The War Within

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In September 1941, shortly after the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, the German Wehrmacht encircled Leningrad, leading to a blockade that lasted 872 days and claimed nearly a million civilian lives, marking it as one of the longest and deadliest sieges in modern history. This work chronicles the Leningrad blockade through the eyes of those who endured its horrors. Utilizing 125 unpublished diaries from individuals across Soviet society, it reveals how citizens grappled with a disintegrating world. These intimate accounts detail the devastating effects of starvation, bombardment, and disease, with diary writing serving as a crucial means of preserving their humanity. The journals also reflect a shift in perspectives, as Leningraders began to critically reassess Soviet life and ideology. Although the party encouraged diary writing to inform future histories, the diarists ultimately became victims of both Hitler and Stalin. The city’s isolation rendered it politically suspect, leading to censorship and the arrest of wartime leaders after the blockade ended in 1944. Many were executed, and the diaries, once vital, were hidden away and forgotten. This narrative recovers these lost voices, illuminating one of World War II's darkest chapters.