Siege of Leningrad: Diary of the Second World War: by Alexandra Nikiforovna Borovikova

Chapter 4. September 1941

1/IX/1941

1/IX. Beginning of a new academic year.

I remembered something from the past when I was a student.

This period was so pleasant, and the day when students from all over the Soviet Union gathered, each with their own impressions, and how many of them there were for each summer spent outside the city.

You used to sit at a lecture and wait for a break to share with your comrades – where are they now.

Now you sit here and remember yesterday and think about today.

At night, firing from heavy guns was heard.

I left the office to check which side they were hitting from.

At first it was scary, because it was dark and quiet all around, the workshop was not working.

I heard shots behind Khimgaz (*Khimgaz Plant (formerly Neftegaz)), then went to bed.

At night, they say, at about five o’clock, there was heavy shooting, but I was sleeping and didn’t hear it.

I sleep soundly, having worked hard during the day.

The day passed calmly, only artillery shots were heard in the distance.

In the evening, at 10 o’clock, T. Pavlovna and I went to me, bypass the brevenka, and behind the 5th G.E.S. a glow was visible.

At the end of the day I wrote a letter to an «acquaintance».

I apologized to him for not coming, because maybe it would have been the last meeting.

At 7:30, selection on the military study, to the rear of the militia (*Leningrad People’s Militia Army (as part of the active Army in the period 1/VII/1941- 20/VIII/1941); 20/VIII/1941 body for managing the military training of the working people of Leningrad renamed Leningrad Defense Headquarters), I was appointed squad commander.

The classes did not take place; the gathering was small and late.

Tomorrow, we’ll probably start earlier, because the girls need to get home.

I don’t really care, I overslept at the Factory.

2/IX/1941

2/IX. Got up with the Information Bureau.

Fights along the entire front.

Our planes carried out raids on Berlin, Koenigsberg, and Danzig.

One plane did not return to its bases.

At 7 o’clock Popov calls and asks to allocate 4 people for defense work.

I sent 6 people.

I entered the territory, and the refugees were stretching and stretching along the right bank of the Neva.

Gun volleys have been heard all around since the morning.

At 10:30 I go to the control room, on scratch my tongue, then I cursed a little on Vainin, and go to my cabinet.

At 11 o’clock conveyed an appeal to Leningraders.

Today they are moving Rybatskoye to the city.

Let Rybushkin come to my apartment, I don’t live at home anyway, will save me some junk.

Yes, the decisive days have come for Leningrad.

Today, the radio constantly addresses the soldiers and residents of Lenin, mobilizes them, and warns them all the time.

The enemy is close, the enemy is on the outskirts of the city.

Airplanes are often buzzing in the air today, anti-aircraft guns are firing, and artillery fire can be heard.

But in Leningrad, or rather here on Katushka, it’s calm, because I haven’t been outside the gates for a long time, and I don’t want to go home.

The city will be ours, we will not give it to the enemy, Lenin’s city exists and will be Soviet.

We will provide comprehensive assistance to the front and defend Leningrad.

At 19:15 the signal air alert

The tower is instructed to monitor the air from Lake Ladoga and the Bolshevik Plant.

I gave a warning to the tower to keep an eye on Khimgaz, a landing is possible.

I told the tower to keep an eye on Rybatsky (*Rybatskoe – it is located in the southeastern part of St. Petersburg).

9:30, I’m sitting, and suddenly a radio transmission chronicle starts broadcasting, V. Inber is speaking.

This is a soft female voice, she addresses the women of the city of Lenin, that the enemy is close, the enemy is at the gates of the city.

She started with stories about the first bombing of Moscow, suddenly the announcer interrupted and said, air alert

Sirens blared, horns blared, and the alarm lasted about 6 hours.

V.I. gave a number of selfless examples of the entire population during the bombings, called on Leningraders, in the days of the impending threat, to behave the way Muscovites behaved.

9:45, artillery salvo, I sit quietly, second, third.

At that time I wrote a letter to an «acquaintance», good, good, and recommended joining the VKP (b) (*All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks).

At 12 o’clock Sokolov calls to me and says that the representative of the District Party Committee has ordered to strengthen security.

So, I put on two socks, two stockings, two coats, and walk around the territory.

3/IX/1941

3/IX. The day began with duty on the territory.

The night is warm (relatively speaking, of course), clear, not a cloud in the sky – light.

The night is very suspicious, especially for enemy raids.

Went to bed at 5 o’clock in the morning, and at 9 I was already on my feet.

The day is very clear, but already autumn.

I sent a letter to an «acquaintance».

I went to the Factory Administration, and suddenly, at 10:56, «air alert».

73rd in a row.

10 planes flew from north to west.

Headquarters reports that paratroopers have landed at the Sortirovochnaya station.

At 11:10 the sound of anti-aircraft guns is heard.

Heavy shooting at the Sortirovochnaya.

«Air alert» lasted 1:40, passed calmly, although the anti-aircraft guns hit hard.

Morning message: fighting along the entire front.

After intense fighting, our troops evacuated the city of Tallinn.

At 19:10 «air alert» Heavy shooting can be heard in the Sortirovochnaya area.

The weather is cloudy, I don’t know how it will go.

Today I was getting ready to go home, I thought about going to see a friend tomorrow, but I changed my mind, you still won’t get in, you need a pass.

I’m sitting, writing, and I can hear the whirring of airplanes.

The tower reports that 7 planes are flying from north to south.

I arrived home at 9 o’clock in the evening.

Polinka had soup, so we heated up the soup, boiled potatoes, drank tea made from berries, and gorged ourselves so much that we could roll on the floor.

We had a great laugh at the «ZhPA» team (*Obscene expression meaning butt, buttocks).

4/IX/1941

4/IX. Got up at 6 am.

I’m already used to getting up at this time.

You’re waiting for the military summary like I don’t know what.

Fights along the entire front.

Then Polinka and I went to the Laundry.

The big shooting was guns this morning, despite the cloudy weather.

I was on my feet all day: first I washed the clothes, dried them, ironed them, and so the day passed.

Lenka came, I made soup again.

Lenka bought liqueurs, I drank two glasses, and got back to work.

In the evening I drank 3 beers.

I really missed my friend.

5/IX/1941

5/IX. I stood up together with the Information Bureau.

I slept in Lenka’s bed for two nights.

There are refugees fro Rybatskoe in my room.

The room is dark, cramped, and stuffy.

At 8 o’clock I was already at the Factory.

Nyura Tsvetkova bought me everything: fish, sugar, and candy.

In general, I live, I don’t go to the store, and I have everything here.

I prepared a package for a friend.

The weather today is cloudy, which itself contributes to the defense of Leningrad.

The weather itself is not happy with the current situation and the situation around Leningrad.

Leningrad became the front.

As reported today, yesterday evening, 4 bombs were dropped near the «Red Peat» (*Krasnyi Torfyanik), and a shell from a long-range gun.

Today, they say, the Bolshevik Plant was shelled.

Yes, Leningrad became a front.

But I’m calm, that’s why I’m putting everything on paper, then, maybe someday I’ll remember these historical notes.

So, I’m writing now, and the sounds of gunfire don’t stop.

Today we chatted with Popov for an hour and talked about housing.

I told him that he decide quickly so that you can be remembered with a good word.

At 5:30 I went into the shower and washed for an hour, despite the artillery fire.

I just came to my place, I wanted to order herrings, and I have a full supply of products in my office.

Suddenly, at 6:45, the signal «air alert».

At 7:05, heavy anti-aircraft gunfire, and big impact, in all likelihood, a shell fell somewhere close, as there was a large ball of dust.

Yes, Leningrad became a front.

We received the task to allocate three people for defense work.

In the evening we studied a grenade and a rifle.

A shell fell on Olgin, but not in the house, but in the square, but the windows in the nearby houses were all broken.

In the evening, Gefler arrives and says that a shell fell on Razyezzhay and penetrated 4 floors.

Good night, Sasha, although the night is clear, we haven’t heard any shooting yet.

Chicken spends the night with me.

6/IX/1941

6/IX. Yes, I slept peacefully.

I went to bed after class at 11 o’clock, suddenly at 12 o’clock nights, they call me and say that there is light in the foremen’s office.

I sent the Kurochkina, there’s a dick sitting a member of the «ZhPA» (*Obscene expression meaning ass, buttocks), Vysotskaya, is sitting there, turned on the light, and is sitting calmly.

Well, I gave her a scolding.

This morning I was nervous about sending people to defense work.

People don’t want to go – they’re tired of it.

What a terrible mood today, this is all an casualty accident with Kestner.

How unpleasantly it incapacitates a person at such a difficult moment.

Insert №7. Photo «On the route of defense structures».

Shooting was continuously heard all day long, presumably from the direction of Shlisselburg.

Yesterday evening a shell fell on Glazovaya Street (*Now: st. Konstantin Zaslonov), this is not far from where I live.

Surprisingly, the shell penetrated the third floor, but the first and fourth floors remained undamaged.

It is unknown what happened in the house, as the public is not allowed in.

At 3:15 today a shell fell on Martynskaya Street (*After 1978 it became part of Olga Berggolts Street).

When I went outside, a shell whistled past in the same direction.

I was pretty nervous today because of Rodionova’s tongue, because a shell supposedly fell on the Lenin Factory.

Well, one old woman came to me, all in tears, and asked me to let her go.

I barely had to persuade her, oh, these women’s tongues.

At 4 o’clock in the afternoon Kuznetsov spoke on the radio, and the pilot, Comrade Sidorenko, three times order bearer of the Kirov Plant.

The day passed very anxiously.

The artillery was firing close all the time, and the shells were exploding close.

As they told me today, in the Volodarsky district yesterday, 20 people were killed and 70 people were wounded.

In the evening we were engaged in military affairs, taking aim from a rifle.

My results are not bad.

Then they reported that there was a fire in the direction of Shlisselburg, Nyura Kurochkina and I went to the 6th floor.

Yes, indeed, the fire was strong, then we came to me.

Titov came, ate herring, drank tea, and suddenly they called that we had light somewhere.

So, we went to check, nothing special.

Yes, my soul has become boring, something is getting more boring every day.

Today I received a letter from Kolya Chizhov.

So, I’m writing this diary at 12 o’clock in the morning, suddenly, in a row, 7 shots and explosions.

Well, I’m going to bed now, but I don’t know how the night will go.

Good night, Sasha.

For some reason, all evening I was remembering the incident of meeting in Petrozavodsk with the director of the Utilities and Raw Materials Industry.

Yes, it was summer, there is something to remember.

The best impression was this trip around Finland, all these ordeals (*Toll – to undergo ordeals; Ordeal – torment, suffering, difficult, unpleasant chores).

So many impressions of nature, destruction, defensive structures, the Mannerheim Line.

Insert №8. The poem «Leningraders, my children!» (Author: Dzhambul).

Insert №9. Photo «Active army. Parts of the N-formation».

7/IX/1941

7/IX. Sunday, got up at 8 o’clock in the morning.

I saw something familiar in a dream, I’ll probably receive a letter.

Oh, he’s an acquaintance, an acquaintance, if only we could meet for one hour!

Today is still quiet, the weather is cloudy and drizzling rain.

The weather itself characterizes the severity of the Leningraders, who are also unkind to the enemy.

The recorded 7 shots turned out to be bombs.

This bastard sneaked into such darkness as a thief and dropped bombs, they say one bomb hit a house on Staro-Nevsky avenue, on Poltavskaya street.

There are victims.

Dementyeva came to me today all teary, she said all the windows were broken, she lives near the Lenin Factory.

I sent her home.

Now I’m sitting, writing, and drinking tea.

The weather has changed, the sun appears from time to time, but clouds are constantly crawling across the sky.

A dangerous day for a raid.

Any moment a vulture might emerge from behind the clouds and do some mischief.

It’s quiet today, probably the Nazis are resting on Sunday.

Last night there was the first air bombing.

The damage is still unknown, but there are victims

I’m very sorry for the children.

Today is the 2nd Youth Sunday (*All-Union Komsomol Youth Sunday), we are working normally.

Yesterday I looked at the 1941 calendar, and how nice it would be to relax during the holidays today.

We would have 3 days.

On New Year’s Day 1942, we have a day off.

Now, it would be possible to spend time, not like last year, a friend was lucky.

11:15 pm, I was still sitting and crocheting (*Knitting).

I wanted to go to bed, but before I go to bed, I need to write down the past day.

The day passed calmly, as many workers call it:

– «Since it’s Sunday, Hitler has a day off.»

In all likelihood, they destroyed the point that was shelling the city.

Hitler does not have Sundays; he attacked us just on Sunday, with his crusade.

Today I learned to shoot, I used 10 rounds of ammunition.

She didn’t hit very well, I packed everything in 3—4.

Today I was told one episode.

During yesterday’s bombing of Nevsky avenue, «Iv. Anakin» was washing himself in the shower, and when explosions were heard, he put on his pants and jacket with a soapy head, ran out without even buttoning his pants, and asked Fofanova where they were shooting.

And he pretends to be a hero, he saw a plane circling from the Moskovsky station to Finlyandsky, and back, and then he dropped two bombs on Nevsky avenue.

Here is a liar warrior, it would be better to remain silent.

When he told this, I laughed.

Today was Sunday.

At 16:00 I listened to a rally of women in the common struggle against the fascists.

The rally was broadcast from Moscow.

Grizodubova, Troitskaya, Barsova, Dolores, Ibarruri, and others performed.