Even in the midst of the siege, life triumphed… a maternity ward in winter…

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Editor:

Don’t forget… the Westerners haven’t changed their spots. Contemporary “conservatives” and Republicans show the same racism demonstrated by the German fascists. Sadly, all too many “liberals” and Democrats share the same noxious ideology. Racism isn’t just a “black and white” thing. It also covers Russophobia and hatred of Asians and Orientals. It also covers the Zionist attack on Palestinians (mind you, a hatred of Jews is also racism… Zionists aren’t a majority of Jews; one must bear that in mind). Racism fuelled the German Drang nach Osten. The same rancid racism propels Israeli attacks on Palestinians and American attacks on Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Russian World. It was evil in the 1940s… it’s evil today. Lest we forget…

BMD

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We Remember…

18 January 1943

Breakthrough of the Blockade of Leningrad

Every year, pseudo-historians try to deny our history. They rewrite it, in an attempt to crush our Russian soul. Yet, it’s precisely this spirit that won our victory. Each year, we see those who defame the theme of the Blockade events, who besmirch the motives and feelings of those who went through this hell. Now, we see that such sorts have made a scandalously infamous movie. Every year, some creep yelling about “victory obsession” rebukes us, telling us that “you shouldn’t trifle with our victory”. Let God judge them. Meanwhile, we remembered, we remember, and we will remember. Always. We shall pass this memory on to our children. No doubt, we’ll prove superior to such loudmouths. Unfortunately, my uncle didn’t live to see the breakthrough in the blockade, as did so many thousands of other people.

Вечная им Память… Eternal be Their Memory

From 8 September 1941, Leningrad was under blockade, which lasted 900 days. The most severe test facing its inhabitants was hunger. On 20 November 1941, the authorities established the lowest level of bread rations… workers, engineers, and technical workers received 250 grammes, office workers, dependants, and children got 125 grammes. Frontline units, warship crews, and combat aviation formations got 500 grammes, whilst rear echelon military personnel received 300 grammes. This was the beginning of large-scale losses from starvation. Physical overexertion, cold, lack of electricity and heating, a breakdown of water and sewage systems, and the deterioration of other basic living conditions ever more weakened people’s ability to resist death by starvation. In December 1941, 53,000 died… more than 100,000 in each of January and February 1942… more than 95,000 in March 1942. The diary written by little Tanya Savicheva can’t leave anyone indifferent:

Grandmother died on 25 January … Uncle Alyosha on 10 May … Mom on 13 May at 0730. Everyone’s dead. Now, there’s only Tanya.

The losses in Leningrad during the blockade totalled up to 1 million deaths. Grief visited every family. Mothers and fathers saw their sons and daughters die; children went on without their parents. The “Road of Life” laid on the ice of Lake Ladoga brought salvation for hundreds of thousands besieged. Starting on 21 November 1941, this means brought in food and ammunition. On the return trip, the vehicles evacuated civilians, mostly women and children. Until March 1943, the ice road (useful until the summer) delivered 1.615 million tonnes of various cargoes. At the same time, its vehicles evacuated 1,376,000 Leningraders and many thousands of wounded soldiers. Some 1,750,000 people left the city during the blockade. This was the largest evacuation of civilians from a besieged city in history. There was a pipeline laid along the bottom of Lake Ladoga to transport petroleum products.

The Red Army made four attempts to break the siege. The first was in September 1941, on the third day after fascist troops cut the land communications with the city; the second occurred in October 1941, in spite of the critical state of affairs on outside Moscow; the third came in January 1942 during a general counter-offensive, which only partly achieved its objectives; and the fourth kicked off in August 1942 and lasted until January 1943, when the Wehrmacht’s main forces were in Stalingrad. This offensive (Operation Iskra (Spark)) partially lifted the blockade. A narrow strip on the southern coast of Lake Ladoga, 8-11 kilometres wide, restored land communication with the rest of the USSR. Over the next 17 days, the Soviets built new rail and road links along this corridor. January 1943 was a turning point in the siege of Leningrad.

More than a year remained to completely lift the siege of the city…

20 January 2019

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