Writing the Siege of Leningrad: Womens Diaries Memoirs and Documentary Prose
- ISBN-10
- 0822972743
- ISBN-13
- 9780822972747
- Category
- History
- Pages
- 288
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2003-03-15
- Publisher
- University of Pittsburgh Pre
- Author
- Cynthia Simmons
Description
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. In simple, direct, even heartbreaking language, these documents tell of lost husbands, mothers, children; meager rations often supplemented with sawdust and other inedible additives; crime, cruelty, and even cannibalism. They also relate unexpected acts of kindness and generosity; attempts to maintain cultural life through musical and dramatic performances; and provide insight into a group of ordinary women reaching beyond differences in socioeconomic class, ethnicity, and profession in order to survive in extraordinary times.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2005-01
- 242 pages
- Paperback
- University of Pittsburgh Pre
Similar books
-
Writing the Siege of Leningrad
By Cynthia SimmonsCynthia 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" ...
-
Leningrad: Siege and Symphony: The Story of the Great City Terrorized by Stalin, Starved by Hitler, Immortalized by Shostakovich
By Brian MoynahanWith this compelling human story of art and culture surviving amid chaos and violence, Leningrad: Siege and Symphony “brings new depth and drama to a key historical moment” (Booklist, starred review), in “a narrative that is by turns ...
-
The Siege
By Helen DunmoreSet against the turbulent backdrop of Leningrad in 1941, an intricately woven tapestry of love and war follows the Levin family--twenty-two-year-old Anna, her young brother Kolya, and their father, Mikhail--as they struggle to survive ...
-
The War Within
By Alexis PeriDrawing on unpublished diaries written by men and women from all walks of life, Alexis Peri tells the tragic story of how young and old struggled to make sense of a world collapsing around them.
-
The 900 Days: The Siege Of Leningrad
By Harrison SalisburyAlmost every official who had been instrumental in the city's survival was implicated, convicted, and executed. Harrison Salisbury has told this overwhelming story boldly, unforgettably, and definitively.
-
Leningrad: State of Siege
By Michael JonesAs winter set in and food supplies dwindled, starvation and panic set in. A specialist in battle psychology and the vital role of morale in desperate circumstances, Michael Jones tells the human story of Leningrad.
-
Leningrad 1941 - 42: Morality in a City under Siege
By Sergey YarovThis book recounts one of the greatest tragedies of the twentieth century: the siege of Leningrad.
-
Leningrad 1943: Inside a City Under Siege
By Alexander WerthBoth an authoritative historical document and a journalistic re-telling of the overwhelming sadness, grief and futility of 20th century warfare, this is an invaluable look at one of the greatest losses of human life in recorded history.
-
Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad
By M.T. AndersonOriginally published: Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2015.
-
The Madonnas of Leningrad: A Novel
By Debra DeanLike the glorious ghosts of the paintings in the Hermitage that lie at the heart of the story, Dean’s exquisite prose shimmers with a haunting glow, illuminating us to the notion that art itself is perhaps our most necessary nourishment.