Presidential Library's exhibition dedicated to 80th anniversary of relief of Nazi Siege of Leningrad

The exhibition at the Presidential Library was opened on the 80th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from Nazi occupation. This event marked the end of the longest and bloodiest battle of the Second World War - the Siege of Leningrad, which lasted from 10 July 1941 until 9 August 1944. 

From May 27 to August 17, 2024, in the Presidential Library, the exhibition "Memory of Generations: the 80th anniversary of the Relief of the Nazi Siege of Leningrad" is available for visitors.

The exhibition was organized by the Russian Military Historical Society in collaboration with the Presidential Library. 

The main goal of the exhibition is to demonstrate, based on reliable historical materials, how people immediately after the relief of the siege perpetuated the memory of the feat of the city and its heroic defenders, how our contemporaries perceive events related to the liberation of besieged Leningrad.

On April 30, 1944, the first exhibition dedicated to the Siege of Leningrad was opened at the Salt Town complex in Leningrad. This exhibition was later transformed into the Leningrad Defence Museum. A few months later, on November 7, the Svirskaya Pobeda Museum opened in Lodeynoye Pole, Leningrad Region.

Despite the short lifespan of these museums, their memory lives on in the re-created Museum of Defence and Siege in Leningrad as well as the Lodeynopolsky Museum of Local History (a branch of the Museum Agency in Leningrad Region). The exhibition, for example, presents original works of art that were created specifically for the Svirskaya Pobeda exhibition. One such work is the first painting by future President of the USSR Academy of Arts, Boris Ugarov, entitled "Crossing the Artillery over the Svir River" (1944).

At the exhibition, visitors can see a model of Salt Town, where the Museum of the Defence and Siege of Leningrad is located, as well as photos of its creators and exhibits.

Research and materials represent the modern aspect of the exhibition from the Russian Military Historical Society and the Presidential Library.

The Russian Military Historical Society regularly hosts memorial events and engages in scientific activity, organizing conferences and initiating the publication of historical works. It also erects monuments to heroes of the Great Patriotic War.

Little-known documents on Nazi crimes and the latest historical research on the siege of Leningrad as genocide against the peoples of the Soviet Union are available for visitors. Among the exhibits is a decision of the St Petersburg City Court on October 20th, 2022, recognizing the siege of Leningrad as a war crime and a crime against humanity.

Preserving the memory of the heroes who fought during the siege of Leningrad is a top priority for the Presidential Library. In collaboration with Radio Rossiya and the Petersburg Diary newspaper, the Presidential Library has collected and digitized over four thousand documents from personal archives of Leningrad residents. These include siege diaries, letters, and memoirs. All of these materials are now available online on the Presidential Library's portal in the digital collections Defence and Siege of Leningrad and Memory of the Great Victory.

Recently, the Presidential Library digitized the "Children's Book of War. Diaries 1941-1945". This edition was donated to the collections by the editorial office of the newspaper Arguments and Facts. Now the book, which contains true testimonies of the war years, is available on the library's portal and is presented at the exposition.

Recently, the Presidential Library digitized the Children's Book of War. Diaries 1941-1945. This edition was donated to the collections by the editorial office of the newspaper Arguments and Facts. Now the book, which contains true testimonies of the war years, is available on the library's portal and is presented at the exposition.

The partners of the exhibition "Memory of Generations: The 80th Anniversary of the Relief of the Nazi Siege of Leningrad" are the Museum Agency of Leningrad Region, the State Memorial Museum of the Defence and Blockade of Leningrad, the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Communications Troops, the Prosecutor's Office of St. Petersburg, the Central Naval Library, the Gorky Scientific Library of St. Petersburg State University, the Svirsky Frontier search party.

To visit the exhibition "Memory of Generations: the 80th anniversary of the Relief of the Nazi Siege of Leningrad",  make an appointment by phone (812) 334-25-14 or send an e-mail to excursion@prlib.ru.

Accreditation of media representatives

Please forward applications for accreditation following the attached form marked Media Accreditation at media@prlib.ru, hudjakova@prlib.ru Alexandra Khudyakova, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 167; mobile +7 (981) 788-28-08.

The letter should contain the full name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact phone numbers, the name of the media.

We draw the attention of the media representatives that it is necessary to forward applications for accreditation and arrive at the event in advance.

Entrance to the Presidential Library is carried out only by prior registration and upon showing a passport: for media representatives - through entrance № 2.