Siege of Leningrad, analysis of evacuation figures

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

I got a book S. A. Urodkova Evacuation of the population of Leningrad in 1941-1942.»Editions 1958 of the year.

I started to read, I was interested. Interesting figures are given. Moreover, figures from the reports of the fund of the city evacuation commission of the Leningrad City Council of Working People's Deputies, at that time stored in the State Archives of the October Revolution and Socialist Construction. Access to me, like to other mere mortals, in the archives is understandably ordered, in the public domain, of course, these numbers cannot be found either. Therefore, the material seems to be extremely interesting, solely as a source of figures. Let's forget about the ideological husk in the book.

Let's start with the official one for today. We are told that in besieged Leningrad a huge number of people died of hunger. The numbers are called different and differ at times. For example, Krivosheev's group, which has done a monumental work on irrecoverable losses, voices the figure of 641 thousand people. … It is the dead civilians. The site of the Piskarevsky Memorial Cemetery in St. Petersburg writes about 420 thousand people. Also clarifying that this is a figure exclusively for civilians. Not counting the rest of the cemeteries and not counting the cremated ones. Wikipedia writes about 1,052 thousand people (more than a million), while specifying that the total number of victims of the blockade among the civilian population is 1,413 thousand people. (almost one and a half million).

There is also an interesting quote on Wikipedia by the American political philosopher Michael Walzer, who claims that "more civilians died in the siege of Leningrad than in the hells of Hamburg, Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined."

For the sake of completeness, I will note that in Nuremberg the number of total victims of the blockade was announced at 632 thousand people, despite the fact that of them 97% of this number died of hunger.

Here it is pertinent to note where did the first figure come from about some conditional 600 with so many thousand people, around which basically everything revolves. It turns out that it was voiced by Dmitry Pavlov, authorized by the State Defense Committee for food in Leningrad. In his memoir book, he specifies it as 641 803 people. What it is based on is not known and it is not clear, but nevertheless, for many decades it was a kind of basic figure. At least this was the case under the USSR. For the democrats, this figure was understandably small and it permanently jumps up to a million and even up to one and a half million. Democrats hold millions in high esteem, millions in the GULAG, millions in the Holodomor, millions in a blockade, etc.

Now let's sort it out together and separate the flies from the chaff.

Let's start with the starting figure, that is, how many people originally lived in Leningrad. The 1939 census says about 3,191,304 people, including the population of Kolpino, Kronstadt, Pushkin and Peterhof, including the rest of the suburbs - 3401 thousand people.

However, in connection with the introduction of the rationing system for food products in July 1941, an actual registration of the population actually living in the city and its suburbs was made in Leningrad. And this is understandable, because with the beginning of the war, a huge part of the people were mobilized into the Red Army, seconded for other needs, plus a lot of people, mainly children with mothers, left for the outback to their grandmothers. After all, summer, schoolchildren have holidays, and at that time very many had village roots. So this accounting revealed that as at the beginning of the war (July 1941) 2,652,461 people actually lived in Leningrad, including: workers and engineers 921 658, office workers 515 934, dependents 747 885, children 466 984. It should be noted that the number of dependents in the bulk was the elderly.

So, just the bull by the horns. Evacuation data.

With the beginning of the war, refugees from the surrounding area arrived in Leningrad. Someone forgets about them, and someone at the same time increases the number of the dead, such as a lot of them arrived and all died. But the evacuation data give accurate numbers.

Refugees from the Baltic States and surrounding towns and villages: Before the blockade of Leningrad, 147,500 people were evacuated by vehicles into the interior of the country through the city evacuation point. In addition, 9500 people were transported on foot. The latter accompanied livestock and property to the rear.

That is, they tried not to keep or leave anyone in the city, but were transported to the rear in transit. Which is logical and quite reasonable. If anyone stayed, then this is a relatively small part measured in units or fractions of units of percent. In general, it practically did not affect the population of the city.

On July 2, 1941, the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council outlined specific measures for the removal of 400 thousand children of preschool and school age.

Please note that the war has been going on for only 10 days, but the approximate number of children is already known and measures are being taken to evacuate them.

By August 7, 311,387 children had been evacuated from Leningrad to the Udmurt, Bashkir and Kazakh republics, to the Yaroslavl, Kirov, Vologda, Sverdlovsk, Omsk, Perm and Aktobe regions.

Within a month from the beginning of the decision to evacuate, and a month before the start of the blockade, 80% of the number of children of preschool and school age planned for evacuation had already been evacuated from the city. Or 67% of the total.

Seven days after the start of the war, a planned evacuation was organized not only for children, but also for the adult population. The evacuation took place with the help of the administration of factories, evacuation points and the city railway station.

The evacuation was carried out along railways, highways and country roads. The evacuated population of the Karelian Isthmus was sent along the Peskarevskaya road and the right bank of the Neva, bypassing Leningrad. For him, by decision of the Leningrad City Council, near the hospital. Mechnikov, at the end of August 1941, a feeding point was organized. At the site of the carts' parking areas, medical services and veterinary supervision of livestock were established.

For a more successful and planned evacuation of the population along the roads of the Leningrad railway junction, the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council in early September 1941 made a decision to create a central evacuation center, to which regional points were subordinated to the Executive Committees of Regional Councils.

Thus, the planned evacuation of the population began on June 29 and lasted until September 6, 1941 inclusive. During this time, 706,283 people were evacuated.

Who did not understand. Before the start of the blockade, more than 700 thousand people were evacuated from the city during the SCHEDULED evacuation. or 28% of the total number of registered residents. Here's what's important. These are the people who were just evacuated. But there were also those who left the city on their own. Unfortunately, there are no figures for such a category of people and cannot be, but it is clear that these are also thousands, and most likely even tens of thousands of people. It is also important to understand that, apparently, all 400 thousand children planned for evacuation were evacuated, and apparently no more than 70 thousand children remained in the city. Unfortunately, there is no exact data. In any case, these 700 thousand are mainly children and women, more precisely, women with children.

In October and November 1941, the population of Leningrad was evacuated by water - through Lake Ladoga. During this time, 33,479 people were sent to the rear. At the end of November 1941, the evacuation of the population by air began. By the end of December of the same year, 35 114 people were airlifted.

The total number of evacuees for the first period was 774,876 people. In the second period, the evacuation of the population from blockaded Leningrad was carried out along the highway - through Lake Ladoga.

December 1941 is the most difficult time. Minimal ration, hunger, cold, intense shelling and bombing. It turns out that up to 1875 thousand people could remain in the city by December 1941. These are the ones who met the most terrible days of the blockade.

People with families and alone from Leningrad reached the Finlyandsky railway station. Family members who retained the ability to move carried homemade sleds with baskets and bundles. Leningraders were transported by rail to the western shore of Lake Ladoga. Then the evacuees had to overcome an extremely difficult path along the ice route to the village of Kabon.

In battles from 18 to 25 December, Soviet troops defeated enemy groups in the areas of the Volkhov and Voybokalo stations and liberated the Tikhvin-Volkhov railway. After the liberation of Tikhvin from the German fascist invaders, the off-lake section of the road was significantly reduced. The shortening of the route accelerated the delivery of goods and greatly facilitated the conditions for the evacuation of the population.

during the construction of the ice route, before the start of the mass evacuation of the population (January 22, 1942), 36 118 people were evacuated by marching order and unorganized transport across Lake Ladoga

Starting from December 3, 1941, evacuation trains with Leningraders began to arrive at Borisov Griva. Two echelons arrived daily. Sometimes Borisova Griva received 6 trains a day. From December 2, 1941 to April 15, 1942 502 800 people arrived in Borisov Griva

In addition to the military road transport, the evacuated Leningraders were transported by buses from the Moscow and Leningrad columns. They had at their disposal up to 80 vehicles, with the help of which they transported up to 2,500 people a day, despite the fact that a large number of vehicles were out of order every day. At the cost of tremendous exertion of the moral and physical strength of the drivers and the command staff of military units, the motor transport fulfilled the task assigned to it. In March 1942, traffic reached about 15,000 people per day.

from January 22, 1942 to April 15, 1942 554,463 people were evacuated into the interior of the country

That is, by mid-April 1942, another 36118 + 554463 = 590581 people were evacuated from the city. Thus, if we assume that no one died in the city, did not fall under the bombing, was not drafted into the army and did not go into the militia, then the maximum could remain up to 1200 thousand people. That is, there really should have been fewer people. April 1942 is a certain point after which the most difficult phase of the blockade was passed. In fact, since April 1942, Leningrad differed little from any other city in the country. Catering has been established, canteens are being opened (the first was opened in March 1942), enterprises are operating, street cleaners are cleaning the streets, public transport (including electric transport) runs. Moreover, not only enterprises are operating, but even tanks are being produced. Which suggests that the city has established not only the supply of food, but also components for production needs, including guns and tanks (machine tools, engines, tracks, sights, metal, gunpowder …). In 1942, 713 tanks, 480 armored vehicles and 58 armored trains were made and sent to the front in the city. This is not counting the little things such as mortars, machine guns and other grenades and shells.

After clearing Lake Ladoga from ice, on May 27, 1942, the third period of evacuation began.

in the third period of evacuation, 448 694 people were transported

From November 1, 1942, further evacuation of the population was stopped. Departure from Leningrad was allowed only in exceptional cases on special instructions from the City Evacuation Commission.

From November 1, the evacuation point at the Finlyandsky railway station and the food point in Lavrovo stopped working. At all other evacuation centers, the staff was reduced to a minimum. However, the evacuation of the population continued in 1943, right up to the final expulsion of the German fascist invaders from the Leningrad Region.

Here you need to understand that in fact the evacuation took place in the summer months and by the fall there was simply no one to evacuate. Since September 1942, the evacuation was more nominal, rather a kind of Brownian movement back and forth, despite the fact that since the summer of 1943, an influx of population has already begun in the city, which since the spring of 1944 has become massive.

Thus, in during the war and blockade, 1,814,151 people were evacuated from Leningrad, including:

in the first period, including planned evacuation before the blockade - 774,876 people, in the second - 590581 people, in the third - 448694 people.

And almost 150 thousand more refugees … In a year!

Let's count how many people could stay in the city by the fall of 1942 of the year. 2652 - 1814 = 838 thousand people This is provided that no one died and did not disappear anywhere. How accurate is this figure and how reliable can the evacuation data be? It turned out that there is a certain reference point, or rather a document that allows you to check it. This document has recently been declassified. Here it is.

Population certificate

cities of Leningrad, Kronstadt and Kolpino

Top secret

July 31, 1942

The Leningrad police department began re-registration of passports on July 8 and completed on July 30, 1942 {1}.

The number of the population is 807288 by the data of re-registration (re-registration of passports) in the city of Leningrad, Kronstadt, Kolpino

a) adults 662361

b) children 144927

Of them:

In Leningrad

- adults 640750

Children under 16 years old 134614

Total 775364

In the city of Kronstadt - adults 7653

Children under 16 1913

Total 9566

In the city of Kolpino - adults 4145

Children under 16 years old 272

Total 4417

Including the population that passed the registration, but did not receive passports:

a) Patients undergoing treatment in hospitals 4107

b) People with disabilities in disabled homes 782

c) Patients in apartments 553

d) Mentally ill in hospitals 1632

e) Fighters of the MPVO 1744

f) Arrived on mobilization from other regions 249

g) Persons living on temporary certificates 388

h) Persons with special certificates for evacuees 358

Total 9813

State-supported children:

a) in orphanages 2867

b) in hospitals 2262

c) in receivers 475

d) in baby homes 1080

e) artisans 1444

Total 8128

Note: From the total number of the re-registered population during this period, 23822 left by evacuation of the adult population (excluding children).

In the city of Leningrad, in addition to the indicated population, it consists of the supply of:

1) Workers and employees of suburban areas of the region, working in the city - 26000

2) Servicemen of military units and institutions who are on supply in Leningrad - 3500

On 30 / VII-1942. is on supply in Leningrad 836788

Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council of Workers' Deputies Popkov

Head of the Office of the NKVDLO Commissioner of State Security 3rd Rank Kubatkin

Surprisingly, the numbers are very close.

So how much could starve to death? As it turns out, not a lot. We can assume that the evacuation data may be somewhat overestimated. Can this be? Quite. We can assume that during this year a certain number of people from the surrounding area arrived in Leningrad. It probably was. We can assume that the wounded were taken to Leningrad from the front, and for some reason the rest were here. Surely this also happened, not even for sure, but for sure, because there is such a point in the certificate. We can assume that the return from the evacuation of a part of the population began earlier than the autumn of 1942. Could this be? Quite, especially if someone left relatively close and was forced to get out of the occupation by partisan paths, including with children. Other suburbs of Leningrad, for example Oranienbaum and Vsevolozhsk, may not be taken into account.

However, we will not get the exact figures. There is none of them. In this case, the only important thing is the fact that the officially adopted figures for those who died of hunger during the blockade do not correspond to reality. In all likelihood, it would be correct to say that not hundreds, let alone millions, but tens of thousands of people died of hunger during the blockade. In total, with those who died naturally, from bombings, diseases and other reasons - probably no more than one hundred thousand.

What conclusions can we draw from everything. First of all, the fact that this topic requires additional research from historians. Moreover, honest objective research. No myths. It is necessary to remove from the archives everything that was falsified, especially the last 25 years. For example, one of the crudest fakes signed by an incomprehensible senior lieutenant, in which the numbers do not agree at all, but nevertheless it is presented by all historians every time someone begins to doubt the millions who died of hunger.

reference

Leningrad city department of acts of civil status

on the number of deaths in Leningrad in 1942

Secret

February 4, 1943

January_ _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 2383853; The total number of deaths is 101,825; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 512.5.

February _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 2,322,640; The total number of deaths is 108,029; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 558, 1.

March_ _ _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 2,199,234; The total number of deaths is 98112; Deaths per 1000 population 535.3.

April_ _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 2,058,257; The total number of deaths is 85541; Deaths per 1000 population 475.4.

May _ _ _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 1,919,115; The total number of deaths is 53,256; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 333.0.

June_ _ _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 1,717,774; The total number of deaths is 33,785; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 236.0.

July_ _ _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 1302922; The total number of deaths is 17,743; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 162.1.

August_ _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 870154; The total number of deaths is 8988; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 123.9.

September _ _Number of population in Leningrad - 701204; The total number of deaths is 4697; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 80, 3.

October _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 675447; The total number of deaths is 3705; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 65.8.

November_ _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 652872; The total number of deaths is 3239; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 59.5.

December _ _ _ Population in Leningrad - 641,254; The total number of deaths is 3496; The number of deaths per 1000 population is 65.4.

Total: The total number of deaths - 518416; Deaths per 1000 population 337, 2.

Head of the OAGS UNKVD LO

senior lieutenant of state security (Ababin)

Apparently, data from cemeteries and brick factories converted into crematoria should be attributed to the same forgeries. Naturally, there was not and could not be any accounting. But for some reason there are public figures. And of course hundreds of thousands. Directly some kind of competition, who is more.

You ask, what about the film and photo chronicles? What about the memories of the siege? Let's think about it. Let 100 thousand people die from bombing, hunger and cold. In principle, such a figure can be admitted. The bulk of deaths occurred in December-February. Let it be half of the total, that is, 50 thousand. 50 thousand in three months is 500-600 people a day. 8-9 times more than if they died naturally (in peacetime). On some days, when it was very cold, this figure was even higher. There could be a thousand people a day and even more. This is a huge figure. Just think about it, a thousand a day. Despite the fact that at that time the relevant services worked with restrictions, and on some days they might not work at all, including cemeteries and a crematorium. And city transport in December-January worked with restrictions and at some moments did not work at all. This led to the accumulation of corpses on the streets. The picture is certainly creepy, and could not help but remain in the memory of people. Yes they saw, yes a lot, but how many I do not know and I do not remember.

Now let's deal with the food set in besieged Leningrad. Most people think that throughout the blockade, people ate 125 grams of bread, and half made of sawdust and straw, and therefore died. However, it is not.

Here are the norms for bread.

Indeed, from November 20 to December 25 (5 weeks), children, dependents and employees received 125 grams of bread per day, and far from being of the highest quality, with an admixture of malt (stocks from breweries stopped in October 1941) and other fillers (cake, bran, etc.). There was no sawdust or other straw in the bread, this is a myth.

This is for bread.

And we are assured that in addition to bread, other products were not given out in the absence of. In particular, this is stated by the official site of the Piskarevsky cemetery. However, raising the archival materials, we learn in particular that since February 1942 the norms for meat have been changed from canned to fresh frozen. Now I will not delve into the quality of meat, its distribution and other nuances, the fact is important to me first of all. The fact of having not just canned meat, but meat. If meat was given out according to the cards, it is logical to assume that other products were also issued according to the norms of the allowance. And spices, and makhorka, and salt and cereals, etc. In particular, the card for butter for December 1941 meant 10-15 grams per day per person.

And the card for January 1942 meant twice as much: 20-25 grams per day per person. It's like now in the army with the soldiers, and in the USSR it was with the officers.

The sugar card for December 1941 meant 40 grams per person per day.

for February 1942 - 30 grams.

This is during the hungry months, it is clear that later the norms of allowance only increased, or at least did not decrease.

Moreover, since March 1942, canteens have been opened in the city, where anyone could eat for money. Obviously, not a restaurant, but the very fact of the presence of canteens implies a certain assortment of dishes. In addition, factory canteens were operating, where meals were provided free of charge on ration cards.

Don't think that I want to embellish something. No. I just want an objective assessment. First of all, the truth. And everyone is free to draw conclusions and assessments from this truth.