New virtual tour of Presidential Library features exhibition dedicated to 80th anniversary of lifting of Nazi siege of Leningrad

A new virtual tour of the exhibition Memory of Generations: the 80th Anniversary of the Relief of the Nazi Siege of Leningrad has been published on the portal of the Presidential Library. The exhibition was opened in the building of the library on May 27th, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the full liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi siege, the Day of the Foundation of St. Petersburg, All-Russian Library Day, and the 15th anniversary of the Presidential Library.

The event was organized by the Russian Military Historical Society in collaboration with the Presidential Library. Thanks to a new virtual tour created by library experts based on reliable historical materials, visitors can learn about how, immediately after the end of the siege, people commemorated the feat of the city and its brave defenders, and how our contemporaries view the events surrounding the liberation of besieged Leningrad.

On April 30, 1944, the first exhibition dedicated to the heroic defence of Leningrad during the Siege of Leningrad was opened in a complex of buildings in Leningrad. This exhibition was later transformed into the Leningrad Museum of Defence. On November 7, 1944, the Svirskaya Pobeda Museum was also opened in Lodeynoye Pole, Leningrad Region.

The century of these first museums dedicated to the defence and siege of Leningrad was short-lived, and the exhibitions were disbanded. However, the memory of the 1944 exhibitions is now kept in the reopened Museum of the Defence and Siege of Leningrad and the Lodeynoe Pole Museum of Local History (a branch of the Museum Agency of Leningrad region).

Thanks to a virtual tour of the exhibition at the Presidential Library, visitors can learn about the heroic participants in the false crossing of the Svir River and see original artifacts created specifically for the Svirskaya Pobeda Museum. They can also see a mock-up of Salt Town, where the Museum of Defence and Siege was located, as well as archival photos and multimedia materials that tell the story of the creators of the museum, its first exhibition, and its revival in 1989.

Modernity within the context of the virtual tour is represented by the research and materials of the Russian Military Historical Society and the Presidential Library. The Russian Military Historical Society regularly hosts memorial events and engages in scientific activities, such as organizing conferences and initiating the publication of historical works. They also erect monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, as evidenced by the materials of the virtual exhibition, which tell about a monument to the victims of Nazi genocide that was erected near Gatchina on January 27, 2024, on the initiative of the society.

One can also see some little-known documents about Nazi crimes and the latest historical research on the siege of Leningrad, which is considered a genocide against the peoples of the Soviet Union. One of the exhibits is a decision from the St. Petersburg City Court from October 20, 2022, regarding the claim by the city prosecutor's office to recognize the blockade of Leningrad as a war crime, crime against humanity, and genocide against Soviet citizens.

The century-long existence of these first museums dedicated to the defense and siege of Leningrad was short-lived, and the exhibitions were eventually disbanded. However, the memory of these 1940s exhibitions is now preserved in the reopened Museum of the Defence and Siege of Leningrad and the Lodeynoe Pole Museum of Local History (a branch of the Leningrad Oblast Museum Agency).

Thanks to a virtual tour of the exhibition, which has been opened at the Presidential Library, visitors can learn about the heroic participants in the false crossing of the Svir River. They can also see original art objects created specifically for the Svirskaya Pobeda Museum, as well as a mock-up of the Salt Town that housed the Museum of the Defence and Siege of Leningrad. Archival photographs and multimedia materials are also available, telling the story of the creators of the museum, its first exhibition, and the revival in 1989.

The modernity of the virtual tour is provided by research and materials from the Russian Military Historical Society and the Presidential Library.

The Russian Military Historical Society regularly organizes memorial events and engages in scientific work, including organizing conferences and initiating the publication of historical works. They also erect monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War.

The materials of the virtual exhibition are dedicated to a monument to the victims of Nazi genocide that was erected near Gatchina on the initiative of the Russian Military Historical Society and was opened on January 27, 2024. The exhibition also features little-known documents and the latest historical research on the siege of Leningrad, which is considered a genocide against the peoples of the Soviet Union. One of the exhibits is a decision by the St. Petersburg City Court on October 20, 2022, regarding the claim of the city prosecutor's office to recognize the blockade of Leningrad as a war crime, crime against humanity, and genocide.

Preserving the memory of the heroic deeds of the besieged and defenders of Leningrad is a priority for the Presidential Library. In collaboration with Radio Rossiya and the Petersburgsky Dnevnik newspaper's editorial office, over four thousand documents from personal archives of residents of Leningrad were collected and digitized as part of a project. These include siege diaries, letters, memoirs, and personal documents. All of these materials are available to the public on the Presidential Library's portal in the digital collections Defence and Siege of Leningrad and Memory of the Great Victory.

The Presidential Library has digitized the Children's Book of War: Diaries, 1941-1945. This edition was presented by the editorial team of the Argumenti i Fakty newspaper. Now, the book, containing true accounts of the war years, is available on the Presidential Library's portal as part of the virtual tour Memory of Generations: the 80th Anniversary of the Relief of the Nazi Siege of Leningrad.

Virtual projects are a rapidly growing area of activity for the Presidential Library, making unique materials accessible to a wider audience. You can explore virtual tours and exhibitions on the Presidential Library website under the Exhibitions section at https://www.prlib.ru/about_exhibition.