Millions evidence terrible years of the besieged city, and fierce battles for the liberation of Leningrad, now represented in many memorial sites.But a special place among the memorable exhibitions are always held the defense of Leningrad Museum.Located in the historical part of St. Petersburg, at Salt Lane, of all time, he took thousands of visitors.
Guides carried through the halls of the group, tells about all the stages of defense and liberation of Leningrad, the courage of its inhabitants in conditions of hunger and death.
Salt Town - Educational Center of Leningrad
Quarter Salt Town in the late XIX century was known to every Petersburger as a cultural and educational center.Here, in the buildings of several museums, regularly held exhibition of achievements of technology and production.To the XX century in the exhibition complex, which today houses the Museum of the Defence of Leningrad, we have operated an agricultural, handicraft, technical, military, educational museums and Russian technical society.Therefore, the question about the place of the first exhibition dedicated to the defense of Leningrad, was not even discussed.
first exhibition in the war
In December 1943, when we were a month to complete lifting of the blockade, the leadership of the Leningrad Front had decided on the preparation and opening of the exhibition "The heroic defense of Leningrad".The venue has been determined known to all the town of Salt.The festive opening ceremony took place at the end of April 1944.
scale of the exhibition were so vast that the organizers had to use the facilities of three interconnected buildings, located on the embankment, st.Gangut and hydrochloric alley.
work of artists and architects in wartime managed to clearly and accurately reflect all stages of protection and liberation of Leningrad, were awarded with government awards.The success of the exhibition was simply stunning.In the first 6 months of the exhibition was seen by more than 200 thousand people: students, factory workers, soldiers and anyone who returned from evacuation.
City found new museum
In celebration of the second anniversary of the lifting of the blockade, in January 1946, the exhibition has received official status and the name of the defense of Leningrad Museum.Photo portraits of generals, arms and uniforms of soldiers, objects of military life and the terrible evidence of the life of a hungry city and sabotage activities Nazis documented, true and terribly true.Rooms were divided on the subject: the battle on the borders of history "Road of Life", the legendary breakthrough of the blockade, the selfless labor of factory workers, food standards for citizens.Many of the exhibits during the war were transferred to the museum of Leningrad residents, but the exposure is enriched in peacetime.After the war, the surviving participants of the battles for Leningrad left record in the book of visitors to the museum, which left the words of gratitude for the reliability and the memory of those tragic days.
History Museum in the postwar years
Museum of defense of Leningrad in the postwar years has undergone several re-exposition, and in 1953, during the review of many military facts and political reprisals against the leaders of different ranks, the museum was closed and its assets transferred to the State Museum of the History of Leningrad.
The initiative belonged to the revival of the museum blockade and war veterans, survivors of the siege of cruel and remember the defense of Leningrad Museum.The idea was widely supported by the media, and in September 1989 the history of the memory of Leningrad got a new life.Now the museum posed a new problem - the return of the area and exhibits.By 1995, it was re-opened a permanent exposition, to reconvene the unique military certificate and received the status of the Museum Blockade of Leningrad.
But today the area of the museum is significantly inferior to the exhibition halls of the post-war years.Out of 40,000 square meters.m. The exhibition is now returned a little over a thousand.Work on the restoration of exhibits and documentary archive is conducted continuously, and many exhibits, once "relocated" to other museums, returned to St. Petersburg.Museum of the Siege of Leningrad is still waiting to solve the problem of expansion of exhibition space.
preserve the historical memory
succession of generations in the relay memory of the plight of the city during the war, now it depends on imaging artifacts.The youth, who was born in times of peace, not having seen the horrors of bloody battles and siege of starvation rations should not only know the lessons of history, but to see documentary evidence of wartime.In recent years, we opened new and updated already existing memorials, the exhibition that reflects the theme of the protection and release of the legendary city.Museum diorama of the "Breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad", was opened in 1990 in the city of Kirov, break the blockade site, part of the huge memorial dedicated to the defenders of Leningrad.
huge panoramic painting shows one of the major episodes of the liberation of the city - taking Shlisselbourg ledge and boost the Neva.Art battlefield realism is impressive!
Years inevitably alienate the winning day in May, and fewer rows are veterans."Immortal regiment" has to live, and our generation is undeniable task - to pass the memory of the fiery years of their children and grandchildren.
