St. Petersburg, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, which attracts many tourists every year on tour to Russia. This extraordinary city has suffered many times, but each time it has stood on its feet with high strength and has been rebuilt itself from scratch. One of the most challenging problems facing St. Petersburg in history was World War II, or, more precisely, the "Siege of Leningrad." Undoubtedly, those dark period events have had a profound effect on the city's sights, which are now an essential part of St. Petersburg's tourist attractions on Russia tour. Still, the most negative impact of this dreadful period has been the lives of people lost during that war.
World War II or the Great Patriotic War, then known in Soviet-occupied territories, began very badly for Russia. Nazi Germany had made St. Petersburg's occupation, the former Russian capital in the north, a priority. Only a year after the start of the war, Nazi Germany invaded Russia to complete that task. Although in the imagination of Hitler and the Nazi German army, the stubborn resistance of the people and the Red Army in Leningrad could never have prevented Nazi Germany from advancing on Russian soil. However, Leningrad did stand against all the odds and never surrendered to Nazi Germany for more than 800 days until Nazi Germany defeated and left Russian land. That defeat was a massive blow for Nazi German. After the Nazis withdrew from Russia, Red Army troops rushed miles to Berlin to ultimately defeat Germany and end World War II with the Allied forces' help. Of course, this victory came at a high cost to Leningrad. Nearly half of the city's population lost their lives during the three-year siege for various reasons, and much damage was done to the city as well. Although you may not see the effects of that horrific period today when you visit St. Petersburg during your tour to Russia, you can learn about those events and their harmful impact on the city by visiting various museums during your tour to St. Petersburg.
One of the most apparent aspects of Leningrad's ruined city was the damage done to the city's public places and attractions. During the three years of constant bombardment by Nazi forces, many factories, commercial, office, and residential buildings, many St. Petersburg tourist attractions, parks, and even memorial structures in the city were destroyed or severely damaged. Of course, the people of Leningrad began to rebuild the city soon after the liberation and did not even wait for the end of World War II, which was a sign of the willpower of the people of Leningrad. Moskovsky Victory Park, now one of the attractions of Russia tour, was one of the first places to be built. The site where volunteers built the park was a brick factory where a large number of bodies of citizens of Leningrad were burned during the three-year siege to prevent the spread of the disease. The disappearance of that factory from the city was one of the first goals of those who wanted to rebuild the city because that factory was only a reminder of most citizens' dark days.
Another place severely damaged during the siege of Leningrad was the Hermitage Museum, especially the Winter Palace. Fortunately, all the valuable property of this museum and other famous museums of Leningrad were transferred from the city before the siege began and kept in various places and only returned to their original location after the end of the war. The Hermitage Museum is one of the main tourist attractions on the trip to St. Petersburg, which is enjoyed by millions of tourists every year. Today, the museum holds more than three million works of art. If it were not for the immediate action of the museum staff and officials before the outbreak of World War II and the siege of Leningrad, Russia might have lost most of these artworks during the war for various reasons, including the bombing Nazi army. Although Leningrad suffered substantial damages during the siege, the imperial estates outside the city in the suburban area, such as Peterhof and the Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), were the places that took the most damages. Where Nazi German forces easily captured and looted those properties in the early days of the war. Many of these imperial estates on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, which are now an essential part of travel to Russia plans, are still undergoing major reconstruction of damages during the war. Fortunately, significant sections of these sights have been renovated for tourists on the St. Petersburg tour, and you can visit them when you travel to St. Petersburg.
One of the most famous historical museums from this dark period of St. Petersburg, which you can visit on your travel to Russia, is the Museum of Defense and Siege of Leningrad. Of course, it should be noted that you visit today as part of your travel to St. Petersburg program, is one-tenth of what was initially established. The museum's property from manuscripts, war items, food voucher papers, photographs, and many other items was collected from the very first days of Leningrad's siege, and they were donated to the museum after the end of the war. For various reasons, including the "Leningrad affairs," the museum was closed for a while and reopened in the 1980s with a tenth of the original property. However, the Museum of Defense and Siege of Leningrad is still one of the best places you can visit to learn more about this dreadful period of St. Petersburg during your travel to Russia.
While the people of Leningrad were celebrating the victory over the Nazi army without receiving any significant help from Moscow, Stalin, the then leader of the Soviet government in Moscow, was very worried about this city. He always saw Leningrad and its young and popular leaders as a threat to its power in the Soviet government. This fear of losing control increased after visiting the Museum of Defense and the Siege of Leningrad, in which Stalin's role in Leningrad's resistance and liberation was fairly portrayed indifferently. All of this led Stalin to carry out the second phase of his "Great Purge" in Leningrad under the new name "Leningrad Affairs." As in the first period after the assassination of Sergei Kirov, many Leningrad leaders were imprisoned, exiled, or executed on various charges. The Museum of Defense and Siege of Leningrad was closed just a few years after its establishment, and much of its property and artifacts were destroyed. Today, however, you can get an overview of the conditions of the time by visiting the Museum of Political History during your St. Petersburg Tour.
Undoubtedly, knowing St. Petersburg's history in all eras can greatly help tourists of Russia tour to understand the city better and enjoy its beauties. That is why we at Star Travel Group recommend our travelers read this material to experience a more enjoyable trip to St. Petersburg during their travel to Russia plans. You can also read about the places and people whose names are mentioned in this article on our weblog.
