The Leningrad Siege is Lifted
The Leningrad Siege was lifted on January 27th 1944, after a blockade of more than two years. German forces encircled the city in September 1941, isolating the city before attacking it with air and artillery bombardments. Over one million people are thought to have died during the siege – a third of the population of the city.

The siege caused unparalleled famine in the city and surrounding region, worsened by the harshest winter in decades. Without utilities, water, energy and food supplies, the death toll exceeded that of the Battle of Leningrad and it's thought to be one of the most lethal sieges in history. In this photo, soldiers embrace and cheer as they hear that the siege has ended.