During WW2, the siege of Leningrad was a vastly underreported and horrific chapter in the USSR's history. Survivors were penalized if they talked about conditions after the fact, so a lot of what we now know about the total loss of life and murder, and even cannibalism that took place trickled out during the course of several decades.

We read several books on the subject, and today we're going to take you on a journey through yet one more example of how freaking stupid Stalin was.

This is a two part episode; this episode outlines the history and set up for why Leningrad was so unprepared for a siege, as well as the political scene. Episode two gets into the conditions of the siege itself. We recommend not listening to Episode two if the following is triggering: cannibalism, starvation, child murder, suicide, or sexual assault.

In hindsight, maybe not the best water cooler anecdote, but we sure did learn a lot!

Sources:

Alexievich, Svetlana, et al. The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II. Reprint, Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2018.

Glantz, David. The Siege of Leningrad 1941-1944: 900 Days of Terror. Brown Partworks, 2022.

Ivans War Life and Death in the Red Army. Picador USA,2006, 2022.

Reid, Anna. Leningrad: The Epic Siege of World War II, 1941-1944. 1st ed., Walker Books, 2011.