Piskarevskoye cemetery May 9. Participation in events dedicated to Victory Day. Holiday in the Peter and Paul Fortress

Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery is a mournful monument to the victims of the Great Patriotic War, a witness to a universal tragedy and a place of universal worship. The memorial is dedicated to the memory of all Leningraders and defenders of the city. People sacredly remember the heroes of the defense of Leningrad, and the lines from Olga Berggolts’ epitaph “No one is forgotten and nothing is forgotten,” the memorable text on the friezes of the pavilions “To you, our selfless defenders...” by Mikhail Dudin are confirmation of this.

At the site of mass graves of residents of besieged Leningrad and warriors who defended the city in the period from 1945 to 1960, designed by architects A.V. Vasiliev and E.A. Levinson, a memorial complex was erected.

The grand opening of the memorial complex took place on May 9, 1960. Every year on memorable dates (January 27, May 8, June 22 and September 8) ceremonies of laying wreaths and flowers at the Motherland monument are held here.

In April 1961, the Resolution was approved: “... to consider the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery as the main monument to the heroes who gave their lives for the happiness, freedom and independence of our Motherland...”. The same Resolution obliged the City Excursion Bureau to include a visit to the memorial in its routes, and the State Museum of the History of Leningrad was instructed to create a museum exhibition and place it on the first floors of two pavilions. The exhibition was supposed to reflect the criminal plans of the Hitlerite command to destroy Leningrad, the difficult living conditions of Leningraders during the 900-day siege of the city, their courage, heroism, resilience, victory over the enemy, and the defeat of the Nazi troops near Leningrad. The exhibition was updated periodically. Today it occupies the first floor of the right pavilion. As before, the main focus of the exhibition is documentary photographs.

In the museum you can get acquainted with photographs and newsreels of the siege - during the day there is a screening of the films "Memories of the Siege" and "City under Siege", mounted in 1990 at the Leningrad Documentary Film Studio from fragments filmed by military cameramen in besieged Leningrad at risk for life, as well as Sergei Larenkov’s film “Siege Album” (See the section in the left menu).

In the museum pavilion there is an information kiosk, with which visitors can search the electronic catalog of the Books of Memory "Siege. 1941-1944. Leningrad" (names of Leningrad residents who died during the siege), "Leningrad. 1941-1945" (names of soldiers called up in Leningrad, who died on various fronts of the Great Patriotic War), “They survived the siege. Leningrad” (names of residents of Leningrad who survived the siege).

The eternal flame on the upper terrace of the Piskarevsky memorial burns in memory of all the victims of the blockade and the heroic defenders of the city. The three-hundred-meter Central Alley stretches from the Eternal Flame to the Motherland monument. Red roses are planted along the entire length of the alley. From them to the left and to the right go sad hills of mass graves with slabs, on each of which the year of burial is carved, oak leaves are a symbol of courage and perseverance, a sickle and hammer are on the graves of residents, a five-pointed star is on the graves of soldiers, the grave number is stamped on the side of the slab. In mass graves rest 420 thousand residents of Leningrad who died from hunger, cold, disease, bombing and artillery shelling, as well as 70 thousand soldiers - defenders of Leningrad. There are also about 6 thousand individual military graves at the memorial.

The figure of “Mother Motherland” (sculptors V.V. Isaeva and R.K. Taurit) on a high pedestal is clearly legible against the backdrop of the endless sky. Her pose and bearing express strict solemnity; in her hands is a garland of oak leaves braided with a mourning ribbon. It seems that the “Mother Motherland”, in whose name people sacrificed themselves, slowly and solemnly marches to the graves of her sons and daughters to lay a funeral garland on them.

A memorial wall-stele completes the ensemble. In the thickness of the granite there are 6 reliefs reproducing episodes of the heroic life of Leningraders during the days of the siege. Sculptors B.E. Kaplyansky, A.L. Malakhin, M.A. Vainman and Kharlamova M.M. managed to reflect the self-sacrifice and cohesion, heroism and perseverance of the defenders of the besieged city, to create a monolithic unity in which sailors, soldiers, workers and the civilian population of the city stood shoulder to shoulder . On the side sections of the stele relief images of mourning banners at half-mast - symbols of eternal sadness . Its end parts are decorated with large wreaths woven from oak branches. Inside the wreaths are lowered torches with escaping flames - a symbol of extinct life. On the left and right, a soldier and a woman, a worker and a sailor, knelt down, paying their last respects to the dead.

In the center of the stele are the words of the epitaph of the poetess O.F. Bergholz, which sound like a hymn to the unconquered Leningrad. The line “No one is forgotten and nothing is forgotten” has particular power.

Along the eastern border of the cemetery there is a Memory Alley. In memory of the defenders of Leningrad, memorial plaques from cities and regions of our country, CIS countries and foreign countries, as well as organizations that worked in the besieged city, were installed on it.

An important role in the artistic appearance of the memorial ensemble, enhancing the overall impression of artistic unity, is played by large and small ponds, a pergola, a white marble pool, stone benches, obelisks on the upper terrace, granite rosettes with spillways in the span of arches of the retaining wall, a fence with cast iron grating, gates - the artistic design of which includes branches with stems down, which symbolizes a bygone, extinct life .

About 46 species of trees and shrubs are planted on the territory of the complex. The sad and solemn works of domestic and foreign composers sound over the memorial as an eternal reminder of the harsh times of the siege.

The Piskarevsky Memorial Ensemble is a unique composition where architecture, sculpture, poetry and music are fused together.

The celebration of the 72nd anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War will take place on May 9, 2017 in all cities and towns of Russia, as well as in many foreign countries: in the territory of the former USSR, in Israel, the USA and in all cities of the world where there is a large Russian diaspora .

St. Petersburg will traditionally host a whole series of festive events, including the Victory Parade, the laying of wreaths, a festive concert on Palace Square, a parade of warships and water shows in the Neva waters and, of course, festive fireworks.

Federal News Agency talks about the most important and interesting events and warns that transport, including the metro, will operate on a special schedule on holidays.

date and time	event title	Location
	All-Russian campaign "St. George's Ribbon"	All over the city
	“Victory Machines” campaign with the participation of the famous lorry	From Moskovskoye Highway - through Victory Square - Moskovsky and Ligovsky Avenues - Vosstaniya Square - Nevsky Avenue - Palace Square - Spit of Vasilyevsky Island - Kronverkskaya Embankment - Sadovaya Street
	Traditional track and field relay race	Start on Palace Square
	Dance flash mob “Victory Waltz”	Manezhnaya Square
	An airplane with a St. George ribbon will fly around St. Petersburg at low altitude
	Funeral meeting at the blockade inscription on Nevsky Prospekt and the memorial plaque “To the heroism and courage of Leningraders”	Nevsky pr., 14
	Funeral ceremony of laying wreaths and flowers on the graves of the victims of the siege	Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery
	Lighting of torches on the Rostral columns	Spit of Vasilyevsky Island
	Victory parade	Palace Square
	Parade of warships	The Neva water area in the center of St. Petersburg
	Festival of rowing sports "Golden Oars of St. Petersburg"	Kronverk channel near the Peter and Paul Fortress
	Action "People's Choir of Victory"	Square in front of the Kazan Cathedral, Summer Garden, park near the Suvorov Museum
	Ceremonial passage of Great Patriotic War veterans in retro cars
	Action "Immortal Regiment", procession of veterans and the public	Nevsky Prospekt - from Vosstaniya Square to Palace Square
	Festive concert dedicated to Victory Day	Palace Square
	Festive fireworks from the beach of the Peter and Paul Fortress	It is most convenient to watch from the Palace and Trinity bridges, from the Palace Embankment and the Spit of Vasilievsky Island

Security measures

On Victory Day, large bags and bottles will not be allowed onto Palace Square for security reasons. These restrictions will affect all festive events, primarily the parade and concert on Palace Square. It is prohibited to enter these events with bags larger than 50 by 50 cm. It is also prohibited to bring alcohol, liquids in glass containers, and plastic bottles should not exceed 0.6 liters in volume. Also, drunk people and those who try to bring weapons or explosive objects are prohibited from entering the festival. Citizens will be searched by police officers.

On May 9, 2019, the 74th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War will be celebrated in St. Petersburg. Celebrations in honor of Victory Day begin from the first days of May, and on May 9 the most important events take place.

Below we present the most important and striking of them.

Events on Victory Day on May 9, 2019 (free, open to the public, in the city center and interesting places)

	Name	Location
	All-Russian campaign "St. George's Ribbon"
	Action in memory of the fallen Red Navy cruisers "Kirov"	Morskaya embankment 15-17
	Street action “Dancing Leningrad”
	City campaign “Be worthy of the memory of the fallen!”
	Eternal Lights Symbol Fusion Ceremony Hero Cities and Cities of Military Glory of the North-Western Federal District into the “Single Bowl of Military Glory”, and opening ceremony of the monument to Aliya Moldagulova
	Wreath and flower laying ceremony


		Lighting of torches on the Rostral columns

	Concert program “Spring of Victory”
	People's patriotic event "Victory People's Choir"

	street party
	Ceremonial passage of veterans of the Great Patriotic War on vintage cars
	Action "Immortal Regiment"	Formation on Staro-Nevsky Prospekt, procession along Nevsky Prospekt from Suvorovsky Prospekt to Palace Square
	Festive program
	Cultural reconstruction “RioRita – the joy of Victory”
	Composite choir performance universities of St. Petersburg
	Festive fireworks at the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress	The best places for observation are Palace Bridge, Palace Embankment, Trinity Bridge, Spit of Vasilyevsky Island

Events on Victory Day on May 9, 2019 in Kronstadt

Name

Location

Solemn funeral meeting and wreath and flower laying ceremony

Mass grave at the Kronstadt city cemetery

Festive procession of veterans and residents of Kronstadt

On Victory Day, more than 30 aircraft will fly in the skies over the Northern capital. The aerial part of the parade will include:

Attack helicopters Mi-24 and Mi-35
Ka-52 Alligator reconnaissance and attack helicopters
The largest mass-produced heavy multi-purpose transport helicopter Mi-26
The most popular twin-engine multi-purpose helicopter Mi-8
Military transport aircraft An-26 and An-12
Su-24MR tactical reconnaissance aircraft
Super-maneuverable generation 4+ fighters Su-30SM
Supersonic fighter-bomber Su-34
Multi-role fighters of the “4++” generation Su-35
MiG-31 interceptor fighters

At the Victory Day parade you will be able to see examples of wheeled vehicles, including:

Armored personnel carriers BTR-82A
Armored vehicles "Typhoon-K" and "Tiger"
BM-21 Tornado multiple launch rocket systems
Anti-aircraft missile and gun systems "Pantsir-S1"
S-400 missile systems
Self-propelled artillery mounts "Nona-SVK"
Iskander-M missile systems
Tracked vehicles: T-72B3 tanks, BMP-3 infantry vehicles and Msta-S artillery mounts

For the first time, military personnel from the Pacific Fleet stationed in Kamchatka will take part in the walking part of the parade in St. Petersburg. Pacific sailors from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky will go to St. Petersburg and Khabarovsk to participate in joint rehearsals with other units.

The main concert dedicated to Victory Day will take place on Palace Square in the evening.

In crowded places, St. George's ribbons will be distributed to everyone, which will flutter on clothes and cars for many more days, reminding of the memorable date.

On Victory Day, field kitchens will be set up in St. Petersburg, where guests will be treated to real army porridge cooked by soldier cooks.

The first rehearsals with the participation of military equipment will take place on Friday, April 26 at 16:00, and on Tuesday, April 30 at 16:00. The first rehearsals of the military orchestra have already taken place on Palace Square, and they are also scheduled for April 23, 25, 29 and May 6 at 10:00.

To avoid traffic jams on the streets adjacent to Palace Square, the dress rehearsal for the parade will take place on Sunday, May 7, at 10:00. The parade itself will take place on May 9 from 10:00 to 11:00.

The history of the Victory Day on May 9

In the last months of the war, the German occupiers resisted desperately. In January 1945, the East Prussian operation began and Allied troops also moved towards Berlin. On April 16, the Berlin operation began. The city was defended by 62 divisions and about a million German soldiers and officers, 1,500 tanks, more than 10,000 guns and 3,300 aircraft. The fighting was bloody and fierce. Hitler's suicide on April 30, 1945 symbolized the end of the war.

On May 1, Berlin was taken over the Reichstag building by Lieutenant Alexei Berest, sergeants Mikhail Egorov and Meliton Kantaria. The assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division was hoisted. On the evening of May 8, at 22:43 Central European time (0:43 Moscow time), the act of unconditional and complete surrender of Germany was signed. On behalf of the Wehrmacht, the act was signed by the Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command, Field Marshal General W. Keitel, on behalf of the Allies - by British Air Marshal A. Tedder, and on behalf of the Red Army - by Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the USSR Georgy Zhukov. Residents of Europe celebrate Victory in Europe day - Victory Day in Europe on May 8th. Residents of our country celebrate the holiday of the country's liberation from fascist occupiers - May 9. The decree on celebrating the holiday was signed by Stalin and on May 9 at 6 am, residents of the country heard Levitan’s voice and a message about the Victory on the radio. In 1945, 1000 guns announced the victory of our people with 30 artillery salvos.

But even after the signing of the act of surrender, fighting in Berlin continued. This was explained by 2 reasons - the lack of communication and information about the end of the war, and also by the fact that many German soldiers and officers did not want to end the war in captivity. This led to additional losses on both sides. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers died in battles in Germany and Berlin.

From 1948 to 1965, May 9 was a working day, and only from 1965 under L. Brezhnev it became a non-working day. Now in most former Soviet republics it is also a day off.

Leningrad blockade

According to Hitler's plan, Leningrad was to be wiped off the face of the earth, and its inhabitants destroyed. After unsuccessful attempts to take the city, the Nazis decided to use aviation and artillery to raze the city to the ground and strangle it. On September 8, 1941, the siege of Leningrad began. The only connection with the world was the path along Lake Ladoga - the Road of Life.

Hunger was rampant in the city; there was not enough water. Hungry residents helped the front. Factories produced weapons and ammunition, and Universal Training centers trained soldiers for the front. People swelled and died from hunger and cold. Bread was given out on ration cards. 400 thousand people starved of children alone. According to various sources, from 300 thousand to 1.5 million people died during the blockade, 97% of them from hunger. The main burial places of the residents of besieged Leningrad are in the Piskarevskoye and Serafimovskoye cemeteries.

On January 18, 1943, during the offensive on the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, the 872-day blockade of Leningrad was broken, and on January 27, it was completely lifted. For the heroism and courage shown during the siege, the city was awarded the title of hero city.

Veterans who defended the city and survivors of the siege, who now live in different parts of our Motherland and beyond, come to St. Petersburg every year to celebrate Victory Day. On holidays, front-line soldiers meet and participate in festive events.

Flowers are laid at the Piskarevsky Memorial and Serafimovsky cemeteries, on Victory Square and in the burial places of soldiers and residents of besieged Leningrad. We are proud of their courage and resilience.