Siege of Leningrad Fully Lifted

Soviet forces push German troops away from Leningrad and bring the siege of the city to an end.

On 27 January 1944, Soviet forces completed the lifting of the siege of Leningrad after a prolonged blockade. This date should not be confused with the partial breaking of the blockade ring in January 1943.

The January offensive by the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts forced German troops to withdraw from positions around the city. Communications, partly restored in 1943, became much safer.

The siege caused extraordinary civilian losses, above all through starvation, cold and shelling. Its end had immense humanitarian and symbolic significance.

The defence of Leningrad and the suffering of its inhabitants became one of the central themes in the history and memory of the war on the Eastern Front.

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