Siege of Leningrad

The siege of Leningrad was a siege in Leningrad during World War II. The siege started on 8 September 1941, when the last road to the city was severed. 
upright=1.6|thumb|Map showing the Axis encirclement of Leningrad

Although the Soviet Union forces managed to open a narrow path to the city on 18 January 1943, the siege was only stopped on 27 January 1944, 872 days after it began. It is thought of as one of the most destructive sieges ever to happen. It was possibly the heaviest in terms of casualties, killing over 1 million innocent people.
Also, because of the siege, no food was allowed to enter Leningrad, leaving the residents to eat things such as:
 Cats
 Sawdust
 Horses
 Wallpaper paste
 Human flesh (e.g babies)
 Anything that could be salvaged and was edible

Because of the German operations, no people or supply trucks were allowed to enter or leave the city, leaving the occupants without food often for weeks or months. Sometimes in winter an "ice road" operated on the ice of Lake Ladoga, bringing some food and supplies into the city and evacuating some civilians and wounded soldiers.

Related pages
Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad" (Shostakovich)

 References 

Category:World War II
Category:Saint Petersburg
Leningrad