bury them.

The soldiers of the German 18th Army received military orders to maintain a siege. Thus, military leadership Germany under the leadership of Hitler made them accomplices of a terrible crime, which was in the spirit of the ideology and logic of the war of annihilation.