“Leningrad in Struggle”: how the first documentary about the Siege was made.
On July 9, 1942, the premiere of “Leningrad in the Struggle” took place – the first full-length film dedicated to the heroic defense of the city on the Neva. The film is based on footage shot by cameramen at the Leningrad newsreel studio from June 1941 to April 1942. Directors Efim Uchitel and Valery Solovtsov recalled:
“From the very beginning of the war, our studio operators worked together with the heroic defenders of Leningrad on all sectors of the front, recording documents of the heroic defense of their beloved city. Unforgettable August days. The enemy is on the outskirts of the city. The enemy began to bomb Leningrad. The city bristled and was ready to unleash its indestructible force on the enemy at any moment. Squadrons of fighters patrolled the air. Cars with weapons rushed through the streets. Barricades were built at outposts. More and more working detachments went to the front. The Leningrad studio these days resembled the headquarters of a military unit. Cameramen kept coming from the Front, handing over filmed newsreels…
The harsh winter of 1941-1942 was approaching. In the difficult conditions of the blocked city, the operators did not interrupt their work for a minute. They visited everywhere: on the streets, on roofs and attics during aerial bombings; in the workshops of the plant, where unforgettable footage of the selfless work of Leningrad workers was filmed under artillery fire… It became increasingly difficult to film in the city. City transport froze, there was not enough fuel for cars. Having loaded the backpack with film and apparatus, the cameramen set off on foot to record unique historical days. On one of these days, you could meet cameraman Sergei Fomin on the streets. He filmed hundreds of thousands of people walking through the city due to the lack of transport. Vladimir Stradina captured on film scenes of work in workshops destroyed by artillery shelling; Warming their hands by the fires, Leningrad workers repaired tanks…
A sufficient amount of removed film has accumulated. The time has come to think about making a big film about Leningrad. Thus began the preparatory work, and soon we began creating the film “Leningrad in Struggle.” We are Leningraders. In peacetime, we proudly photographed the great construction site, creative work, and happy fellow countrymen. And we consider it our greatest honor to participate in the filming of the heroic defense of the great city. Difficult trials befell the Leningraders. They passed these tests…”
(“News”, July 10, 1942)
On July 9, the film was released on the screens of Moscow and Leningrad; on the first day alone, the film was watched by more than 49 thousand Muscovites. Many Leningraders noted that the filmmakers managed to reproduce as accurately as possible the struggle of the besieged city:
“You look at the screen and can’t tear yourself away. After all, this is a piece of our life, everything that we ourselves experienced during the year of war. The facts and events shown in the film will not be erased from our memory. At the same time, in every frame you find special, deep features that distinguish the harsh life and struggle of Leningraders. The courage, fortitude, and iron determination of the Soviet people are embodied in amazing paintings.”
(“Change“, July 12, 1942)
“No, we did not sit in the auditorium. We were again in snowy Leningrad, overcoming difficulties and hardships, walking ten kilometers to work in the bitter cold, despite the lack of energy, fuel, raw materials, forging weapons to defeat the enemy. The vile enemy did not break the fighting spirit of the Leningraders and will never break it!”
“Leningradskaya Pravda“, July 11, 1942
A copy of the film is available on the website of the Central Documentary Film Studio
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