In Photos: Everyday Life in Postwar Leningrad
These photographs of Leningrad, or present-day St. Petersburg, depict life for everyday Soviet citizens in 1946-1948: from builders working at St. Isaac’s Cathedral to a woman wiping a showpiece in the Hermitage museum and a seaman holding the hand of his beloved.
By looking at these photos, taken from the Harvard University archive, one would hardly guess that the Siege of Leningrad had ended just two years earlier.
Lasting 871 days (Sept. 8, 1941-Jan. 27, 1944), the siege killed at least 630,000 people and left the city in ruins after relentless bombings by Nazi forces.
Here's a look at Leningrad’s resurgence after two years of unspeakable hardship:
By looking at these photos, taken from the Harvard University archive, one would hardly guess that the Siege of Leningrad had ended just two years earlier.
Lasting 871 days (Sept. 8, 1941-Jan. 27, 1944), the siege killed at least 630,000 people and left the city in ruins after relentless bombings by Nazi forces.
Here's a look at Leningrad’s resurgence after two years of unspeakable hardship:
Many buildings in the city were destroyed during the siege. After the siege ended, a large-scale restoration effort was launched.
Trachtenberg, L. / HVD - Images
Huge damage was done to valuable historical and cultural monuments like the Hermitage and the Russian Museum.
Trachtenberg, L., S. Kropivnitsky / HVD - Images
Boating on the pond of Kirov Park.
WORLD NEWS SERVICES / HVD - Images
Leningrad Naval Training School crews stage a lifeboat race on the Neva River.
Mazelev, R. / HVD - Images
Restored after the blockade, the architectural monuments of Russia's northern capital reappeared in all their beauty.
World News Services, Trachtenberg, D / HVD - Images
Freshmen at the newly reopened Leningrad Transport Institute.
Trachtenberg, L. / HVD - Images
A lesson at the Leningrad Conservatory.
Karavayev, N. / HVD - Images
The Narva Triumphal Arch also wasn't protected from artillery bombardments. It was eventually restored in 1951.
HVD - Images
