1:35 German Infantry in Wachtmantel - Leningrad 1943 - DRAGON

The seizure of the northern Russian city of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) seemed to be a foregone conclusion for the German military. They even prematurely printed invitations to their victory celebration in one of the city’s hotels. However, the Siege of Leningrad, which began on 9 September 1941, was finally broken 872 days later on 27 January 1944. The Germans were never able to capture the city, which held out thanks to a supply route via Lake Lagoda, a tenuous water connection that froze in winter to form a land bridge. This vital route was known as the Road of Life. The Siege of Leningrad was the most destructive blockade of a modern city, indeed one of the worst in world history, and caused the deaths of up to 1,500,000 soldiers and civilians from combat and unparalleled famine.

THE KIT:

• German sentries maintaining the siege of Leningrad, it shows a changing of sentry guard in the depths of winter.
• To shield themselves against the bitter and penetrating cold, these German soldiers wear thick sheepskin overcoats, albeit with slight variations of uniform.
• The footwear of the sentries also varies, with cold-weather overboots, snow boots and even Valenki boots in evidence. Valenki boots, made from felt and thick wool, are a traditional form of shoe worn in Russia.