Here, on the southern outskirts of Leningrad, less than eight kilometers from the front line, in 1941 a powerful line of defense of the Neva stronghold was created - with long-term firing points, anti-tank embankments and ditches, steel "hedgehogs", concrete gouges. In July 1945, one of the three temporary triumphal arches was built here for the solemn meeting of the victorious warriors.
In 1962, Srednyaya Rogatka was renamed Victory Square and became, in fact, the "southern gate" of our city. And in 1975, the year of the thirtieth anniversary of the Victory, a majestic Monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad was opened in its center. Its authors were one of the greatest sculptors of the 20th century, an ardent patriot of the Northern capital of Russia, Mikhail Konstantinovich Anikushin (1917 - 1997), as well as architects Valentin Alexandrovich Kamensky (1907 - 1975) and Sergey Borisovich Speransky (1914 - 1983). In 1978, the group of authors was awarded the Lenin Prize.

Composition of the monument

Those entering Victory Square from Moskovsky Prospekt pay attention to the concrete "blockade ring" with a diameter of 40 meters and the inscription "gold" "To your feat, Leningrad", torn from the side of the Pulkovskoye highway. A 48-meter obelisk with the dates "1941 - 1945" rushes up from the gap. In front of the obelisk there are bronze "Winners" - 8-meter figures of a soldier and a worker. Along both borders of a small esplanade, 5-meter sculptural groups lined up. Closer to the hotel "Pulkovskaya" - a pilot, Baltic sailors, snipers in camouflage coats; the builders of the legendary "Luga Frontier" and fortifications on the near approaches to the city - women with shovels and men with a rail. Closer to the building of the RNII "Electrostandard" - soldiers going on the attack, workers of the Labor Front; a mother escorting her son to the war and the Leningrad militia.
On the inside of the "blockade ring" are the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad", the Gold Star of the Hero City, two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of War and the texts of the Decrees on awarding them to Leningrad. On both sides of the "breakthrough" we read "900 days - 900 nights." Below, under the fir trees, capsules with earth from hero cities are walled up. Inside the ring, that is, inside the besieged city, we see a 6-figure sculptural group "Victims of the Blockade": a mother holds a child killed during the bombardment in her arms, a girl tries to lift her wounded friend, a soldier supports a woman exhausted by hunger, who dropped a bucket of water.

Museum in the underground hall

On February 23, 1978, a memorial hall was opened in the underground space under the Monument, which is now a branch of the Museum of the City's History. Both end walls are decorated with colored panels "Blockade" and "Victory" (4, 16 x 3, 15 meters), created by a group of artists led by Andrei Andreevich Mylnikov (1919 - 2012). In 12 showcases, numerous items of weapons of the soldiers of the Leningrad Front and sailors of the Baltic Fleet are presented, as well as the life of besieged Leningrad. On the marble plaque are the names of almost 700 defenders of the city - Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of Socialist Labor, full holders of the Order of Glory. Visitors to the museum are shown a film by front-line cameramen "Memories of the Siege" and an electronic sound card "The Heroic Battle for Leningrad"; Book of memory; daily changing bronze pages of the Chronicle of the Heroic Days of the Defense of Leningrad, on which you can read about the events that took place at the front and inside the city on this particular day in 1941 (from September 8), 1942, 1943 and 1944 (until January 27) years. Along the perimeter of the hall and the inner surface of the ring, 900 lamps are lit, inserted into genuine 76-mm shell casings ...

The museum is open January 4-6. From December 31 to January 3, January 7 and 8, the museum is closed.

The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad is the first attraction you will see when entering St. Petersburg from the south, on the way from Pulkovo Airport. The unique monument serves as a reminder of the feat of the front and rear during the terrible days of the blockade and perpetuates the triumph of Victory in one of the most destructive wars in the history of mankind.

Ground exposure

The memorial consists of several parts:

"Square of Winners" - 26 bronze sculptures. Among them are Snipers, Pilots, Casters and other collective images of the defenders of Leningrad. Their eyes are directed towards the Pulkovo Heights - to where the front line was located.

The central part of the sculptural composition is a granite obelisk 48 m high. At the foot are the figures of the Worker and the Soldier as a symbol of the unity of the front and rear in the struggle for victory.

An open memorial hall in a torn "ring", symbolizing the breaking of the blockade. The sculptural group in the center conveys the hardships, pain and suffering of the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad, captured in bronze.

Underground Memorial Hall

In the underground part of the museum there is a documentary and art exposition, which contains relics of the war - incl. weapons, awards, objects of besieged life. The harsh and sad silence is interrupted by the steady ticking of the metronome and radio call signs. A small documentary newsreel is broadcast on the screen, allowing you to feel even more deeply this tragic period in our history.

Among the most significant exhibits are 2 mosaic panels "1941 - Siege" and "Victory", a map of the battle for Leningrad, a bronze calendar "Chronicle of the Heroic Days of the Siege of Leningrad". 900 lamps were installed along the walls, which corresponds to the number of blockade days. All this creates a unique atmosphere, recreated and carefully maintained by the museum.

A visit to the underground Memorial Hall is included in the Guest Card.

From the history

The construction of the monument was carried out in the 70s according to the project of folk artists and sculptors of the USSR: V. Kamensky, S. Speransky, M. Anikushin. Many volunteers participated in the work itself - not only Leningraders, but also residents of other cities. The opening of the ground part was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War - May 9, 1975, but it was not possible to meet the deadlines for the underground memorial hall - the work was completed only in 1978.

The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad is located on Victory Square, within walking distance from the Moskovskaya metro station - from where buses leave for the airport and the famous suburbs of St. Petersburg: Pushkin, Pavlovsk, Gatchina.

Plan a visit to this small but truly wonderful museum to honor the memory, heroism and selflessness of the soldiers and ordinary Leningraders who defended their city in the Great Patriotic War.

Description

The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad, erected on Victory Square in the area of ​​​​the former Sredny Rogatka, today is one of the most expressive and memorable monuments dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. It was designed by the people's architects of the USSR V. A. Kamensky and S. B. Speransky and the people's sculptor of the USSR M. K. Anikushin - participants in the defense of Leningrad. The construction of the memorial complex was of national importance. The proposed projects and the location of the memorial were widely discussed. Voluntary donations were transferred to a special bank account. The monument was given a special role in the ensemble of the Green Belt of Glory - a complex of memorial objects on the former defense lines of Leningrad.

In the spring of 1974, the construction of the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad began. The ground part of the monument, erected in record time, was opened on May 9, 1975 on the day of the 30th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The underground Memorial Hall with a documentary and artistic exposition dedicated to the defense and blockade of Leningrad was opened on February 23, 1978.

The ensemble of the ground part of the memorial combines a 48-meter granite obelisk, the "Performance Square" and the open Memorial Hall "Blockade".

The main vertical of the monument is a granite obelisk - a symbol of the triumph of Victory in one of the most difficult wars in the history of mankind. At the base of the obelisk is the sculptural group "Winners": the figures of a worker and a soldier testify to the unity of the city and the front. The obelisk is a link between the "Performance Square" and the semicircular Blockade Memorial Hall. Wide stairs lead to it on both sides of the obelisk pedestal. The broken lines of the walls, the edges of the breaking of the symbolic ring of the blockade are associated with the chaotic heaps of the all-destroying war. As conceived by the authors, the surface of the walls retains the texture of wooden formwork - such were the defensive structures of the war years. On the "Square of Winners" on granite pylons, 26 bronze sculptures are installed - these are images of the defenders of Leningrad. The sculptural groups face the former front line - the Pulkovo Heights.

The Blockade hall is surrounded by a 124-meter torn granite ring with laconic inscriptions “900 days” and “900 nights”, symbolizing the breaking of the blockade of Leningrad. In the center of the hall is the sculptural composition "Blockade". An eternal flame is always burning here and quiet music is playing, which creates a special atmosphere of the “temple of sorrow and memory”.

There is a museum exposition in the underground Memorial Hall. The mosaic triptych "Blockade 1941", made by S. N. Repin, I. G. Uralov and N. P. Fomin captured the first days of the defense and blockade of Leningrad: volunteers leaving for the front, residents of the city working at the besieged plant; portrait of the composer D. D. Shostakovich - the author of the Seventh Symphony dedicated to Leningrad. The panel "Victory", located at the opposite end of the hall, depicts the meeting of the winners and the July Victory Parade in 1945 in Leningrad. The exposition displays documents, awards, personal belongings of soldiers who gave their lives for Leningrad, wartime weapons, items telling about the life of the besieged city. One of the main relics of the Memorial Hall is a slice of bread weighing 125 grams - a daily ration for a resident of besieged Leningrad from November 20 to December 25, 1941.

The "Chronicle of the Heroic Days of the Siege of Leningrad" and the "Book of Memory" are kept in the Memorial Hall. The bronze pages of the Chronicle tell about each of the 900 days of the siege. Every day, pages are displayed on special pedestals in the Memorial Hall, telling about the events that took place in besieged Leningrad and on the battlefields near Leningrad on that day in 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944. The daily change of dates and pages makes it possible to trace the real course of historical events.
The "Book of Memory", the pages of which are also made of bronze, contains a complete list of military formations that defended Leningrad.

In the museum exhibition you can see the documentary films "Memories of the blockade" and "Leningrad in the fight." Footage of military newsreels are shown to the musical accompaniment of the Seventh Symphony by D. D. Shostakovich.

Every year, the Monument hosts solemn ceremonies dedicated to holidays and memorable dates in the history of the city and the country:
January 18 on the Day of breaking the blockade of Leningrad;
January 27 on the Day of the complete lifting of the blockade of Leningrad;
February 23, Defender of the Fatherland Day;
May 9 on Victory Day;
June 22 on the Day of Remembrance of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War;
On September 8, on the Day of Remembrance, the blockade of Leningrad began.

The Heroic Defenders of Leningrad is included in the list of attractions that guests of the Northern capital visit most actively. The construction was erected in honor of the 30th anniversary of the victory of the peoples of the USSR over the Nazis. It tells visitors about the most tragic page in the history of Leningrad - the 900-day siege of the city and its heroic breakthrough.

The value of the monument

Leningrad is a city that was destined to experience all the horrors of the fascist occupation. Once in the blockade ring, he was able to withstand the incredible efforts of the local population and not surrender to the enemy. The siege of the city lasted almost 900 days and was broken in January 1943 after the successful conduct of Operation Iskra by the Soviet troops. Today, few people think about what ordinary residents had to experience surrounded by fascist forces. The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad on Victory Square is one of the few memorable places in the city that has kept memories of the tragedy for many decades.

History of construction

The fact that in Leningrad it is necessary to erect a monument to the defenders of the city from the Nazi invaders was discussed in the Soviet Union even during the war. But for a long time this idea could not be realized. Only in the 60s, the city authorities managed to decide on the place where the future monument was to rise. They became the Victory Square (until 1962 it was called the Middle Rogatka). This choice was made for a reason, because during the war years the most intense battles for the city took place here.

Leningrad residents actively supported the idea of ​​erecting a memorial to the defenders of the city during the blockade and even transferred their own money savings to its construction. For this purpose, a special one was opened in the State Bank. The amounts of transfers were different. For example, M. A. Dudin transferred his fee for the poem "Song of the Crow Mountain" published in 1964 to the construction of the monument. Although it was not possible to collect more than 2 million Soviet rubles, its construction was postponed for a long time. At creative competitions, many projects of the monument were presented, but it was not possible to choose the best one from them.

Work on the erection of the monument

The need to create a memorial to the defenders of Leningrad was discussed again only in the early 70s. The 30th anniversary of the Great Victory was approaching, and the grand opening of the monument was planned for this date. As a result, the project created by the sculptor M. Anikushin and the architects S. Speransky and V. Kamensky was approved. All of them took part in the defense of the city.

The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad, a photo of which can be seen in this article, began to be built in 1974. By the end of summer, a huge foundation pit was prepared for the memorial complex on Victory Square and the piles were driven in. But with the beginning of autumn, organizations began to recall their workers involved in the construction of the monument to other facilities. In order not to disrupt the delivery of the monument on time, volunteers began to be attracted to its construction. There was no end to those wishing to take part in the construction of the structure. As a result, the monument was commissioned on time, and on May 9, 1975, its solemn opening took place.

Description of the main part of the complex

The monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad on Victory Square consists of several parts. Its top is a 48-meter granite stele and 26 bronze figures depicting the brave defenders of the Northern capital (soldiers, sailors, pilots, militias, snipers, etc.). The sculptural composition is the main part of the memorial complex. It opens to the eyes of everyone who comes to St. Petersburg from the Pulkovskoye Highway. In addition to the stele and figures, the monument includes an underground Memorial Hall and an internal platform. These parts of it are no less interesting than the main one.

Memorial hall-museum and the lower square

The underground Memorial Hall can be reached by stairs located on the territory of the complex. Here, mosaic panels are presented to the attention of visitors, telling about the life of Leningraders in the city surrounded by fascists and about the Memorial Hall is a museum. Its walls are illuminated by 900 torches-lamps (according to the number of days of the blockade of the Northern capital). The museum exhibits include the Book of Memory, which contains the names of citizens and soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of Leningrad. The underground hall was built 3 years after the opening of the stele. It has been welcoming visitors since 1978. Tourists, schoolchildren, students, veterans and all those who are interested in the history of St. Petersburg come here.

Behind the stele is the lower (inner) platform. Here is a composition of sculptures called "Blockade", the heroes of which are women and a Soviet soldier supporting children dying of hunger. The site has the shape of a broken ring, which symbolizes the liberation of Leningrad from the blockade. Eternal lights are installed on it, lit in memory of the people who died in the city surrounded by enemies.

Visiting order

The museum-monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad receives visitors daily. You can visit the aboveground part for free. Visiting the Memorial Hall for most categories of citizens is paid. The exceptions are veterans and invalids of the war, preschoolers, orphans, cadets, museum employees - admission to the museum is always free for them. On public holidays, everyone can visit the memorial complex for free.

Monument on Victory Square in, dedicated to the heroic defense of the city during the blockade of the 1940s. Among other buildings of the Soviet period, this monument occupies a special place. The idea of ​​its creation arose during the Great Patriotic War, but it was only possible to realize it in the 1970s.

It became part of the Green Belt of Glory memorial complex. The upper (ground) part of the monument was solemnly opened for the thirtieth anniversary of the Victory on May 9, 1975. The main architects of the project were S. B. Speransky and V. A. Kamensky. The lower (underground) part was opened only three years later, on Defender of the Fatherland Day.

There is a special aura here, when peering into bronze and granite, you can read the long history of the country. "Square of the Winners" is occupied by 26 sculptures-defenders of the city; The 48-meter stele is the main symbol of the Victory. At its base you can see a sculpture of a worker and a soldier. A special place in the composition is occupied by the Blockade memorial hall, which stretches like a granite ring for more than 120 meters and, with the help of musical accompaniment, conveys to visitors all the tragedy of the days of the Leningrad blockade.

The underground part contains documents and photographs confirming the fact of a 3-year blockade, defense and long-awaited liberation. This is a kind of museum where you can feel the full force of the mourning event. Along the perimeter of the walls there are 900 lamps in the form of candles, symbolizing 900 merciless days of famine and bombing. The collection is complemented by a marble plaque with the names of the heroes.

On such holidays as January 27 (Leningrad Liberation Day), February 23 and May 9, admission to the Memorial Hall is always free. You can get to the square on foot from the Moskovskaya metro station, bypassing the Department Store and passing through the underpass.

Attraction photo: Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad