Today is the day when the Leningrad Blockade was broken

January 18 is a special date for citizens of St Petersburg. On this day in 1943, following operation Iskra, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke through the blockade of Leningrad.

According to the plans of the military command, forces of Leningrad (from the west) and Volkhov (from the east) fronts were to attack the enemy holding the Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky ledge. Lieutenant-General Leonid Govorov and Army General Kirill Meretskov commanded the fronts.

On January 12, 1943, after an artillery preparation, 67th Army of the Leningrad Front delivered a powerful attack from west to east. The offensive was also supported by the 2nd Assault Army and the 8th Army of the Volkhov Front, Red Banner Baltic Fleet, artillery of the coastal forts and aviation. Despite the heavily echeloned enemy defences, by the end of January 13, the distance between the armies was reduced to 5–6 km, and on January 14, to 2 km. German command, trying to hold workers’ settlements Nos. 1 and 5 at any cost, seconded their units from other sections of the front, making desperate counterattacks. Six days later, on January 18, at the outskirts of Workers’ Settlement No. 1 near Shlisselburg, the units of the 123rd Infantry Brigade of the Leningrad Front joined up with the units of the 372nd Division of the Volkhov Front. The Leningrad blockade was broken. On the same day Shlisselburg was completely liberated and the whole southern coast of the Ladoga Lake was cleared from the enemy.