Russian President Vladimir Putin, kneeling in reverence, placed a bouquet of red roses adorned with a mourning black ribbon. The ceremony unfolded to the solemn strains of Lev Gurov's song "Silence," performed by an honorary guard.
The Nevsky Patch, a small bridgehead on the left bank of the Neva River, serves as a symbol of the resilience and courage of Soviet soldiers during the Battle for Leningrad. It played a pivotal role in the success of Operation "Iskra" that freed the city in January 1943.
Additionally, the president visited the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery, where he laid flowers at the communal grave containing his brother's remains. He also placed a wreath at the base of the Motherland monument.
During the winter of the Leningrad siege of 1941-1942, Piskaryovskoye Cemetery became the primary site for mass burials. The communal graves here hold the remains of 420,000 city residents and 70,000 defending soldiers.
The Blockade of Leningrad, which began on September 8, 1941, lasted almost 900 days. The sole lifeline, the "Road of Life," used to deliver provisions to the city, was established on the frozen surface of Lake Ladoga. The blockade was breached on January 18, 1943, with its complete lifting on January 27, 1944.
In October 2022, the St. Petersburg City Courthouse recognized the actions of the Nazis during the Leningrad blockade as war crimes and genocide against the Soviet people. According to the city prosecutor's materials, the number of victims amounted to no less than 1,093,842 people.