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The Heroic Defenders of Leningrad
The Heroic Defenders of Leningrad
Azrifel


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S602Z
Location: Plosshad Pobedy, St. Petersburg, Russia
Date: Oct 21, 2003
Galleries: Urban, Portraiture
Date Uploaded: Jan 8, 2005

Viewed: 631
Comments: 3
Favorites: 0

Small section of the "Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad".

Leningrad, or St. Petersburg as it is now known again was under siege by the Germans in the second world war. That siege lasted for 900 days. The only way the people could get food and supplies was over the ice of frozen lakes in te winter. In January and February 1942 about 200,000 people died for example. The total deathtoll is unsure, it runs between 640.000 to 800.000 (on the Russian side, for Leningrad alone).
I've been there and seen some photographs of the total destruction of large parts of St. Petersburg and its surroundings. Some Petersburg writers also tell about it in books. Today they are still restoring parts of Pavlovsk and Tsarkoe Selo for example (the Catherine Palace). Leningrad had an unimaginable hard time, as did the whole of Russia with their tens of millions of deaths during the second world war. It puts the war in Western Europe in a whole other perspective.

In 1975 a big monument for the defenders was erected on Victory square. When you come from the international airport and head towards Nevsky Prospect you will run straight into it. The monument is great, but the surroundings are awful (70's style flats).
This photo is only a very small section of it. It contains soldiers, sailors and grieving mothers. It was designed by Sergei Speransky and Valentin Kamenensky.

This is the second photo that I edited this way. I think this style fits the subject, especially when you know the story behind it.

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AuthorThread
09/23/2005 03:17:23 AM
You've made them come alive again! Excellent shot, love the grain.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/23/2005 03:15:08 AM
Very great point of view and processing. Great image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/08/2005 09:41:00 AM
excellent work, sander, excellent!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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