Evening star., 1944-02-14
Factory 2 Miles From Front
AT Leninqrud Still Workino

IuCtOV MHeS
At leningrod ST
BY HENRY c. CASSIDY,
Associated Press War Correspondent
LENINGRAD, Feb. IL Delayed
-Russia's most famous factory the
old Putilov metal plant, which stood
only 2 miles from the front during
the Observation-Disclosures battle of
Leningrad, has emerged from the
siege wounded. but still working.
Now divided into two branches, It
employs several thousand of an
original $4,000 persons in Leningrad.
Others who evacuated to an eastern
city established a new branch fac
tory which has become the largest
war plant In the Soviet Union.
Nikolai Puzirev, 41-year-old di-
rector of the factory, sitting in a
shuttered- -darkened ONCE, told
proudly the history of the plant.
which Is 142 years old and in which
President Michael Kalinin used to
work at a lathe.
Before the war, Puzirev pointed
out. the factory had Russia's finest
equipment and most skilled workers
and turned out cannon, electric tur-
bines, Diesel engines and other metal
articles specializing in emergency
rush orders.
5000 Shells Hit Plant.
When the Germans reached Len
ingrad, he said, most of the equip
lnent and workers we're moved east.
but some were kept here repairing
heavy tanks and Diesel engines and
manufacturing mines, shells and
munitions for the defense Of the
CITY,.
The work was complicAted be-
cause We never knew when the
shelling would start or STOP" Pull
rev said. But We did work on a
reduced scale" I'D -,
He estimated that more than 5,oUu
shells fell. on the plant and added:
I'VE succeeded in saving the water
system and boilers. so, although the
buildings suffered. they will be
fairly easy to repair"
During the worst period Of the
siege, January and February of
1912, the workers lived at the fac
tory and ate only $50 grams of
bread and single plate of SOUP
daily. Production ceased tempo
rarily, as they were too weak to
work. During the rest Of the siege,
however, they were given three fun
meals daily in the factory restau-
rant. They worked 10 hours a day,
six days a week in two shifts and
did antiaircraft defense and mill
tary training when not working.
P. Popkov, chairman of the Lenin-
grad City Soviet, or Mayor, the
man who ran Leningrad under siege,
estimated that the civilians suffered
about 10000 casualties from shelline
and bombing.
5000 Civilians Killed.
OF these, he said, about 5000
were killed and $1,000 wounded
This surprisingly small number of
casualties among the original pre-
war population Of 3,5OO,0O0 was
due to the rapid evacuation, which
left no one except indispensable
workers and to the strict military
discipline among those who re-
mained
Popkov said Leningrad remains
city on a military basis" There
fore, he could not disclose the pres
ent population. Foreign reports
that as many as 1000 900 died.
however, multiply the real figure
many times" he said.
Popkov told correspondents the
story OF the siege OF Leningrad
at reception in Smolyn Institute
the historic buildings from which
the Bolsheviks directed the 1917
revolution and now the CITY Hall
OF Leningrad.
At the outbreak of the war women,
children and aged men were evac-
uated eastward and others engaged
In building the fortifcations Of the
neutrality-suspicious. line. They
retreated with the Red Army when
the Germans broke through to the
1941.
During the second stage, he said,
the population worked on fortifica-
tions In the city and on the out
skirts. Every one aged IA to IS was
engaged in the fire fighting while
all those unnecessary for the MAIN
tenance Of the city were evacuated
In the winter Of 1912.
No Idle Persons in City.
Popkov said that during the third
period the keeping up of the econ
omy and industry Of Leningrad was
q grave military problem.
I'VE had no idle persons what
soever In Leningrad," he said, add
ing:
During the period of the blockade
the population was on a planned
basis. according to the needs of the
city. With this plan it was possible
to satisfy all requirements"
Despite all the hardships main
tanning the morale of the popula-
ton was no problem, he said.
The worst hardship, he said, was
the shelling, which caused 80 per
cent Of Leningrad's casualties.
These casualties were roughly uni
form throughout the siege. He said
that 60 persons were killed by shells
on January IA, the day before the
Red Army started the offensive
which freed the city.