Russian schools held "Lessons of courage" in memory of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad

Commemorative actions and "Lessons of Courage" dedicated to the anniversary of the complete lifting of the siege of Leningrad are being held in schools across Russia on January 27.

So, in educational institutions of the Moscow region, the school day began with the sounds of Dmitry Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, which became a symbol of the unity of the people. Denis Maidanov, a State Duma deputy and Honored Artist of Russia, told Izvestia why this date is so important for children to remember.

"We all want our children to know their history well. <...> We want all the events of the Great Patriotic War to be more than just a paragraph in history textbooks for our children. Of course, this should be deep knowledge, it should be the basis of attitude towards one's homeland, the future of one's country," he said.

In addition to Maydanov, "Lessons of courage" in schools near Moscow are conducted by United Russia deputies and activists of the Young Guard.

The siege of Leningrad began on September 8, 1941 and lasted for 872 days. The encirclement was partially broken in 1943 during Operation Iskra, and the blockade was finally lifted on January 27, 1944 as a result of Operation January Thunder. According to various estimates, by the end of the siege in Leningrad, from 1 to 1.5 million people had died, about 34 thousand residents were injured, and more than 700 thousand were left homeless.

The story of the Day of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi blockade: how the townspeople survived the blockade and learned about the lifting of the siege

In mid-January 1944, Soviet troops launched an offensive operation that ended on January 27.

Earlier in the day, an action was held in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) to mark the 82nd anniversary of the complete lifting of the siege of Leningrad. Izvestia correspondent Yevgeny Bykovsky reported that about 100 young people took part in the event, who took the symbolic 872 steps, according to the number of days of the blockade.

At the same time, a commemorative event dedicated to the 82nd anniversary of the complete liberation of the city was held at the Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery in St. Petersburg. The ceremony began with the changing of the guard of honor at the Eternal Flame and the monument "Mother Motherland". After it, the participants of the event honored the memory of the victims of the blockade and the fallen military with a minute of silence, flowers and wreaths were laid at the monument.

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