St. Petersburg marks blockade anniversary with fireworks over Neva
On the evening of January 27, the day of the 82nd anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade, a festive salute took place over St. Petersburg.
Hundreds of spectators gathered at the spit of Vasilyevsky Island. Due to the frost of about –10 degrees Celsius (14°F), people appeared literally just minutes before the start of the show.
Low cloud cover added to the spectacle: the flashes of fireworks, as if bursting from behind the clouds, created a simultaneously frightening and beautiful sight.
The event could be watched in real time thanks to an online broadcast.
Exactly at 21:00, 30 artillery salvos sounded from the Big Beach of the Peter and Paul Fortress. They were fired by crews of 85-mm D-44 guns from the Mikhailovsky Military Artillery Academy.
More than a thousand fireworks shot into the sky simultaneously. Over 200 military personnel, 12 artillery guns, and 12 salute installations were involved in organizing the salute.
The city administration reported that each salvo was named.
«The salute was opened with salvos in honor of the 82nd anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade, in honor of the Hero City Leningrad, in honor of the President of Russia — the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, in honor of the residents of besieged Leningrad and the unparalleled feat of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. Salvos were also given in honor of the defenders of the Luga defensive line, the Nevsky Pyatachok, and the feat of soldiers on the Sinyavino Heights,» noted in Smolny.
The artillerymen also honored the memory of the drivers and defenders of the «Road of Life», sailors of the Baltic Fleet, pilots, anti-aircraft defense fighters, home front workers, and commanders of the Leningrad Front.
Until 22:00, torches burned on the Rostral Columns, enhancing the solemnity of the evening.
In St. Petersburg, other memorial events took place on this day, timed to the historical date.
