The Green Belt of Glory is a

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

surrounding

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, commemorating the Siege of Leningrad of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. The belt consists of multiple small memorials marking the historical front line.

History

The concept originated from poet

Mikhail Dudin Mikhail Aleksandrovich Dudin (russian: Михаил Александрович Дудин; – 31 December 1993) was a Soviet poet.Mikhail Aleksandrovich Dudin (November 7 0 1916, Klevnevo village, Nerekhtsky district, Kostroma province, Russia ...

, and was approved by the Leningrad and Regional Councils. Lead-up work took place from 1958 to 1964, with the construction beginning in 1965 on the eve of the 20th victory celebrations. The memorials were constructed by contractors, teachers and students, and soldiers. Work was completed in 1968.

Layout

The Green Belt of Glory is divided into the "Greater" and "Lesser" rings. The Greater ring has two lines, one to the north of the city and one to the south. The Lesser ring is separate from the Greater ring and marks the land front of the pocket that formed south of Kotlin Island whose back was to the Gulf of Finland. Together they mark the front lines. There are over 80 memorials and monuments situated along the rings. The symbolic heart of the belt is in the ''Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad'' in Victory Square. Some of the sites are in poor condition. The belt remains a gathering point for ceremonies commemorating the war and the siege.

External links

Map of the belt and significant memorials
Monuments and memorials in Saint Petersburg History of Saint Petersburg Soviet military memorials and cemeteries Green belts Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Leningrad Oblast {{LeningradOblast-geo-stub