The composition "Children of the Blockade Leningrad" for preschoolers and younger students: eyewitnesses, memories

This article describes all the hardships of the life of the children of the besieged Leningrad. You will learn what they ate, how hard they worked and what they portrayed in their drawings.

When Germany attacked the Soviet Union, the USSR government realized that Leningrad would become one of the key cities that would be at the epicenter of hostilities. That is why, with the onset of the blockade, it was decided to organize an evacuation commission. It was required to take out both the civilian population itself and military cargo, as well as the equipment of enterprises.

In another article on our website you can find interesting composition-reasoning on the topic "Why did war deprive the child of childhood?". It describes arguments and interesting examples.

But did anyone expect blockade? The tactics of the German army were unpredictable. The Nazis did not turn to this method at all with the aim of forcing the city to surrender. The blockade for them was an excellent means of destroying the entire existing population. Nevertheless, life in the besieged Leningrad turned into daily exploits of citizens. The latter have largely influenced the approach of the Great Victory. Read more below.

What is the blockade of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War - an essay: an explanation for preschoolers and younger students?

The city as such was of extreme interest for Hitler. In his opinion, Leningrad had to disappear from the face of the earth, again become swamps. However, the motives were more psychological. Through the total destruction of Peter’s brainchild, Hitler intended to put pressure on the Soviet people, to groan their moral spirit. According to the Fuhrer, M. Burman wrote that the Finns claim the territory of Leningrad. If the Nazis managed to equal it to the ground, then they would simply give these lands to the northern people. So what is the blockade of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War? Here is an explanation for preschoolers and younger students:

From a geographical point of view, Leningrad was on the outskirts of the country. The Baltic states have already been captured, and the western side is closed. The Finns came from the north. In the east was Lake Ladoga. The blockade ring closed quickly enough. The Germans only had to capture and hold several important points.

Inspired by the past victories, the Germans kept in fear of Leningrad and its inhabitants. Soviet troops erected defense and prepared evacuation. 10 divisions of unprepared local residents were ready to death for their territories and families. Ground brigades were actively formed. In general, during the blockade period, the Soviet Army acquired at least 80,000 new fighters. Stalin was adamant. He was not going to give Leningrad to the Nazis.

It is worth knowing:

• A week after the outbreak of war, more were taken out of Leningrad 15,000 children.
• However, the final goal was the amount in 390 000.
• It should be noted that 170,000 children Subsequently, they returned - because German formations moved to the south of the region.
• Evacuated by adults. However, not all residents were ready to leave their homes and go to the unknown.

The blockade began with the systematic shelling of the city. This happened in just a few days. However, after September 12, Hitler canceled the assault on the city. The soldiers had to strengthen their positions and prepare for the defense. The ring should have been strong. The city regularly watered by artillery fire.

From the first days of the blockade, the mood of the townspeople was the opposite: some sacredly believed in the victory of the Red Army, others criticized the actions of the Bolsheviks. However, there were no mass riots, for the Communists in every possible way stopped various kinds of propaganda and troubles.

The hunger was explained. The Germans knew that food supplies were not unlimited. Having weighed all the pros and cons, the Nazis decided that the lack of food and psychological pressure were able to force Soviet citizens to surrender. However, they were mistaken - as well as with the blitzkrieg. Transferring suffering, the Russians did not lose the will to win.

Interesting: According to historian Lamagin, any attempts to break through the city should have been suppressed by a barrage fire aimed at destruction. The age and social status of Leningraders did not matter. Some daredevils tried to escape one by one, but stumbled upon the Germans, who pushed them back. There were not lands at the stake, but the lives of millions of people.

The blockade of Leningrad brought thousands of deaths. Most of them were not at all from shelling, but from long hunger. This page of history terrifies much more “typical” military everyday life. The artillery smashed the water supply station and warehouses, sources of electricity supply, trying to deprive the townspeople of elementary conditions for human existence.

The fact that the Germans will finally capture Leningrad scared many. Not only a shortage of products and a restriction of the supply of electricity were observed, but also a complete failure of the water supply and sewage system. The familiar way of people was completely violated. Moreover, the city was constantly bombed. However, residents worked even more than in peacetime. And this is against the background of chronic malnutrition.

At the very beginning of the blockade, the Germans set fire to the Badaev warehouses, where there were sugar, butter and flour. Leningrad always depended on imported products. With the onset of the blockade of food, it lost about 3 million people.

What ate, how much bread did the children receive in the besieged Leningrad?

During the blockade of Leningrad, a food card system operated. What ate, how much bread did the children receive in the besieged Leningrad?

• The norms of bread changed depending on the situation.
• People displayed huge lines for the sake of essential goods.
• According to the recollections of the blockade, the one who did not go astray from the rhythm of life in the middle of the war and hunger survived.
• Those who saved strength were dying in their own dwellings.

A table of bread issuance was formed. Children were considered dependents.

            The norms for the issuance of bread to the Leningrad population during the blockade:

Groups, meat and fish were given out cards. However, the portions were so modest, and the people were so hungry that both children and adults ate rations, not reaching home. If you managed to get a little meat, then they ate raw. Moreover, the food was absorbed immediately, because on the way home, outsiders could take it away from the children.

Blocate bread, who ate the children, looked little like the one that is eaten now. It had only a third of rye flour. The rest is seeds of oilseeds, flour dust from the floor and ground needles. In especially difficult times, the peel from seeds was added. The latter cut his tongue and gums, could harm the esophagus. However, there was no choice. As a rule, bags of flour were brought wet. The wet flour scraped and dried, and then grinded.

Leningraders cooked jacket from wallpaper -based wallpaper. The carpentry glue was also used. Added bay leaf, spices and vinegar. What is noteworthy, despite the hunger, there were plenty of spices in the besieged Leningrad. Cooked cabbage soup from cabbage. The composition was simple: stumps and water. Those families who were lucky added carrots. Of the carrots, tea was also made in which the chaga (mushroom) was added.

Coffee was made from the ground. During the bombing, the Germans destroyed warehouses with sugar and flour. People came to the ashes, took the land with an admixture of sugar. After stirring with water, the earth went to the bottom. The drink was called "coffee" due to dark color.

Coffee was also made from dandelion roots. However, such a drink was little interested in children. They dreamed more about not feeling hunger. Naturally, no one could think about sweets at that time. The child rejoiced at the fact that he managed to eat at least something.

Particularly terrifying today seems to be a stew of leather belts. At that time they were impregnated with tar, so the taste was specific. At first, the belts were burned, then they scraped the top layer, then soaked in water for a long time and cooked. They ate with mustard.

They also consumed grass with salt, cooked soup from nettles, made cakes and cutlets from grass. They could also add a peel of seeds and various kinds of cake. Naturally, there was no benefit from such food. It allowed only temporarily to get rid of the annoying state of constant hunger.

There were no fish in reservoirs. She was in full swing during bombing. If people got potatoes, cleaning was not thrown away. They made cakes. However, many people were glad that they managed to find at least the potato cleaning themselves.

Sometimes families got more valuable products. But this happened extremely rarely. For milk for children, many women were ready to give family relics. The nursing girls disappeared milk. So that the babies do not die, they made cuts on the nipples and the kids sucked blood. However, the maternity hospitals were fed well. Future and newly -minted mothers received bread, porridge, soups, milk.

The people distraught with hunger began to eat stray cats and dogs. Their meat went to pies, soups, pickle. Jelly was cooked from bones. However, some, especially smart pets stole food for the owners. Big problems were with drinking water. She was taken out from everywhere, wherever possible. And in winter they drowned snow.

Blocide Leningrad through the eyes of children who lived at that time: eyewitnesses, memories, how vegetables were grown

Currently in St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia live people who in blockade Leningrad were still children. These are eyewitnesses who can tell a lot of interesting things. Here are the memories of about blockade Leningrad through the eyes of children who lived at that time:

Mikhail Petrovich Tikhomirov, the indigenous Leningrad, remembers not only how he collected frozen potatoes with his mother and barely survived from shelling. According to his memoirs, in view of the hunger, the authorities introduced a new rule: each blockade had to have a garden. Any pieces of land were used - including parks, squares. Even ardent intellectuals who had never held a tool in their hands took up gardening. Hunger forced.

How was vegetables grown? Here are a few facts:

• The gardens were even on Isaacievskaya Square. The parents of little Misha planted cabbage there.
• There was no no attention and Marse field. Tourneops, cabbage and potatoes were grown there. Tourneps at that time fed livestock. To extend the life of people, citizens were given seeds and fertilizers.
• According to the recollections of blockade, in 42-43. Everything was planted by a tournament almost completely.
• A year later, potatoes were already grown from peel with eyes. True, the crop was rather scarce. Then she climbed "Berlikha" (red potatoes with yellowish flesh). It was considered a delicacy.

Considering that there were quite a few intellectuals who were not familiar with the garden in Leningrad, the population was given agitlakates and practical guidelines for growing vegetables.

But, as Leningraders recall Tamara Fedorovna and Boris Grigoryevich Sukhachevs, who at that time were schoolchildren, the site did not mean that the family would not starve. Not all soil was fertile. Some people did not have a crop at all. Moreover, the bombing of the Nazis could easily deprive the newly -minted gardeners in food.

As he recalls Valentina Semenovna Bystrova, once he and her sister could not find anything in their garden. Everyone ate rats, which in Leningrad There was a huge number. Nevertheless, thanks to a few crops, thousands of children were saved from imminent starvation.

The work of children in blockade Leningrad: Timurovtsy, children at the factories of the blockade Leningrad

Childhood in wartime could not be carefree. And in blockade Leningrad - Moreover. Since Leningrad was one of the largest industrial centers in the USSR, the work of enterprises could not be suspended. Both adults and children worked selflessly for the good of their homeland. There were Timurovtsy at that time, as well as the children worked in factories blockade Leningrad. Here is a description of their work:

• Children stood at the machines in military factories, grown vegetables on the fields of state farms.
• Spring 1942 The workshops were replenished with young workers. The last was from 12 to 15 years old.
• Thanks to the children, tanks, armored trains, weapons were produced.
• The inscription hung over the workplaces of boys and girls: "I will not leave until I fulfill the norm".
• But in parallel with hard labor, study and pioneer activities continued.

Pioneers who commit good deeds for the benefit of their homeland, helping military, pensioners and vulnerable segments of the population, were called "Timurovtsy". The movement became popular thanks to the story A. Gaidara "Timur and his team"as well as the film released in 1940.

Children actively helped Soviet citizens in the rear. The Timurovites looked after the families of front -line soldiers, pricked firewood to pensioners, gathered chicken litter and ash for greenhouses, repaired houses, laid gardens, harvested, etc. Any feasible help to society was very appreciated.

There were many such children in blockade Leningrad. They helped wives and children of the military, disabled people and old people. They cleaned apartments, harvested fuel, made food cards. The feat of Soviet children of that time remains the equivalent military exploits of adults.

Hero children of the blockade Leningrad and their exploits

The blockade of Leningrad lasted almost 900 days. At that time, the children grew up quickly enough. To the salute 1944 Few survived. Yura Bulatov, Lida Polozhenskaya, Tamara Nemigina, Misha Tikhomirov And other young Leningraders fought with the enemy along with adults. They and many children of that time first issued medals, and only then - passports. Read more about hero children blockade Leningrad And their exploits:

Young Leningrader Misha Tikhomirov:

• He kept a diary in which he described all the horrors of the life of a child in a besieged city.
• After he headed the fire link.
• At the signal, the children held their positions on the roofs and attics.
• The team made a great contribution to the defense of the future Peter.
• The guys stew the fires selflessly.
• According to eyewitnesses, as a result of such activities aged 15 years old The guy was already almost gray.
• And in March 1942 Misha died During the next shelling from the hit of the shell.

Yura Bulatov:

• A native of Leningrad. Without turning hands, he worked on the dig of the trenches.
• According to his results, he sometimes surpassed adults.
• This boy also has many feats that helped to bring a great victory closer.

Vera Tikhonova:

• Was a turner of the third category.
• A minor fragile girl managed to do one and a half adult norms a day.
• This seems unrealistic even to modern teenagers who are puffed with health. What can we say about half -starved children, who, without exaggeration, took “out of nowhere”?

In the first months of the war, two girls who were 10 years old, Lida Polozhenskaya and Tamara Nemigina:

• Became the chefs of a warship "Strict", standing on the Neva.
• Every day, despite the bombing, they did not make a way from one shore to another.
• Pupils of the ballet school were welcomed by signalmen.
• After that in the wardroom there was a concert.

Have you awarded such children? Read further.

Did children awarded the defense of Leningrad?

In the time of the blockade, heroes were not divided into large and small. Did children awarded the defense of Leningrad?

• In general, a medal "For the defense of Leningrad" Awarded about 1.5 million people, of which 15.5 thousand - children.

It is possible that there would be much more awarded, but many defenders of the city died without surviving before Great Victory.

Letters of children from the besieged Leningrad: Tanya Savicheva's diary

The schoolgirl began to keep a kind of diary from the very beginning of the blockade. Almost all native girls died in 1941-1942. In Tanya’s diary there is a brief, but shocking information. The whole family died in front of the child's eyes. After the blockade, only her older sister Nina and brother Mikhail remained, thanks to whom the diary was published. As for Tanya Savicheva herself, she died already during the evacuation.

Tanya was born in 1930 In a large family. The Savichevs did not need anything to the blockade: his father owned a cinema, bakery and bakery. However, after private property began to be removed. And the Savichev family was sent for the 101st kilometer. The father endured poverty very hard. He died of cancer in 1936.

After the death of her father, the girl returned to Leningrad Together with brothers, sisters, mom and grandmother. In the first months of the war, the Savichevs actively helped the army. They donated blood, dug trenches, extinguished the "lighters". Hunger began. Once Tanya’s sister, Nina did not return home from work. There were strong shelling that day. The girl was considered the deceased. In fact, Tanya died, never learning that Nina was alive. She was evacuated from the factory, taken to the rear. She simply did not have time to warn her family. Brother Misha survived. Despite the fact that at the front he was seriously injured. However, the girl did not know this.

Tanya acquired a telephone book in which empty pages remained, and began to keep her diary. There were no large descriptions in it. The girl simply stated terrible facts. The names of relatives, time and date of death were noted. At the very end, Tanya stated that all the Savichevs had died, and she was left alone.

The girl herself was found by a sanitary team that selected people. At first, Tanya was sent to the orphanage. However, the child barely moved, was sick with tuberculosis. Doctors failed to save Tanya. Her body was too exhausted to fight for life. Went to the world of another girl July 1, 1944.

Humanity learned about its terrible diary thanks sister Nina and brother Misha. The acquaintance of Nina from the Hermitage provided entries at the exhibition dedicated to the history of the besieged Leningrad. Tanya's entries and today are stored in Museum in St. Petersburg, and copies diverged around the world.

Here are the letters of children from the blockade Leningrad:

How many children died during the blockade of Leningrad?

To June 22, 1941 It lived in Leningrad about 900,000 children (All minors are taken into account from babies to sixteen -year -old adolescents). However, not everyone had an official residence permit. How many children died during the blockade of Leningrad?

The number of children under nine years old was about 500,000but in kindergartens it was only 47,000. Children up to 16 yearsit was almost 400,000. In general, according to historians, during the blockade saved 903,000 people. As for losses, they were really huge.

Historians call the number from 127,000 to 160,000 people. This category includes both officially dead children and those who were recognized as missing. Accordingly, every seventh blockage child died.

Most of the deaths took place from hunger and disease. Together with food, children did not receive useful substances, so their organisms were not able to cope with various kinds of ailments. However, some of the children died as a result of bombing.

The name of the monument-memorial to dead children in the blockade Leningrad

Monument "Children - victims of the blockade of Leningrad" Open January 21, 2009 In the Smolensk Bratsk cemetery. It was installed on the initiative of A. Evlov on his personal funds. Evlov himself survived the blockade of age 6 years And lost almost all loved ones.

• The most mournful monument-memorial on the victims blockade Leningrad, is "Flower of Life".

It is so named and created in memory of tens of thousands of dead children who died as a result of illness, hunger and shelling.

Interesting facts of the blockade of Leningrad for children

Leningrad, and now St. Petersburg is called an unconquered city. All because people survived the defense for a long time and did not surrender their city to the Nazis. Here are the interesting facts of the blockade of Leningrad for children:

• What period can be called the most difficult blockade?

Of course, the blockade is a heavy and cruel phenomenon in itself. However, the most difficult eyewitnesses considered and consider the first winter of the siege. She was very cold - the temperature reached up to -32 ° C. It is noteworthy, the cold kept almost until May. Such frosts are poorly tolerated by even well -fed and well -dressed people. What can we say about the hungry young Leningraders, for whom 1 piece of bread per day was already considered a luxurious dinner?

• Metron as a symbol of life.

Those guys who are engaged in music know why the metronome is used . However, at the time of the blockade, he found a different application. On the streets of Leningrad were installed 1500 loudspeakers. The countdown was accelerated when enemy aircraft approached, and the bombing began. If the rhythm slowed down, then the danger has passed.

The radio worked around the clock. Residents did not have the right to disconnect him, since at that time it was the only source of information. As soon as the announcers completed the program, the metronome count immediately began. Many named the beating of the city heart.

• How many people managed to evacuate?

About 1.5 million. However, this is only half the total number of Leningrad of that time.  

• Cats saved the city from rodents.

It's no secret that the fierce hunger forced people to eat pets. However, in the absence of cats, rats bred. The latter eaten all food supplies. I had to import cats from other regions to Leningrad. A lot of smoky cats - four cars were brought from Yaroslavl. It was believed that representatives of this color are the best rats. The method has acted. The rodents really managed to get rid of.

• 125 grams of bread.

The size of the solder in the blocks varied. Nevertheless, adult workers have always received a larger amount of bread, a little less employees. As for children, they were ranked to dependents. Therefore, the minimum amount of bread per child soul - 125 grams. True, if the child was a participant in the fire brigade, if he extinguished bombs, or studied at the school, he could count on more bread - 300-500 grams. But even this fact did not save from hunger. After all, bread was only an imitation in which there were more buckwheat and additional ingredients than flour.

• The tragedy of the Leningrad Zoo.

Along with people from hunger and cold, animals suffered. However, even during the blockade were those who fed animals in the zoo. When the employees still realized that the animals were threatening death, some were transported to Belarus, and part - to Kazan. However, some of the animals still died.

Read more about one more interesting fact.

A woman who adopted 150 children from the blockade Leningrad

Some people believe that 2-3 children The family is already too much. However, the Kazakh woman Toktogon Altybasarov Not confused. During the war years, the woman became a mother for 150 children From the blockade Leningrad. What is noteworthy, not a single child who got to the mountain village of a new mother died. The patronage of the guys was taken by all the inhabitants of her city.

Some children did not remember their name. Therefore, in parallel with care and feeding, they came up with new names and surnames. Having matured, one of these guys returned to Leningrad, and someone remained in Kyrgyzstan. There were also those who live in other republics of the former USSR. However, by the last day, the pupils sent Tokton grateful letters for the woman showed kindness and mercy and raised them. By the way, in addition to the adopted, Altybasarov and her husband were safely raised and 8 of their own biological offspring.

Photos of the children of the besieged Leningrad

Now that you know so many facts of blockade Leningrad, you will be interested to look at the faces of the same babies who survived the siege. There is a lot of sadness in their hungry look, but they all wanted to survive and many even helped adults, standing at the machine tools in factories and performing other work. Here are photos of the children of the besieged Leningrad:

Drawings of children of blockade Leningrad 1941-1944: photo

No less touching and drawings of children of blockade Leningrad. They have a lot of tragedy, although it is not immediately clear. Someone painted a Christmas tree in kindergarten, others watching a movie in a bomb shelter, and the third dead on a sleigh. Children portrayed what they saw - their reality. Here is a photo

Video: Blockade of Leningrad through the eyes of children

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