International students learned about the Siege of Leningrad

The thematic event dedicated to one of the most terrible pages in the history of the Great Patriotic War – siege of Leningrad, brought together the international students of BelSU Preparatory Department.

According to Inna Kuznetsova, the Director of the Centre for Civic and Patriotic Education, the siege of Leningrad, lasting for 872 days is recognized to be the longest siege in the history of mankind. No other city in the history of wars gave more lives for the Victory than Leningrad: over one million people died a terrible death of hunger in the city surrounded by German troops, several hundred thousand – in the area occupied by the Nazis.

The international students were shown authentic photographs and video recordings of that time. They also received improvised cards and then exchanged them for 125 grams of black bread – the minimum daily amount given to Leningrad citizens in the end of the harsh 1941.

The young people learned that in the period from 12 to 30 January 1943, the forces of Leningradsky and Volkhovsky fronts in collaboration with the Baltic Fleet carried out the “Iskra” strategic operation. Its successful completion became a turning point in the battle for Leningrad: the Soviet troops broke through the siege, thus preventing joining of German and Finnish troops. The initiative completely passed into the hands of the Soviet army.

Inna Kuznetsova paid attention to the fact that in October 2022, St. Petersburg City Court recognised the siege of Leningrad as a war crime against humanity and genocide of national and ethnic groups being the part of the Soviet Union population.