Celebrating the 75the anniversary of the Siege of Leningrad

St Petersburg earlier known as Leningrad was witness to a massive military parade. This was to commemorate the 75th anniversary of breaking of the German army's siege of the city. President Vladimir Putin was not present at the parade, but he visited a nearby cemetery and attended a memorial concert. The parade commemorates the heroic resistance of the citizens of the city against the German army. DW news has reported that more than 2,500 soldiers and 80 military units paraded through St. Petersburg's Palace Square on Sunday as the city marked 75 years since the breaking of the German siege of the city

German siege

On 22 June 1941, the Fuehrer ordered the invasion of the Soviet Union. The German army quickly reached Moscow and surrounded Leningrad. Despite many attempts, the German army could not enter Leningrad. The citizens put up a heroic resistance, and over 500,000 died of starvation. The siege was lifted after 942 days, and during this period the population of Leningrad had shrunk from 3 million to just over 800,000.

Celebration

The celebration was attended by representatives of France, the UK, Germany, and 16 other nations. 

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced a pledge to donate €12 million ($13.7 million) to the siege's remaining survivors. Nearly 108,000 war veterans still survive in the city. The offer was accepted by Russia, which recently created a universal nuclear warship. Sputnik News has reported that Leningrad ( now renamed St. Petersburg became the first city to be bestowed the title of Hero City in 1945.

Parade

The parade was conducted in biting cold with ice falling. Thousands of Russians including surviving veterans of the siege witnessed the parade. The parade also marked a gun salvo using dummy shells to recreate part of the scene during the lifting of the siege. The guns used were the same used during World War II. Despite the temperature falling to minus 11 degrees Celsius hundreds of spectators watched the parade.

Remembering

The Russians have been celebrating the end of the Siege by the German army for almost a week. Some of the most recognizable landmarks of the city are lit up, and many residents lighted candles in their windows. The city had been devastated during the siege as the German army had decided to "starve" the city into surrender. The elder brother of Vladimir Putin who last year met Trump at Helsinki, died during this siege and his mother almost died of hunger.

Russia's former imperial capital will be remembered for long in history as one of the important battles of the last war.