Ebook: Writing the siege of Leningrad: women's diaries, memoirs, and documentary prose
Author: Perlina Nina, Simmons Cynthia
- Tags: Women, Women in war, Women in war--Russia (Federation)--Saint Petersburg, Sources, History, Women in war -- Russia (Federation) -- Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg (Russia) -- History -- Siege 1941-1944 -- Women, Saint Petersburg (Russia) -- History -- Siege 1941-1944 -- Sources, Russia (Federation) -- Saint Petersburg
- Series: Series in Russian and East European studies
- Year: 2005
- Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
- City: Pittsburgh;Pa;Russia (Federation);Saint Petersburg;Saint Petersburg (Russia
- Language: English
- epub
Silver Winner, ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year, History
From September 1941 until January 1944, Leningrad suffered under one of the worst sieges in the history of warfare. At least one million civilians died, many during the terribly cold first winter. Bearing the brunt of this hardship—and keeping the city alive through their daily toil and sacrifice—were the women of Leningrad. Yet their perspective on life during the siege has been little examined.
Cynthia Simmons and Nina Perlina have searched archival holdings for letters and diaries written during the siege, conducted interviews with survivors, and collected poetry, fiction, and retrospective memoirs written by the blokadnitsy (women survivors) to present a truer picture of the city under siege.