Presidential library: The Presidential library celebrates 66th anniversary of the end of Leningrad siege

On January, 25 2010 the Boris Yeltsin Presidential library organized an exhibition of books, which had come out in the besieged Leningrad. This event was initiated in order to commemorate the 66^th anniversary of the city’s complete liberation from the blockade. The reprint of the “Red star” newspaper’s issue from January, 28 1944, which had come out with a subheading: “Leningrad completely liberated from the enemy’s siege”, was produced in the Presidential Library’s printing office and presented to the survivors of siege, who attended the opening of the exhibition.

Among the exhibition’s displays is the book titled “Leningrad”, which came out in circulation of 2500 copies in 1943 in commemoration of 240^th anniversary of St. – Petersburg foundation. The visitors of the exhibition will see household articles in times of Leningrad Blockade: toys and Christmas tree decorations, gramophones and records, notes from private diaries, posters and newspapers.

The exhibition has brought together residents of the besieged city, representatives of the Museum-library “Books of the besieged city”, owners of exhibits, and a foreign diplomatic representation.

“As for us, it is very important that we are still full of energy, and able to organize concerts in social houses and military organizations. Being children we went through severe hardships. We would like to share our experience with the young generation”, - remarked Klavdia Vasilievna Borshchuk (maiden name – Stolyarova), guest of honour, head of the Cultural Center for the elderly and veterans “Hope” (“Nadezhda”).

Within the framework of the function the survivors of the siege, children of the besieged city, veterans, cadets of the Kronstadt Military Cadet college, students and senior pupils of St. – Petersburg watched the film shot by L. Ye. Shaht “An hour of courage”, dedicated to the work of the artist A. P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva in the besieged city, and enjoyed folk and war songs.

During the whole Leningrad Blockade there were 7 printing establishments and 23 libraries in the city. Over 1700 books whose circulation totaled 3 mil. copies had come out in the besieged city.

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