Russia marks 76th anniversary of end of Leningrad siege

Russia is marking the 75th anniversary of the lifting of Nazi Germany’s siege of Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) during World War II.

A wreath-laying ceremony will be held today at the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery in Saint Petersburg.

Commemorative events will be held at the Museum of The Defense and The Siege of Leningrad.

A reenactment of the Leningrad victory salute will take place at 20:00 local time.

The Siege of Leningrad lasted 872 days, from September 8, 1941, until January 27, 1943. It is estimated that 1.5 million civilians died during the blockade.