Russian President Vladimir Putin recently issued a warning to Israel, likening its actions in Gaza to the Nazi siege of Leningrad. This comparison has raised eyebrows and brought the historical Leningrad siege into the spotlight. Let’s delve into the reasons behind Putin’s statement and his personal connection to this dark chapter in history.
The Siege of Leningrad – A Grim History:
The siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) stands as one of the deadliest and most catastrophic sieges in history. It unfolded between 1941 and 1944 during World War II, as Nazi Germany besieged the city. The siege claimed an estimated 1.5 million lives, predominantly civilians, and some scholars have labeled it a “genocide.” The term is used to underscore the deliberate starvation and destruction of the city’s civilian population.
872 Days of Suffering:
The siege was a result of Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s decision to invade the Soviet Union in 1941. Leningrad, once Russia’s capital, held immense strategic and symbolic value. Recognizing the impending threat, Soviet authorities mobilized over a million citizens to fortify the city’s defenses. The siege began on September 8, 1941, lasting a harrowing 872 days. Leningrad endured relentless German shelling, severe food shortages, and brutal winter conditions. Approximately 650,000 Leningraders perished in 1942 alone. The winter of 1942 saw around 100,000 deaths per month as temperatures dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius.
Unfathomable Tragedy:
The scale of the Leningrad tragedy is difficult to comprehend. The number of Russian casualties during the siege exceeded the combined American and British casualties throughout World War II. The Germans intentionally targeted civilians through systematic starvation, driven by the need to preserve supplies for the German army. This resulted in an unimaginable humanitarian crisis, forcing some Leningraders to resort to cannibalism.
Putin’s Personal Connection:
One reason behind Putin’s reference to Leningrad is his personal connection to the siege. While he was born six years after the siege was lifted, Putin lost his brother during the Leningrad siege. His brother, Viktor Putin, would have been just two years old when he succumbed to the harsh conditions, likely due to cold and starvation. During an annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Piskariovskoye Cemetery in St. Petersburg, Putin expressed his deep ties to the city and the siege. He revealed that his mother nearly died from starvation and was placed among the corpses during the siege’s darkest days.