The terrible events of the Patriotic War go further and further in time. Years are inexorable to eyewitnesses. They become embarrassingly few. The time is not far off when there will be no one to hand flowers on Victory Day and express sincere gratitude for saving the country, surviving and surviving. We were able to keep in memory episodes of military chronicles and share them with children and grandchildren.
Human memory is short-lived, veterans pass away, and with them an entire era. Thanks to enthusiasts, scientists and simply caring people, information is collected bit by bit and stored in exhibition halls, memory centers and memorials.
Museums of the Leningrad region can be singled out among the many such places. Most of them are dedicated to the resilience and courage of soldiers and civilians who opposed the enemy in complete isolation from the mainland.
Siege of Leningrad and the Road of Life
German troops quickly developed their offensive and broke through to the main cities of the USSR. Leningrad -a city that has never been taken by the enemy since the day it was founded. Soviet soldiers and civilians supported the glorious tradition and did not let the conquerors into the city.
Fierce battles were fought on the approaches, and in early September 1941, the German troops managed to close the ring and thereby leave the city without supplies and outside help.
Four days later, ships with food and ammunition for the besieged Leningrad moored to the shore of Lake Ladoga, in the Osinovets area. In peacetime, this bay was considered unsuitable for navigation. The sailors of the formed Ladoga flotilla performed miracles of maneuverability. Crossings on the lake were made under almost continuous enemy fire from the ground and air.
The city was in dire need of food, ammunition, ammunition to continue the fight. In addition, it was necessary to evacuate civilians and save historical values. Ships and barges, having finished unloading, immediately filled up again and set off on their way back to the mainland.
The Osinovetsky berths accounted for the lion's share of all cargo transported to Leningrad during the blockade. Thousands of lives were saved thanks to the feat of sailors. It is not surprising that the Road of Life memorial museum was created here.
History of the creation of the museum
The coast of Lake Ladoga in this area belongs to the Ministry of Defense. Therefore, in November 1968, at the initiative of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, an order was issued to establish a branch of the TsVMM "Road of Life" in Osinovets.
Museumcollected unique exhibits and documents confirming the courage and heroism of those who fought in the ranks of the Leningrad fleet, defending their native city.
The opening was timed to coincide with the 31st anniversary of the opening of the water route on Lake Ladoga. During the forty-three years of its existence, the museum received up to a million visitors. Even during the years of the collapse of the country and complete lack of money, he did not stop receiving visitors.
Museum display
In five small halls of the museum and on the land adjacent to the lake, about four hundred exhibits from the time of the Patriotic War were collected.
The first thing that greets every visitor before entering the territory is a memorial pillar with the number 45. This is nothing more than the Road of Life monument. Exactly the same ones stand along the path from the lake to the city, only the numbers are different for everyone.
Among the items collected from the interior are:
- WWII weapons.
- Propaganda posters from the 1940s.
- Paintings of Soviet artists donated to the museum.
- Flags and pennants of the sailors of the Ladoga division.
- Soviet and captured uniforms from WWII.
- Nominal documents.
- Newspapers and battle sheets, photographs.
- Personal belongings of officers and sailors.
- Cards for food in besieged Leningrad.
Outdoor display includes:
- Weapons such as anti-aircraft guns, ship weapon fragments and shipartillery installations.
- World War II equipment - boats, ships, tugboats, tender boats, planes, trucks, buses and others.
- Memorial signs and burials.
Those who managed to visit those places say that the atmosphere and the exhibits immerse you in the atmosphere of those days.
How to get there
It was written above that the Road of Life Museum is located in the village of Osinovets, Vsevolozhsk District. It is 45 km from St. Petersburg. It is this number that appears on the memorial pillar in front of the entrance.
Open to visitors all year round, except Mondays and Wednesdays, from 10 am to 6 pm. Entry, tour and filming fees have been quite affordable until recently. Voluntary contributions and all possible assistance in the reconstruction of exhibits and in the maintenance of the building were welcomed.
What will be the entry prices after September 8, 2015 is still unknown.
There are two ways to get to the museum:
- On the electric train that departs from the Finland Station in St. Petersburg. Go to the final station "Ladoga Lake". From the station building, which also features an exhibition, you can easily get to the Road of Life museum. Any local resident will tell you the address.
- By car or sightseeing bus along the highway towards the city of Vsevolozhsk. This section of the road from St. Petersburg to Osinovets is included in the "Green Belt of Glory".
The same memorial pillars with kilometermarks and are unique monuments and graves of those who sacrificed themselves in the name of Victory over the enemy and a peaceful sky for future generations.
Ladoga Lake station and Osinovets settlement
It would be useful to write a few words about the places where the Road of Life museum is located. On the map of the Leningrad region, these are just small points, but for those who survived the blockade themselves and for their loved ones, these are the most important settlements.
Ladoga Lake station is the final destination of the single-track railway. During the war years, it was from here that most of the cargo that arrived from the mainland along the lake was sent for the besieged residents of Leningrad.
In memory of those events, south of the station building, there is a steam locomotive that transported goods to the blockade. In the station premises there is a branch of the October Railway Museum with exhibits dedicated to the railwaymen of the Second World War.
The village of Osinovets stretches along the shore of Lake Ladoga. Once it was sparsely populated, but now it is built up with new cottages and is a favorite vacation spot not only for local residents. People tired of the bustle of the city come here to breathe fresh air, swim, eat freshly caught in the lake and immediately smoked fish.
There are two attractions in the village - a museum and a lighthouse. The fate of each must be told separately.
Lighthouse on the lake
At the beginning of the 20th century, a lighthouse over 70 meters high was built on the cape. The view from the upper tier in good weather opens at 50kilometers, and the beam warns ships of the approach of the coast for 22 nautical miles.
Here everything is imbued with the spirit of the Patriotic War, Cape Osinovets is no exception. Museum "Road of Life" and the lighthouse, in fact, form a single whole. This is confirmed by a sign on the wall of the white and red signal tower.
Surprisingly, the lighthouse is still operating, and the caretaker daily overcomes 366 steps up and the same number down. During the navigation season, from spring to the beginning of winter, the lighthouse sends a light beam towards the lake every 4 seconds. It is also used as a mast by mobile operators.
In the off-season, it is quiet around the lighthouse, you can hear the wind, the pine trees, the waves splashing, the snow crunching underfoot. In summer, life is in full swing at the recreation center located here, there are many fishermen and lovers of fresh smoked fish. And of course, those who want to wander around these famous places and visit the museum.
Recent history of the museum
After the collapse of the USSR, Leningrad, a city with a century of history, regained its old name - St. Petersburg. The old names of streets and settlements returned. Nothing foreshadowed that many objects in the field of culture and history would remain without funding.
This also affected the branch in Osinovets. For many years, funding has been reduced, and the fact that the museum has survived is the merit of a remarkable person, a real scientist-historian Alexander Voitsekhovsky, who has been heading the branch for many years.
There were times when the museum was left without electricity and heating. Staff reduced to oneperson. But even this did not prevent organizing search expeditions, restoration of rarities, and excursions.
Enthusiasts and veterans, blockade survivors made a big contribution. For them, this piece of land is not an easy place, but the "Road of Life". The museum continued its activities, it seemed, contrary to reality, holding on to the fragile, but such strong shoulders of the old people.
Present
Until recently, the state of affairs remained the same. Employees fought for survival and continued to write appeals to various authorities.
I am glad that their requests were heard and in 2015, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, money was found for the reconstruction of the Road of Life memorial. The museum closed in March to welcome visitors for the holiday.
A lot has been accomplished in a month and a half. Build another building for exhibits that were outdoors. Finally, employees have offices and a real conference room.
The long-awaited restoration of the Izhorets-8 tugboat, which has traveled countless times along Lake Ladoga, has become a real pride for the museum staff. He pulled barges with food across Ladoga, and hurried back with an invaluable cargo - people from besieged Leningrad.
Future plans
After the celebration of Victory Day, the museum will close again until early September. Big changes are planned. In 2015, it will be 74 years since the launch of The Road of Life. The museum, whose exposition is entirely dedicated to those mournful events, will receiverebirth.
Instead of a cozy small wooden house, a modern building will appear, resembling a huge block of snow. It will have spacious halls and modern equipment. Of course, there are people who like the old building more, but today's children and young people will like the changes.
Finally, the stone with the promise to erect a monument will disappear, and a monument seven meters high will appear instead. The composition of five figures will soar above the surface of the lake and will become a reminder to posterity of those who took part in saving their native city. The alley leading to the monument will be decorated with blocks resembling pieces of ice. The names of all the heroes of the "Road of Life" will be carved on them.
All the most valuable exhibits of equipment and weapons, which were raised from the bottom of Lake Ladoga, will be restored and placed in covered pavilions.
Great changes are taking place in the life of the Osinovetsky branch. There is hope that this is all for the best. Once the "road of life" in the full sense saved the city and the people living in it. Now is the time to pay back.
I wanted the other museums of the Leningrad region to live, develop, replenish with new exhibits, and the voice of the guide would not stop in the halls. People who survived the war are leaving, but the memory of them and the events of that time must live on.
