My winter trip to places that mustn't be forgotten (WW2 and Siege of Leningrad) Pt. 1 - Зимняя поездка к местам, о которых следует помнить (ВОВ и Блокада Ленинграда) Ч. 1

Hi guys!
I was born in Leningrad and live in Saint-Petersburg, but it's the same city. It was Saint-Petersburg from the very beginning and it was Leningrad during Soviet period.
So this winter I had a very impotent trip to some historical places in my native region that are closely connected to WW2 and Siege of Leningrad (or Leningrad Blockade). Have you heard about it? From 8 September 1941 to 27 January 1944 all the roads to my native citi were severed. It means terrible hunger and cold for citizens during all this period. Wiki says:

It was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history and possibly the costliest in terms of casualties.

Many people including children and women died. But still they continued working and doing they best to save the city from German army. My grandmother was a volunteer firefighter and she survived the siege. But her mother died.

So let our little trip of memory begin.

Я коротко пояснила для англоязычной публики, что такое блокада Ленинграда, думаю, что русскоязычные не нуждаются в этом пояснении. В посте будет рассказ о местах, плотно связанных с историей блокадного Ленинграда и немного о быте жителей, которые продолжали работать. Моя бабушка пережила блокаду, она помогала тушить дома. Но прабабушка погибла. Блокадные места важны для нашей семьи. Что ж, давайте начнём наше невесёлое путешествие.

This monument is dedicated to teens who worked and died during the siege. To children who never had childhood because of the war. There are words from a popular Soviet childish song: 'Let the sun be forever'

Мемориал Каменный Цветок, который посвящён пионерам, трудившимся и погибшим в блокаду. Детям, у которых никогда не было детства. А песню вы и так знаете.

Every tree here symbolizes a Soviet teen who worked and died during the siege. Soviet teens ('pioneers') wore red ties.
Я думаю, русскоязычным пояснения не нужны. Пионеры

Flowers for pioneers
Цветы для пионеров

I am sure you heard about Anna Frank. I read her diary too. But have you heard about Tanya Savicheva? She was a Soviet girl who survived the siege (but died a little later in hospital) and she has a diary too. Now it is carved in stone near Saint-Petersburg.

Думаю, все слышали и про дневник Анны Франк, и про дневник Тани Савичевой. Вот он, высечен в камне

A 8 y.o. boy reading Tanya's diary (translation under the photo).
8-летний мальчик читает дневник Тани

Zhenya died on 28 December at 12:30 1941

Grandmother died on 25 January at 3 P.M. 1942

Uncle Vasya died on 13 April at 2 A.M. 1942

Lera 17 March at 5 A.M. 1942

Uncle Lesha 10 May at 4 P.M. 1942

Misha 13 May at 7:30 A.M.

All Savichev's are dead

The last page

Only Tanya stayed

Guys you know I wanted to write this post for a very long time. But it's hard for me because this all is very close to me, to my family, to my native city and actually all ex-Soviet people.
I have some more pictures and words to share with you. But let me continue a little later.

Я очень давно хотела написать этот пост. Но мне очень тяжело его писать. Всё это близко коснулось моего города, моей семьи и задевает меня за живое. У меня есть ещё фотографии, которыми я хочу поделиться и слова, которые хочу сказать. Но я сделаю это несколько позже