Stars in the Besieged Sky

As is commonly known, during the Great Patriotic War, Leningrad faced the most severe challenge in its history — surviving the brutal conditions of the siege. This challenge demanded total commitment not only from the soldiers of the Leningrad Front and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, but from every civilian in the city. From the very first days of the blockade, one of the most critical tasks was to defend the city against artillery bombardments by German, Finnish, Italian, and Spanish artillery units and formations. After failing to capture Leningrad by storm, Hitler resolved to obliterate it through artillery fire. Yet the besieged city’s organised system of counter-battery warfare not only thwarted the Nazis’ plans but preserved our magnificent city virtually unscathed. The brilliant counter-battery operations during the Siege of Leningrad were possible thanks to a significant scientific component, with mathematicians, geodesists and astronomers all making crucial contributions. Professor S. Petrov, Head of the Astronomy Department at St Petersburg University, will discuss the involvement of Leningrad astronomers and other academics in these artillery battles, as well as their participation in other vital operations of the Leningrad resistance.