On September 8, 1941, the 872-day siege of Leningrad began. According to Hitler's plan, the city was to be wiped off the face of the Earth, and the defending troops were to be annihilated. Failing to break through the Soviet defenses inside the siege ring, the Germans decided to starve the city into submission. Starting on September 13, the city was bombarded, and this continued throughout the war. Over 2.5 million residents were trapped in the besieged city, including 400,000 children. Supplies of food and fuel were severely limited. The resulting famine, exacerbated by bombings, heating problems, and a transportation paralysis, led to hundreds of thousands of deaths among the population. Despite this, Leningrad’s residents continued working—administrative institutions, children's centers, printing houses, clinics, and theaters remained operational, and scientists continued their work. Teenagers worked in factories, replacing their fathers who had gone to the front. The only lifeline to besieged Leningrad was Lake Ladoga. On November 22, trucks began traveling on the ice road, known as the "Road of Life." The Germans bombed and shelled the road, but they couldn’t stop the movement. During the winter, the population was evacuated, and food was delivered. About a million people were evacuated. On January 18, 1943, the siege was broken, and the enemy was pushed away from the city. The siege was fully lifted on January 27, 1944. The Siege of Leningrad became the deadliest in human history. According to various estimates, over a million people died in the city during those years. Few people know that the famous horses from the Anichkov Bridge, part of the sculptural group "Horse Tamers," survived the war underground in Leningrad. Each sculpture was coated in petroleum jelly, wrapped in paper, and packed in special crates. The spaces between the crates and statues were filled with sand. The horses were unearthed in 1945. In one night, from June 1 to 2, all the sculptures were returned to their places. For many Leningraders who survived the siege, this return became a symbol of peace and normalcy.