Effect of The Siege of Leningrad On The City - Civilian Support of Military Operations

Civilian Support of Military Operations

Resistance of surviving civilian population of Leningrad provided crucial support for military operations during the battle of Leningrad. Total number of civilian volunteers helping the military is estimated equal to the number of civilians left in the city – about 500,000 people, all of them were taking shifts at "day watch" and "night watch" to prevent fires and destruction from air-bombings and artillery bombardment.

The Nazis had a special intelligence unit that operated in secrecy, focused on causing more death and destruction in Leningrad through sabotage to destroy the morale and spirit of its citizens. Some of the Nazi secret agents were arsonists, arrested while setting fires at storage facilities in besieged Leningrad. Water and food supplies were often found poisoned and infected by the Nazi spies infiltrating into the city. Volunteer militia brigades were involved in assisting civilians, mainly women and children at the time when they were struggling to survive.

While the population of Leningrad was depressed by the long and exhausting siege, people still tried to lift their spirits in the time when they were struggling to survive.

Popular film star Boris Babochkin made many visits to besieged Leningrad, while risking his life. Babochkin gave numerous stage performances in Leningrad, he also delivered several copies of the classic film Chapayev, which was a highly popular movie.

Symphony performances for survivors of the siege were rare, but attendance was rather high, regardless of the risks and exhaustion of everybody. Perhaps the most important booster of morale was Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, entitled "Leningrad". The symphony did much to raise the spirits of defenders as well as the Allies abroad; at its Leningrad premiere, Marshal Zhukov ensured what was called the "eighty minutes of silence," when the soldiers at the Front did their utmost to stop city bombings so as to not interrupt the performance. Music performances were broadcast over the Leningrad radio 24/7. At rare times when music was not broadcast, a metronome was placed before the radio microphone to assure the people that the resistance was ongoing. Performers and radio personnel worked without compensation, they received 250–500 grams of food per day, mainly low grade bread.

Olga Bergholz and Anna Akhmatova were contributing their talents to support the morale of civilians and military fighting in the besieged Leningrad.

Many heroic women and children were risking their lives helping military operations at the front-lines.

15,000 children were decorated for their courage in military operations during the siege of Leningrad.