MONUMENT TO THE DEFENDERS OF LENINGRAD

A branch of the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg
Ploshchad Pobedy 196066 St. Petersburg
Open: 10am - 6pm Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10am - 5pm Tuesdays and Fridays
Closed: Wednesdays
Tel. 293-6563
Nearest metro station: Moskovskaya

This monument commemorates the heroism of the people of Leningrad, who defended their city during the 900-day siege in the war of 1941-45. It was opened on 9 May 1975- the 30th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. The monument was created by Sergei Speransky and Valentin Kamensky, two well-known architects, who themselves had served during the war, and the sculptor Mikhail Anikushin. Students of the Academy of Arts and many residents of the city also helped to erect the monument.

The memorial takes the form of an architectural and sculptural ensemble. In the centre stands a granite obelisk, 40 m high, with the Victors sculptural group at its base. Behind the obelisk is a ring of concrete-lined granite, 40 m in diameter, symbolizing the lifting of the siege. Inside the ring is a bronze sculptural group, The Blockade. At the entrance, a broad staircase, flanked by the sculptural groups The Front and The Rear, leads to the memorial.

The Memorial Hall opened in 1978. On the walls inside are the names of the towns and villages which saw the bitterest fighting, as well as the factories and institutions that continued to operate during the siege. Etched in gold on a marble plaque are the names of more than 650 Heroes of the Soviet Union who distinguished themselves in the battle for Leningrad, holders of the Order of Glory and Heroes of Socialist Labour. In the centre of the hall is an electrified relief map of the defence of Leningrad. The stone sarcophagi contain relics of the blockade, including "money-box" lamp and a blockade ration book. By the northern wall is a chronicle of the siege consisting of 900 bronze lamps and 900 bronze sheets -one for each day of the epic event.