The first performance of the Seventh (Leningrad) Symphony of D. D. Shostakovich in the Blockade Leningrad was remembered in the Presidential Library

Today, on August 9, 2017, an audience in the Presidential Library was remembering an outstanding event that dramatically changed a state of mind of the residents of besieged Leningrad: accurate 75 years ago the Seventh Symphony of Shostakovich the first time ever was performed in the Leningrad Great Philharmonic Hall. An entire cycle of events is prearranged for this memorable date: “The Blockade through the eyes of contemporary artists” project exhibition, a concert of the scholars of the Vladimir Spivakov International Charitable Foundation, and the “Knowledge of Russia” video lecturing, observing a creative work itself, as well as a significance of this performance for the besieged city.

“The seventh symphony of Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich is our legacy, — as General Director of the Presidential Library Alexander Vershinin said. — The Presidential Library is involved in work on saving the great cultural background of the nation, so we certainly could not leave this date aside.”

“A work on the Seventh Symphony is intensively going on. A composer works day after day in threat environment of the defending city,” — according to Leningrad Pravda of September 1941. The digitized copies of its wartime issues are available in the Presidential Library stock. Shortly before one of the important events in the cultural life of the city and in the history of the Great Patriotic War, in the 7 of August 1942 issue, the newspaper observes musical work like this: “Part after part, before an ending with the solemn victory anthem, in musical images and sounds Shostakovich cherishes an idea of love for a freeman and hatred of the enemy, stomped out happy lives of millions. A willingness to fight the enemy and assurance to earn the victory are in the symphony.” The newspapers and also a digitized copy of the performance poster of the orchestra of the Leningrad Radio Committee under the baton of Karl Eliasberg, 75 years ago played the Seventh Symphony in the Philharmonic Hall, are in open access in the electronic collections of the Presidential Library.

The Presidential Library annually on a regular basis organizes and conducts the events dedicated to the memory of the Leningrad Blockade. Just so, a meeting with a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, a writer, a prominent public figure, honorary resident of St. Petersburg, Daniil Granin was held in the spring of 2013. A movie entitled “Daniel Granin. Time to remember,” which is available in the electronic reading room of the Presidential Library, is based on this event. Also, such events as “The defense of Leningrad: new findings” conference, the “Knowledge of Russia” public video lecturing, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the complete lifting the fascist siege of Leningrad, a presentation of public interactive project “Leningrad. The road of life,” the “Blockade album,” “The Blockade: the chronicle of life,” “Victory Day in Leningrad,” “Salute over the Neva,” exhibitions, dedicated to the salute in honor of the complete lifting of the Blockade on January 27, 1944, and many others.

The Presidential Library preserves a documentary memory of the Leningrad Blockade. Today you can get acquainted with the electronic collection entitled A memory of the Great Victory, sub-section of which, named The defense and the blockade of Leningrad, includes the official documents, photographs and newsreels, memoirs, diaries of the residents of the besieged city, materials from private archives and much more.

The Presidential Library electronic stock is regularly added with new materials — the evidences of the siege days. So, in April 2017, within the framework of the “Leningrad journalism: saving in the ages” action, 500 records of the Leningrad branch of the All-Union Radio were handed to the Presidential Library, which is currently featuring the voices of Olga Bergholz, Mikhail Dudin, Georgy Zhukov, war heroes and rear workers, the letters and the diaries of the head of the press center Matvey Frolov.