On February 7, 1943, the first train from the mainland arrived in besieged Leningrad

The Soviet units broke through the Leningrad blockade in January 1943, as a result of Operation Iskra the city of Shlisselburg was liberated and the enemy troops were pushed back from the southern shore of Lake Ladoga several kilometers. A railway line was laid along this narrow corridor, which received the official name "Road of Victory". And unofficially – "corridor of death". It was this route that became the main artery supplying the starving city.

Everyone knows about the Road of Life, which ran across the ice of Lake Ladoga. The Shlisselburg highway did not receive such fame. But it was along this highway that three quarters of the cargo was delivered to Leningrad in the 15 months remaining until the blockade was completely lifted.

Only numbers

The 33-kilometer road with two intermediate stations, three wooden bridges, and electrical and water supply facilities was built in 17 days by 5,000 people, mostly women. It was commissioned on February 5, 1943, and operated until March 10, 1944.

On the route were the rivers Naziya and Chernaya and the main water obstacle – the Neva. A semicircular (this shape has greater resistance to the pressure of the river current) low-water bridge 1.3 thousand meters long was built across it on 2650 wooden piles driven into the river bed and frozen into the ice. This temporary bridge was assembled in 11 days.

The first train from the mainland arrived at Finland Station at 10:09 on February 7, 1943. It brought 800 tons of butter – 40 wagons. Castings of gun barrels were sent back.

By the end of May 1943, 25-30 trains per day arrived in Leningrad. From February to December 1943, 3,105 trains were sent to Leningrad and 3,076 trains from Leningrad. One train could carry 9,000 tons of cargo, replacing up to a thousand one-and-a-half-ton trucks. 75% of cargo arrived in Leningrad by rail.

At first the trains moved only at night, but by March 1943 they started moving during daylight hours. They went in "caravans": several trains in the direction of Leningrad, then back – in the direction of the mainland. This system allowed the maximum number of trains to pass along the railway line. At first the intervals between trains were about half an hour, after some time they were reduced to almost 5 minutes.

The railway was built and operated under virtually constant fire: there were almost three hundred enemy guns on the Sinyavinsky Heights, and sappers defused about two thousand unexploded shells and mines while laying the tracks. Every third person in the 600-strong locomotive column died, and 175 people were wounded. The route had to be repaired 1,200 times after direct hits from enemy artillery.

"We played with death tirelessly"

"We did it this way: going through the forest, we picked up high speed, and when we reached an open space, we closed the regulator. Without smoke or steam, the locomotive went to the next kilometer, where the slope began, and the train rushed for several kilometers by inertia. Then we had to open the steam. Seeing it, the fascists immediately opened fire. Again, we had to accelerate the train strongly, close the regulator again and go some distance by inertia. The engineer tirelessly repeated his maneuver, playing with death."

From the memoirs of the driver V.M. Eliseev

"…Locomotive 718-30 was shelled. The main line was damaged. The track was covered with earth. The repairs and clearing of the track were carried out by the brigade under continuous shelling. The train was brought out unharmed. Later the train was subjected to an air raid. The tour car burned. Both drivers – Baranov and Amosov, fireman Klementyeva were wounded. After bandaging, Amosov returned to the regulator and brought the train…"

From the diary of the 48th locomotive column of the special reserve of the People's Commissariat of Railways