In bitter cold, Russians mark end of Leningrad siege with military parade in Saint Petersburg
- The siege of the city, then called Leningrad, lasted nearly 2½ years until the Soviet Army drove the Nazis away on January 27, 1944
- Estimates of the death toll vary, but historians agree that more than 800,000 Leningrad residents died from hunger or air and artillery bombardments
Tanks and air defence missile systems rolled through the heart of Saint Petersburg on Sunday as the city formerly known as Leningrad marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the second world war siege that claimed more than 800,000 lives.
The parade in Russia’s second city was the first time war-era and modern heavy weaponry, including the famed T-34 battle tank and multiple-launch rocket systems, have trundled past the Hermitage Museum to mark the end of the siege of Leningrad, sparking controversy with some survivors criticising “militarism”.
President Vladimir Putin, a native of Saint Petersburg, chose to skip the show of force in the snow-covered Palace Square, though he will attend several other commemorative events.
More than 2,500 servicemen in modern and period uniforms including sheepskin coats and felt boots took part in the parade.
Hundreds of spectators watched the performance in falling snow and temperatures of minus 11 degrees Celsius (12 Fahrenheit), some wrapped in blankets against the cold.
A moment of silence was observed to the ticking of a metronome used to warn residents about air raids during the siege. Some clutched flowers and could not hold back tears.