The Siege of Leningrad was a prolonged military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the Soviet city of Leningrad (present-day St. Petersburg) during the Great Patriotic War (World War II). The death toll of the siege was ca. 1.5 million people, of whom around one million were civilians who died mostly of starvation.

 

The exhibition at the Manège Central Exhibition Hall of St. Petersburg talks about the preservation of historical heritage in the besieged city where institutions of culture and industrial enterprises continued to work. It pans across various areas of urban life such as education, science, and sports, giving an artistic insight into how and why Leningraders managed to survive and win. The organizers refer to their project as emotional and poignant, taking a calibrated approach and offering vivid scenography. The exhibition puts on the display of over 600 historical objects and works of art provided by private collectors and by more than fifty museums, libraries, theaters, archives and businesses in St. Petersburg. The walk to see the entire exhibition is more than 500 meters long.