“Eternal Flame of Our Memory.” That was one of the designs for this monument. Today we are standing before the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad.
The monument commemorates the heroic efforts of Leningrad residents. It also honors soldiers on the Leningrad Front. They repelled the Nazis during the 900-day Siege of Leningrad during World War II. The monument stands as a focal point of Ploshchad Pobedy Victory Square. It was built in the early 1970s.
The idea for a World War II victory monument came about in 1958. The city announced an open competition for the monument’s design. There were 44 entries. Sergei Speransky won the competition. He had knowledge of city construction design. The theme of World War II victory was pervasive in his art. As early as 1946 he helped restore Minsk. He also worked on a World War II monument there.
Speransky’s winning design featured a broken ring. It surrounded a high-level composition. This was dedicated to Leningrad citizens. They successfully repelled the terrible 900-day Nazi siege. A monument was to rise from the ring’s center. Horizontal ray buildings flanked the monument. They folded into Moscow Prospekt. Tall towers marked the intersection of the square and the prospekt.
The square was formally named Ploshchad Pobedy in 1962. Before that it was named Sredney Rogatki Ploshchad.
After nine-story apartment buildings were built along Moscow Prospekt, there was another competition. It was for “The Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad.” This time over 80 applicants participated. Still Speransky and his team won with their design.
Their plan featured a parade-like entry into the Hero City from the south. This entry came from Moscow and Pulkovo Airport. It marked where the city’s defensive lines held back the Nazis. The design focused on Leningrad’s aesthetic pattern. It had a unique architectural style. It combined modernity. It also used the city’s best spiritual and artistic traditions.
The tall obelisk rises from the broken ring. It attracts attention when entering St. Petersburg from the airport or E-95 highway. The sculptural ensemble at the obelisk’s pedestal is a prime example. It shows Soviet monumental art dedicated to World War II Victory.
Inside the broken ring is a sobering space lit with gas torches. Engravings on the walls recognize the courage of Leningrad’s defenders. Inside the monument is a vast underground memorial hall. There is an exhibition about the Siege. English-speaking guides are available upon request. The detailed map of Leningrad defenses is worth seeing. So is the short documentary. The mosaics on the eastern and western walls of the hall are beautiful.
Outside see the sculptures. They represent soldiers, sailors and civilians. They did not surrender to the Nazis. They faced hunger, cold and constant bombardment. M. Anikushin powerfully depicts their story. He uses raw emotion. He tells of the great feat of Leningrad’s people and soldiers.
The main monument was officially opened on Victory Day. That was May 9 1975. It was the 30th anniversary of the war’s end. A memorial exhibit underneath the monument opened on February 23 1978. The memorial has a 48-m-tall granite obelisk. Steps lead down to a central square.
In the square’s center is a sculpture. It represents the city’s suffering during the siege. There is also an eternal flame. Stones commemorate the 13 Hero Cities of the Soviet Union. The entire square is surrounded by a circular wall. It has a symbolic break at one point. The inscriptions “900 days” and “900 nights” refer to the blockade’s duration. It was actually 872 days.
Two sculpture groups show soldiers and militia leaving for the front line. It was only a few miles away. Other sculptures show the workers and civilians. They remained in the besieged city.
The underground hall has a large diorama. It shows the front lines during the siege. Display cases contain artifacts. These include weapons, letters and medals. Large bronze plates describe the events of each day of the siege. These are changed daily. Two documentary films about the siege are shown. The sound of a metronome plays constantly. It was broadcast on the radio during the siege. The tempo increased during air-raid warnings. The Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad stands as a testament to resilience. It reminds us of the sacrifices made during a dark chapter in history.