Memory of generations: students from St. Petersburg created a project in honor of the heroes of the Road of Life

The creative group of enthusiasts "Iskra" from St. Petersburg has developed a patriotic project "The Road of Life". It is dedicated to the feat of the driver, who is forced to cross the path on the ice road through Ladoga under shelling. One of the characters will be a photojournalist, modeled on Boris Kudoyarov, who worked for the Izvestia newspaper in the 1930s. The project is scheduled for release in the fall of 2026, and the demo version will be released in May.

What the new simulator will tell you about

On the day of the 82nd anniversary of the complete lifting of the siege of Leningrad, the Russian studio Iskra launched the official website of the Road of Life project. The demo will be released in May 2026, and a full-fledged release is scheduled for early autumn, the developers told Izvestia.

The project is dedicated to the drivers of the legendary ZIS-5 trucks ("trehtonok"), which during the blockade provided supplies to the besieged city along the ice highway through Lake Ladoga. It is positioned as a story-driven driving simulator on one of the most dangerous roads in history. The project tells about the daily work and feat of drivers who transported food and cargo under the constant threat of shelling, air raids and ice destruction. The developers declare their desire to recreate historical conditions as accurately as possible.

— We try to make all the equipment and equipment of the road as close to the original as possible, so it will be interesting for fans of historical reconstruction to play. The road along Ladoga is extremely difficult, it is important to feel this feeling of driving a car at that time, physical interaction with the road, and a sense of danger. The road of life is scary: you're just driving on ice, which cracks and breaks under you. You constantly find yourself in difficult situations where people's lives depend on your actions. Our game can be considered an interactive immersion into a historical context, it is an experience of a certain experience," said Sergey Himmelreich, game director of the project.

"The Road of Life" has become a personal statement for the authors. Initially, the project existed in the form of a short concept describing the internal condition of a truck driver on an ice highway during a raid. Now the developers are trying to tell the story of the courage of ordinary people who saved Leningrad at the cost of their own lives.

— Boris, a photojournalist character, will appear in the game, based on Boris Kudoyarov, who worked for the Izvestia newspaper in the 1930s.

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.

He needed to make shots that could inspire the people of Leningrad and give them hope for a successful outcome of events. And we help Boris take photos in our game, choosing locations that reflect important and authentic episodes of what is happening on the Road of Life. Something inspiring, something important: how bread is transported to Leningrad, how they help to get a stuck car out, how a fascist plane shot down by the road burns," Sergei Himmelreich clarified.

The main focus is on historical accuracy and the psychological stress that the participants of the Ladoga ice voyages faced on a daily basis. The Road of Life game will be distributed for free, the project is being created with the support of the Institute for the Development of the Internet (IRI).

The demo version will be available on VK Play and Steam platforms. The final release includes five missions based on archival documents and eyewitness accounts, as well as five story characters whose stories are revealed as they progress.

Important pages of Russian history

There are very few games dedicated to the siege of Leningrad today, which is due to the special sacredness of the theme. Any inaccuracy in the presentation or gameplay can be viewed critically, especially in St. Petersburg, where the memory of the blockade is often personal. In this context, the authors of the Road of Life project rely on working with archives and historical sources, which increases the chances of success, said Svetlana Karacharova, an expert in the gaming industry.

— The key element of the game should be the human, personal aspect — the story of the feat of ordinary people, thanks to whom the city survived. Such projects are important as a way to preserve and transmit cultural memory in a modern language," she said.

The story of the siege of Leningrad fits seamlessly into the game mechanics, but it requires extreme precision and deep study. Projects of this kind do not tolerate simplifications: to preserve the atmosphere, an integral, "hermetic" world is needed. The most important role here is played by narrative — the elaboration of characters, their destinies and historical context, without which it is impossible to create a convincing and respectful statement on the military theme, added Mikhail Lisetsky, founder of the Streamfest and Gamedays festivals.

— I think that such projects should start with a detailed painting of the fate of characters, historical notes, diaries, — he stressed.

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Historical games are not just entertainment, but an important way to preserve memory and pass on authentic stories of heroism to new generations. They show that there are no secondary roles in war: the contribution of drivers, medics, signallers, engineers and other "invisible" heroes was no less important than victories at the front, said Andrey Voronkov, Deputy Director General of the Institute for the Development of the Internet.

According to him, successful examples of such projects already exist: "IL‑2 Sturmovik", "Behind enemy lines", "Leading edge". The Road of Life continues this tradition, recalling the feat of the Leningraders and those who provided supplies to the besieged city. Through the gaming experience, the project allows you to feel the price of this feat and turns the dry facts of history into a living, personal memory.