is a song against war
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as The Leningrad Blockade (Russian: блокада Ленинграда (transliteration: blokada Leningrada) was an unsuccessful military operation by the Axis powers to capture Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) during World War II. The siege lasted from September 9, 1941, to January 18, 1943, when a narrow land corridor to the city was established by the Soviets. The total lifting of the siege occurred on January 27, 1944. The Siege of Leningrad was one of the longest and most destructive sieges of major cities in modern history and it was the second most costly.
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During the Siege of Leningrad, I grew up.
I was a skinny feisty little lad.
Bearing witness, I saw how foodstuffs burned up.
I stood in line for the precious bread.
My dear Noble Citizens,
Were you the most innocent?
When we lost count counting the dead?
You ate bread with some caviar, -
While I thought how great we are.
I smoked butts of utter crap and my face turned red
Snow flurries even grounded the birds,
And thieves could find nothing they could steal.
The angels took my parents. Damn! It hurts!
"To stumble"s the worst fear you can feel!
If you were hungry and drew breath
You starved with others and faced Death
All suffered equally, including the police.
While you in the evacuation
Read up on all the information
And heard the radio broadcast the latest "News Release"
The blockade seemed to go on forever
But Our people beat the Nazis HARD!
We couldve lived all satisfied Like cherubs up in Heaven,
If NOT for your obnoxious armed guard.
Ill smile but will NOT shake hands,
You, "citizens with armbands":
Dont touch my soul with your dirty paws!
Your private lives, exotic
And NOT so patriotic
Are known to the labor unions and people of the law.
© Eugene Derbarmdiker. Translation, 2006
1961, Vladimir Semënovič Vysotskij