The construction and functioning of the Road of Victory. 1943

The successful end of operation "Iskra" – the breach of the siege of Leningrad – allowed to establish transport communication over land between the city and the mainland. On January 18, 1943 the State Defense Commitee decided to start immediate construction of a railway line on the territory to the south of Lake Ladoga which had just been liberated. In only 18 days the front line railway workers built a railway with the length of more than 30 kilometers, three railway stations, a communication line, two water supply points, 22 small and 5 average bridges, and a pile-and-ice bridge across the Neva with the length of 1,300 meters.

The exposition shows the tools and meters that the construction workers used, a model of the bridge built across the Neva and other materials.

In the morning of February 7, 1943 the first direct train from the mainland arrived at the festively decorated platform of Finlyandsky railway station. This joyful event accompanied by music of an army orchestra became a celebration for many citizens of Leningrad. The first train of the Road of Victory is displayed on the painting displayed at the exposition.