Siege Of Leningrad Research Articles

Journal of Operations of 1925

The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University and the 120th anniversary of the clinical hospital. The article is devoted to the 1925 operational journal of the surgical clinic of the University. The review of the journal analyzes the nosological structure of surgical patients, surgical procedures and anesthesia used 100 years ago. A brief historical biographical note is given about the doctors of surgeons who stood at the origins of the Department and clinic of pediatric Surgery of St. Petersburg State Medical University: N.E. Berg, V.N. Katin-Yartsev, M.A. Toporkova, Sokolov, Magsky, as well as Brunstein and Savshinsky. The role of the outstanding orthopedic traumatologist Professor Roman Romanovich Vreden, who headed the surgical clinic of the Pediatric University (then the Institute of Maternal and Infant Health) from 1925 to 1934, was emphasized separately in the creation of the department. Nikolai Ernestovich Berg, one of the founders of pediatric surgery, worked at the clinic and subsequently at the department from 1905 to 1949, including the war years of the Siege of Leningrad. Little information has been preserved about the activities of the surgical clinic from 1905 to 1925. There is a lot of work ahead with archives to study the history of the clinic and the Department of Pediatric Surgery of the Pediatric University

To the 140th anniversary of Mikhail Vasilevich Chernorutsky (1884–1957)

The article is dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the outstanding native clinician, member of the therapeutic school of S. P. Botkin, Academician M. V. Chernorutsky. It traces the life way of Mikhail Vladimirovich from his first steps to formation as an outstanding scientist, teacher and clinician, which years of life fell on a period of difficult trials for the country, covering revolutionary events, the First and Second World Wars. The social and professional activities of M. V. Chernorutsky during the siege of Leningrad, the deprivations of which he shared with the residents of the city, are outlined in detail. The scientific achievements of Mikhail Vladimirovich are examined in detail: the doctrine of constitutional types, the study of nutritional dystrophy and ways of its correction in besieged Leningrad, the creation of the Leningrad rheumatological school. The enormous contribution of M.V. Chernorutsky contributed to the development of the Leningrad society of therapists, and the department of hospital therapy, which he headed for more than 30 years, trained outstanding and bright native clinicians, such as Professor P.K. Bulatov and corresponding member RAS G.B. Fedoseev.

ПАМЯТЬ О МАЛОЙ ДОРОГЕ ЖИЗНИ

This article examines the problem of studying and preserving the memory of the contribution of the Little road of life to breaking the blockade of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War, in particular to ensure the combat effectiveness of such important strategic objects as the Oranienbaum bridgehead and the Kronstadt garnison.

Preservation of the seed collection during the Great Patriotic War

The article examines the historically significant period of N.I. Vavilov’s activities and his team in conducting 108 expeditions and collecting plant seeds in more than 1000 countries worldwide. By 1940, the collection was the largest in the world. Vavilov’s research aimed to study the genetic potential of seeds, establish centers of origin for wild and cultivated plants, their role in human practical activities, and the formation and replenishment of the collection initiated before the revolution by the founders of applied botany. Additionally, the article analyzes the challenging periods experienced by the collection, such as the formation of Soviet Russia, the Siege of Leningrad, and participation in the restoration of the devastated agriculture after Victory in World War II. Special attention is paid to the involvement of employees of the Federal Research Center “N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources” (VIR) in preserving the collection during the Siege of Leningrad. The practical application of the research results lies in understanding the importance of preserving plant genetic resources for food security and sustainable development of rural regions. The publication emphasizes not only the historical value of the seed collection but also its contemporary significance as an important resource for scientific research and practical use in agriculture. The scientific article also highlights the heroic efforts of VIR employees, who endured the harsh conditions of the Siege of Leningrad but continued to carefully preserve plant seeds, contributing to the survival and revival of agriculture in our homeland. The dedication and professionalism of the employees to the cause are underscored. Thus, the article reveals the historical and practical significance of the VIR seed collection, an important national genetic resource that continues to serve the goals of agricultural science and practice.

Memorial museums as an object for studying cultural and historical heritage in the system of modern education

Introduction. Preservation and study of cultural and historical heritage is one of the strategic tasks of modern society. UNESCO has played a major role in the implementation of these tasks for many years. UNESCO suggests that cultural and educational tourism, as a way of consuming cultural attractions, among which museums occupy an important place, is an effective method of studying world heritage. The purpose of the article is to prove the role of memorial museums as an objects of cultural and educational tourism and a factor in the study of cultural and historical heritage. Materials and methods. The research materials and methods are based on an analysis of the specifics of memorial museums as an object of study of cultural and historical heritage. The methodological basis is the theory of museum communication, the theory of “memory studies”, as well as methodological aspects of the study of cultural and historical heritage in the system of modern education. The research materials are based both on traditional methods and on the use of an interdisciplinary approach, including sociocultural and activity methods. Results. The results of the study are based on the analysis of information on the topic of educational and scientific activities of two modern memorial museums: The State Memorial Historical-Literary and NaturalLandscape Museum-Reserve of A. S. Pushkin “Mikhailovskoye” and the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad, which have a unique history and status as objects of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Authors analyze media files from museum data, materials from online broadcasts of conferences, seminars and round tables, interviews, lectures and publications of researchers. Conclusion. The conducted research helps to determine further ways of developing educational tourism and the role of the memorial museum as an object for studying cultural and historical heritage with the aim of using it in the process of educational and outreach activities.

Mythologization of Image of Marat Kirov in Novel “Sleep and Believe. Blockade Novel” by A. Turgenev

This article presents the results of an analysis of the character system and plot-forming conflicts in the novel by Andrei Turgenev (Vyacheslav Kuritsyn) “Sleep and Believe. Blockade Novel.” The overall state of military-historical prose at the turn of the 20-21 centuries was examined. The main historical myths about the blockade were characterized. An overview of researchers' perspectives on the genre, plot, and poetics of this work was conducted. It was established that A. Turgenev’s novel is part of a postmodern historical discourse, where the metaphysics of the “Petersburg text” intertwines with the most odious myths about the Leningrad blockade (abuses of leadership, arbitrariness of People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the USSR, cannibalism, etc.). Analysis of the text allows us to assert that the central myth and main character of the novel is Marat Kirov, a fictional secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee. He embodies current historical myths about the blockade, as well as about the real leaders of Leningrad — S.M. Kirov and A.A. Zhdanov. In depicting Kirov, the author widely uses contrast and hyperbolization techniques, as well as numerous references to the “Petersburg text.” As a result, the degree of hyperbolization and demonization fostered by A. Turgenev actualizes the traumatic experience of the entire Soviet history and allows associating the image of the fantastic Marat Kirov with Peter the Great.

On Victory Day and the 80th Anniversary of the Lifting of the Siege of Leningrad. Review of the Archives of the Pathological Anatomy Laboratory of the Oncology Institute

On Victory Day and the 80th Anniversary of the Lifting of the Siege of Leningrad. Review of the Archives of the Pathological Anatomy Laboratory of the Oncology Institute

Создание сборника задач на основе истории блокады Ленинграда

This article presents the results of the work on the metadisciplinary project “Creation of a collection of chemical problems on the basis of the history of the Leningrad blockade”. The project was implemented by the students of 11th and 8th grades of the gymnasium.

The Leningrad (dating to the siege) edition of “The song of Roland” (1943)

A.A. Dolinina is the contemporary of the 2nd World War at the territory of the former Soviet Union and of the Siege of Leningrad. We gained the Victory owing to the firmness of our soldiers and civilians, as well as thanks to the devout serving of those, on whom it was bestowed to preserve and to present to the Nation the great Universal and National cultural values. A testimony of that is the edition of a free translation of “The Song of Roland”, carried out in 1943, soon after the break of the Siege. It is a worthy landmark of that Great Epoch.

Pathological profile of S.P. Botkin infectious hospital during the siege of Leningrad (1941-1944)

The results of autopsies performed in the pathological department of the Infectious Diseases Hospital named after. S.P. Botkin during the siege of Leningrad (from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944). The structure of diseases of the deceased varied during different periods of the siege of Leningrad. In the first period (September-December 1941), diphtheria, dysentery, measles, typhoid fever, and scarlet fever prevailed among the diseases. The most common causes of death in the second period (April-December 1942) were typhus, dysentery, tuberculosis, lobar pneumonia, and typhoid fever. Nosological structure in the third period of the blockade (January 1943 - January 1944): tuberculosis, dysentery, cachexia, lobar pneumonia, infectious jaundice. The discrepancy between clinical and morphological diagnoses is most often noted for the following nosology: pulmonary tuberculosis, typhoid fever, pneumonia, stomach and hepatopancreatobiliary cancer, measles, influenza. The first period of the blockade was distinguished by a high specific proportion of examination of children's bodies - 51.2% of all autopsies; in subsequent periods, the specific share of autopsies of deceased adults (20-59 years) increased to 76.2%. The difference in the nosological structure and age groups of those who died during different periods of the siege of Leningrad was determined by the epidemiological situation in the city, social and living conditions and medical and organizational factors. Conducted in the pathological-anatomical department of the hospital named after. S.P. Botkin during the siege of Leningrad, pathological studies made it possible to timely establish the causes of deaths and identify the peculiarities of the course of infectious diseases against the background of cachexia. Regularly held clinical and anatomical conferences contributed to the reduction of defects in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.

New forms of work at Leningrad enterprises during and after the lifting of the blockade (using the example of the Izhora plant)

During the Great Patriotic War, one of the oldest enterprises in our country, Izhorsky Zavod, produced its products. It was needed to Win. But even in these extreme conditions, issues related to reconstruction and renovation of the material base were successfully resolved. This was required for the further development of the plant already in peacetime. This work shows the restoration process of the industrial capacities of the Izhorsky plant, which took place after the lifting of the siege of Leningrad; the development of the industrial potential of the enterprise is considered; real examples of the labor successes of the working collective, which actively participated in the restoration of the destroyed infrastructure of the Izhorsky enterprise, are shown. At that time, serious qualitative changes were taking place in the USSR in the process of using new industrial equipment. The replacement of morally and materially outdated mechanisms and equipment begins. The industrial enterprises of Leningrad were a kind of progenitors of the scientific and technical revolution in our country.

Отражение событий Великой Отечественной войны на реализации кампаний государственных займов 1946–1957 гг. в СССР

The article studies the process of using the events of the Great Patriotic War in the practice of state domestic loan campaigns in the USSR in 1946-1957. On the basis of the analysis of data obtained from information reports on the mood of citizens and the conduct of loan campaigns, letters of citizens to public authorities, statesmen, as well as materials of the Soviet mass media (periodicals, texts of microphone broadcasts of radio broadcasts) conclusions are drawn about the use of events and consequences of the Great Patriotic War in the process of preparation and conduct of postwar mass loan campaigns. Special attention is paid to the reflection of the experience of the Leningrad blockade in these campaigns. In the course of the analysis of documents and information from the mass media it was established that the destruction caused by the Nazi invaders was a powerful illustration in the argumentation of convincing citizens to participate in subscription campaigns and to maintain a sense of involvement in the construction of the state throughout the entire period of mass loans after 1945. Drawing citizens' attention to the reconstruction of the state and social infrastructure gave the loan campaigns a topical character. The universality of anti-war rhetoric made it possible to appeal to it until the loans were canceled in 1957, and even the decision to cancel earlier promised payments was commented on through an appeal to the sacrificial war experience. Reflection on the experience of the blockade took place within the framework of the loan subscription rallies; the periodical press and radio paid considerably less attention to it, not singling out these events as the most tragic. However, the use of such experience allowed to continue the use of mobilization economic methods, conditioning their objective necessity for the speedy restoration of the national economy. The task of state argumentation consisted in the development of correct political behavior, for the achievement of which any available means were used. At the same time, the appeal to the military experience became a way to intensify the dialog between the state and society on significant socio-economic issues. The objective consequences of the war and the need to rebuild the state infrastructure were not questioned by the citizens of the USSR, but the ways and methods of implementation provoked not always positive public reaction. Wartime events and lived experience allowed to express emotions, but the reasons for their emergence should not be attributed exclusively to the campaigns, but to the general state of life in the USSR after the war.

Postmemory of Stalinist Repressions and the Siege of Leningrad in Olga Lavrentieva’s Graphic Novel Survilo (2019)

AbstractOlga Lavrentieva’s graphic novelSurvilo, published in Russia in 2019, and since then translated into a few languages, is one of the recent examples of harnessing the comic form to overcome historical taboo in contemporary children’s and young adult literature. The polemic around accounts of the Stalinist repressions in the 1930s and the period of the Leningrad siege that arose a few years ago in Russia’s cultural space shows that the quest for the truth about the past continues to haunt successive generations of Russian authors. Lavrentieva spins a narrative based on the history of her own family and, specifically, on the life of her grandmother, Valentina Survilo, whose childhood overlapped with the Great Terror with its atrocities and her adolescence with the blockade of Leningrad. The author of this article argues that although she writes about Stalinist atrocities, in her fragmented biographical graphic novel, Lavrentieva does not deconstruct the Soviet myth of the Great Patriotic War but weaves a narrative based on a particular version of postmemory. The author uses the framework of memory studies and focuses predominately on the textual layer of Survilo; however, the black-and-white vignettes composed by Lavrentieva add up to a formally and thematically thought-provoking book.

The Paradox of Genocide in Modern Russia: Evolving Narratives of the Siege of Leningrad During the “Great Patriotic Operation”

The Paradox of Genocide in Modern Russia: Evolving Narratives of the Siege of Leningrad During the “Great Patriotic Operation”

What She Left Behind

ABSTRACTThis essay sheds additional light on the biographies and fates of Ayn Rand’s closest relatives in the Soviet Union and abroad after young Alissa Rosenbaum left the “country of workers and peasants” in 1926 for the pursuit of a new life in the United States. Previously unknown facets of her relatives’ lives were intertwined with the complex and often tragic historical events of the first half of the twentieth century. Among these relatives are victims of the German blockade of Leningrad, a music teacher, a European bacteriologist, a doctor who was twice a refugee, and a Soviet Medical Service Corps officer.

The Neglected Campaign: The Italian Navy Contribution to the Siege of Leningrad

German and Finnish forces encircled Leningrad in the fall of 1941, but were unable to complete the siege. A passage across Lake Ladoga, through which the Soviets sustained the defence of the city, remained open. To enforce the siege, the German Maritime Warfare Command ordered that light naval forces be transferred to Lake Ladoga. However, the Germans did not have those boats at their disposal and asked the Italians to provide them. Based on a critique of archival sources, this article analyses this largely neglected aspect of the Leningrad campaign and argues that, although the performance of the Regia Marina was excellent, its activity was not decisive in breaking Soviet resistance and forcing the fall of Leningrad. Even though circumstances prevented the Regia Marina from making the impact that its planners had wanted – a naval guerrilla force on Lake Ladoga could never have achieved a tight blockade of Leningrad – the campaign on Lake Ladoga offers an important and enlightening example of Axis wartime collaboration.

Favorable pattern of arterial stiffness and vascular aging in a unique cohort of offspring of early life famine survivors

The impact of adverse factors in the early life can affect the rate of vascular aging in adulthood and be passed on to the next generations.Aim. To study the characteristics of arterial stiffness and vascular aging phenotypes in two generations of descendants (children and grandchildren) of the siege of Leningrad survivors, compared to a control group.Material and methods. Residents of the siege of Leningrad who experienced famine during early childhood in the Great Patriotic War (19411944) underwent examination between 2009 and 2014. In 2020-2021, 76 descendants of Leningrad siege survivors, aged 18 to 63 years (children — 54 (first generation) and grandchildren — 22 (second generation)), without diagnosed cardiovascular diseases, were examined. Questioning, measurement of blood pressure (BP) and biochemical blood tests were carried out. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was determined using the VaSera VS-1500 system (Fukuda Denshi, Japan). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was assessed using applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor, AtCor, Australia). The phenomenon of supernormal vascular aging was diagnosed with cfPWV £10th percentile of the reference European population, normal vascular aging with cfPWV of 10th-90th percentiles, and early vascular aging with cfPWV ³90th percentile, taking into account age and BP (MattaceRaso F et al., 2010). Several control respondents from the ESSE-RF study (St. Petersburg residents aged 25-64 years) were selected for each descendant, considering generation, sex, age, and BMI. The statistical significance of results was adjusted for multiple comparisons.Results. The average age of descendants of Leningrad blockade survivors was 50 [36,7-55,0] years, which was comparable to the controls, who were 51 [37,5-55,0] years old (p=0,44). The proportion of men in the samples was also comparable — 43,4% vs 42,3% (p=0,88). The cfPWV values were similar in the study and control groups (p=0,4). Only CAVI values were lower in descendants compared to controls, with significant differences observed only in the first generation, regardless of sex (men — 7,6 [7,1;8,3] in the experimental group vs 8,6 [7,6;9,3] in the control group, p=0,02; women — 7,2 [6,7;7,8] in the experimental group vs 7,8 [7,3;8,2] in the control group, p=0,03). The phenotype of early vascular aging was found only in one participant from the experimental group, while the phenomenon of supernormal vascular aging was significantly more prevalent in the age group of 40-49 years in descendants of Leningrad blockade survivors compared to the control group — 25% vs 0% (p=0,01).Conclusion. Only in the first generation of descendants of Leningrad blockade survivors, a favorable pattern of arterial stiffness and a tendency towards a higher prevalence of supernormal vascular aging were observed compared to the control group.

"The Siege Book" in memoriam of military doctors of the Russian Imperial Army (to the 80th anniversary of the breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad)

The article presents data on military doctors of the Russian Imperial Army who stayed in Russia after the revolution. After going through several wars, they continued to carry out their professional duty during the Great Patriotic War. Many of them did not survive the most difficult blockade winter of 1941–1942. They were buried in the "blockade cemeteries" of Leningrad.

Ленинградский управхоз в годы блокады: зона ответственности и образ

Introduction. The key figures in the communal services of Leningrad during the period of the city blockade were the household managers – upravkhozy. Their functions were determined by a special regulation adopted and approved by the executive committee of the Leningrad City Council on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. Household managers were supposed to monitor the state of the household, including the housing stock, regulate the passport regime, carry out the correct and timely collection (and in some cases, accrual) of apartment and utility bills. With the help of the employees subordinate to them, they were obliged to carry out routine repairs of the housing stock. Methods and Materials. Using a set of documents deposited in the archives, as well as diaries and official decisions of the Leningrad leaders during the war, the authors highlight the emotional background of the blockaded city. Along with the solution of the food problem, an important task in the conditions of massive shelling and bombing was the preservation of the housing stock in a satisfactory condition. Analysis. Being subordinate to the district council executive committee, the household managers accumulated in their hands the funds and property of the household, they hired and fired a significant part of the workers, and had the right to impose disciplinary sanctions on them. In the emergency conditions of the blockade, they became the most important link between the party and Soviet leadership of their district and the tenants. Since there was often no effective control over the work of the household managers, they were able to decide at their own discretion, without the sanction of the housing department, on the distribution of vacated rooms and apartments that belonged to deceased and evacuated residents of Leningrad. Results. On the basis of a set of documents, including archival materials, the article examines the impact of Leningrad administrative farms on the daily life of Leningraders during the years of the blockade. It is concluded that the abuses of household managers were explained by their low wages, insufficient professional training to solve complex issues of public utilities and a low educational level. Authors’ contribution. O.A. Gavrilova identified historical sources, analyzed the official decrees issued by the leadership of Leningrad. M.V. Khodjakov analyzed archival materials and memoirs of blockade survivors, designed the text of the article. Key words: blockade of Leningrad, Great Patriotic War, housing policy, urban economy, household manager.

Comparative analysis of aviation losses of the Leningrad Front during the blockade

The subject of the research in this article is the loss of aviation forces on the Leningrad Front during the blockade. The authors consider in detail the statistical data on losses in the composition of the aviation defending Leningrad from the perspective of an integrated approach to the study of the history of the blockade of the city as a single unbroken process, which is an important expansion of scientific knowledge about the affected problem. In addition, this study is based on the materials of the Leningrad Front Air Force headquarters, which are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. Particular attention is paid in the article to the comparative analysis of losses among personnel with aircraft losses for the same period. The main conclusions of the presented study demonstrate that the periods of increasing losses of personnel and materiel are naturally associated with the stages of massive counter-offensive operations in September 1942, January and September 1943, in January 1944. However, the data provided also indicate a number of unique provisions. As a result, the presented information allows us to somewhat expand the available data on the actions of aviation in the defense of Leningrad. The use of statistical materials allows us to ask some important questions, the scientific answer to which will be inextricably linked to the more general problems of the history of the defense and blockade of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War.