Russia marks 83rd anniversary of Leningrad siege break

Moscow, Jan 18 (Prensa Latina) The torches of the Rostral Columns will be lit in St. Petersburg, and three bridges will be illuminated with the colors of the Leningrad Victory Ribbon in honor of the 83rd anniversary of the breaking of the Leningrad siege.

January 18, 2026
07:26

The Leningrad siege, which lasted almost 900 days, began on September 8, 1941, and became one of the most tragic chapters of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

The only way to bring food to the besieged city was the “Road of Life,” built across the frozen Lake Ladoga.

Troops from the Volkhov and Leningrad Fronts launched Operation Iskra on January 12, 1943.

It aimed to defeat the enemy force south of Lake Ladoga and re-establish Leningrad’s connection to the mainland.

Thus, on January 18, 1943, the front units, supported by the Baltic Fleet, broke through the blockade ring in the area of the Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky salient, restoring the city’s land communications.

The Soviet offensive began on January 14, 1944, and culminated on January 27 with the complete lifting of the Leningrad siege.

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