SAINT PETERSBURG, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) — Several ceremonial and commemorative events were held here and in the nearby Leningrad region on Saturday to commemorate the complete liberation of Leningrad from Nazi encirclement.
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the lifting of the Leningrad blockade, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the landmark Nevsky Pyatachok military-historical complex in St. Petersburg and the Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery in the Leningrad Region.
According to St. Petersburg authorities, the city has recently hosted various events, including commemorative rallies, concerts, conferences, thematic exhibitions and interactive projects. Some of these began in December last year and will continue for months.
The military siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany lasted 872 days, from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944. The Battle of Leningrad went down in history as one of the longest and bloodiest of the Second World War. End