Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad

This impressive monument is the focal point of Ploschad Pobedy (Victory Square) and is hard to miss on the main road from St. Petersburg's international airport.

The monument, built in the shape of a huge broken ring represents all the efforts it took to break the 900-day Siege of Leningrad. The inside of the ring is lit with gas torches and its walls feature engravings celebrating the incredible courage shown by the defenders of Leningrad. Inside the monument, in a vast underground memorial hall, there is an exhibition devoted to the Siege. An English-speaking guide is usually available, so just ask a member of the museum's staff. Make sure that you see the map of Leningrad's defenses and the museum's short documentary film, and take a look at the beautiful mosaics on the eastern and western walls of the hall.

The external wall of the monument is decorated with a freeze of sculptures representing the soldiers, sailors and civilians who did not surrender to the Nazis despite hunger, cold and the dangers of constant enemy bombardment.

How to get there? From Moskovskaya metro station walk one block South, then enter the monument via the underpass, which is located near the two tall buildings.