Road of Life
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Road of Life (Russian: Дорога жизни, doroga zhizni) was the transport route across the frozen Lake Ladoga, which provided the only access to the besieged city of Leningrad in the winter months during the Great Patriotic War. The road forms part of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.
The Siege of Leningrad itself lasted for 880 days from September 1941 to January 1944, as German and Finnish forces cut off all land access to the city. Over one million citizens of Leningrad died from starvation, exposure and German bombardments. The Road of Life began to operate on November 20, 1941 when the first convoy of horse-pulled sleighs brought supplies to the city. Shortly thereafter, the ice road began receiving truck traffic. Via the Road of Life, supplies could be brought into the city, and civilians evacuated to the still Soviet-controlled opposite coast. During the winter 1941–42 the ice line of "Road of Life" operated for 152 days, till April 24. About 514 000 city inhabitants, 35 000 wounded soldiers, industrial equipment were evacuated from Leningrad during the first winter of blockade. While the road was protected by anti-aircraft artillery on the ice and fighter planes in the air, truck convoys were constantly attacked by German artillery and airplanes, making travel dangerous. Some survivors therefore bitterly recall the route as a "Road of Death".
During 1942 an oil pipeline ("Artery of Life") via Ladoga lake has been built: its length was 29 km, of which 21 km run under water at depth of 12.5 m.
During the following winter, the Road of Life began to operate once again. On December 20, 1942 horse traffic began, and on December 24, 1942, motor vehicles began to operate. The construction of the pile and ice railway of 30 km long also began.
Subsequently, Operation Spark — a full-scale offensive of troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts — started in the morning of January 12, 1943. After heavy and fierce battles, the Red Army units overcame the powerful German fortified zones to the South of the Ladoga Lake, and on January 18, 1943 the meeting of Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts units happened, opening a land corridor to the besieged city. Almost immediately, both truck and rail traffic began to bring supplies to Leningrad.
The city of Leningrad was still subject to at least a partial siege, as well as air and artillery bombardment, until a Soviet offensive broke through the German lines, lifting the siege in January 1944.
For the heroism of its population, Leningrad was the first city to be awarded the honorary title Hero City in 1945.
