Marking the 80th anniversary of the breaking of the siege of Leningrad: Exhibition “Breakthrough. In the Name of Leningrad” opens

On January 18, 2023, at the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad, events marking the 80th anniversary of the breaking of the siege are being held: a solemn ceremony of laying flowers at the memorial, the opening of the exhibition Breakthrough. In the Name of Leningrad, a lecture by military historian Victor Kuntarev, and a concert by artists of the Theatre of Musical Comedy.

At 11 am, a solemn ceremony of laying flowers to the memorial will take place at the Monument of the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad. Representatives of the Government of St. Petersburg, the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, the Administration of Moskovsky District, the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, veteran organizations and residents of St. Petersburg will take part in the event.

At 12 pm, the exhibition Breakthrough. In the Name of Leningrad will open in the Memorial Hall, uniting the works of Leningrad artists and architects.

The operation, conducted from January 12-30, 1943, was codenamed Iskra. On January 18, Shlisselburg was taken, and at the same time Soviet troops liberated Lipki, thus the siege of Leningrad was broken. This battle in the Southern Ladoga Region became the turning point of the heroic and dramatic struggle for Leningrad.

After the victorious completion of Operation Iskra, an architectural competition was announced to create a monument project dedicated to the breaking of the siege of Leningrad. The exhibition Breakthrough. In the Name of Leningrad showcases sketches of monuments by architects Alexander Vasilyev, Kirill Iogansen, Yakov Lukin, Marianna Taranovskaya, and others.

The exposition also features letters, leaflets, works of art, telling about the public perception of the epochal events of January 1943 for the besieged Leningrad. Picturesque and graphic works by Konstantin Dorokhov, depicting Leningrad and Shlisselburg on January 18, 1943, drawings by Gavriil Malysh and Vasily Vlasov, sketches of posters by Modest Shepilyovsky, dedicated to the breaking of the siege, deserve special attention.

Most of the exhibits are presented to the public for the first time.

Victor Kuntarev, a military historian, searcher, chairman of the permanent Commission for perpetuating the memory of fallen soldiers during the Great Patriotic War, will give a lecture at the opening of the exhibition. Wartime items found in Leningrad Region during search operations will be shown as well.

Also on January 18, artists of the Theatre of Musical Comedy will perform wartime songs in the Memorial Hall of the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad. This theatre is especially significant for the history of the besieged Leningrad. During the siege, the theatre continued to operate and support the morale of Leningrad residents.