Post War Reconstruction

With World War II still raging, Leningrad had started to recover from the tragic years of the siege. The Cabin of Peter the Great and other museums re-opened as early as 1944. Many of the ruins of celebrated buildings were covered with temporary card, in an attempt to depict their pre-war appearance.

Despite the enthusiasm of the population for a revival, the national economy was ruined by the war, and the people had to suffer many more long moths of harsh conditions and bleak prospects. Food rationing continued throughout the 1940’s and housing became a major problem due to the destruction and damage of large areas of the city’s housing. Most people in Leningrad still lived in “communal” housing until the 1960’s.

Leningrad was restored to its pre-war Imperial glory, unlike many other cities that were modernised. The palaces of Peterhof and Pushkin that were almost completely destroyed during the siege were meticulously restored and constructed using millions of roubles.

Speedy restoration work allowed many of Leningrad’s museums to be reopened swiftly after the war. However, some of the suburban palaces, such as Aleksandrovsky Palace of Nicholas II in Pushkin, still require restoration. The green mounds of the mass graves in  Piskariovskoye Memorial Cemetery and the preserved blue Bombardment Warning sign on the side of a building on Nevsky Prospect, still remind us of the tragic past of the city.

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