A ceremony of laying wreaths and flowers to the monument Motherland was held on 27 January 2017on Piskaryovskoye cemetery in Saint Petersburg to mark the 73rd anniversary of raising the Leningrad siege. The ceremony has become a good tradition for the employees of the Investigative Committee in Saint Petersburg. This way they pay tributes to Leningraders who died during the Great Patriotic War.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Investigative Committee – senior officials and rank-and-file employees of the Investigative Committee’s Directorate (based in Saint Petersburg), Saint Petersburg Directorate of the Investigative Committee, Leningrad Region Office, Northwestern Transport Office, cadets and students of the Saint Petersburg Academy of the Investigative Committee. Wreaths were placed to the monument on behalf of the Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin and staff of its offices and educational institutions.
27 January is the Day of Military Glory in Russia – the Day when the city of Leningrad was completely liberated from fascist siege. The siege of Leningrad lasted 872 days from 8 September 1941 to 27 January 1944. The Nazi commanders attached great strategic and political importance to seizing the city. For 900 days the communication with Leningrad was only possible by Ladoga Lake and by air. The enemy bombed and shelled the city relentlessly and attempted to occupy it. More than 641 thousand people (according to some other data at least 1 million) died of starvation and in bombardments during the siege. The famished Leningraders worked at defense factories and fought in militia.
For mass heroism and bravery in defending their home land during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 displayed by the defenders of Leningrad under siege, the city was conferred the superior distinction – the title of the Hero City by the Decree of the USSR Supreme Soviet’s Presidium of 8 May 1965.
Speaking about this sorrowful and yet memorable date on his page on a social networking website, Mr. Bastrykin said: “We admire courage and valor of Leningraders, who had to go through immense hardships. We admire fortitude and heroism of the citizens, soldiers of the Leningrad front line, sailors of the Baltic fleet who did not give up to starvation, shelling or relentless grieve over death of their loved ones. Faith in victory, good and justice, infinite love to their home land helped them cope with most horrible hardships, fight ruthless enemy for the sake of happy future of our country. The time has huge power, but it is weaker than human memory. On this day, we primrose to do everything to prevent one of the most devastating events in the history of Russia from ever repeating, to keep the memory of defenders of the undefeated, unbroken Leningrad. They died so that we, their descendants could live.” Mr. Bastrykin and employees of the Investigative Committee congratulate all veterans – residents of Leningrad under siege and all residents of Saint Petersburg on the 73rd anniversary of the raising of the siege and wish them sound health, wellbeing and peace.
Acting Head of Media Relations S.L Petrenko
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