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Society, Russia

January 27 is another Day of Russia's military glory. St. Petersburg celebrates the Day of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad. Photo from nachalka.com

January 27 – Day of Russia's military glory, Day of lifting of Leningrad blockade

On January 27, Russia celebrates a Military Glory Day: the lifting of the siege of Leningrad in 1944, in accordance with Federal law No 32-FZ dated 13.03.95 "On the days of military glory (victorious days) of Russia”.
 
In September 1941, a ring of Nazi troops closed up around the city of Leningrad. Hitler's goal was a complete destruction of the city on the Neva River as a major political and strategic center. For almost 900 days, Leningrad had to remain then under blockade.
 
Only in late 1943 – early 1944, after the victories of the Soviet forces in the battles of Kursk and Stalingrad, as well as in the Left Bank Ukraine, at the Dnieper and in Donbass, the Soviet armed forces launched offensive operations at Leningrad and Novgorod in order to lift the Nazi blockade.
 
The operation involved the 2d shock, 42th and 67th Armies of the Leningrad Front, 59th, 8th and 54th Armies of the Volkhov Front, the 1st shock and 22d Armies of the 2d Baltic Front, and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, which provided 30% of aviation power. Long-range aviation, guerrilla groups and teams were also involved in the operation. By this time, the enemy had created in-depth defence around Leningrad with reinforced concrete and log-and-dirt structures, protected with minefields and barbed wire.
 
The Soviet command set a goal to defeat the flanking groups of the 18th German Army, and then by attacks on the Kingisepp and Luga directions to defeat its main forces and reach the line of the Luga River. Continuing the liberation operations on the Narva, Pskov and Idritsk directions, the troops were to inflict the final blow to the 16th army. After completing the liberation of Leningrad Region, the troops began to create conditions for the liberation of the Baltic states. On January 14, the Soviet troops began an offensive from the beachhead to Ropsha, and the next day – from Leningrad to Krasnoye Selo.
 
January 20, the troops of the Soviet Armed Forces, after heavy fighting in the area, closed up at Ropsha, encircled the Peterhof-Strelninsky enemy group, and destroyed it. Fortune favoured them in other areas, too. On 14 January, they launched an offensive in the region of Novgorod, and on 16 January – on the Luban direction. Novgorod was liberated from the enemy forces on 20 January. On January 27, cannon salute boomed in Leningrad, finally freed from the siege.
 
The city survived the Nazi siege, but with unparalleled human losses. People who survived these terrible 900 days within the walls of Leningrad would forever preserve in their memory the cold and famine reigning there, the emaciated corpses in the streets, the food made of glue and resin, and the terrible images of the city cut off from the world.
 
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The celebrations of the lifting of the Leningrad siege