The siege of Leningrad was the longest ever endured by a modern city, and the deadliest siege in recorded history. It lasted for nearly 900 days, from late August 1941 to late January 1944, bringing unparalleled hardship to the population. Out of over three million persons in the city more than one million lost their lives through cold, disease and starvation, bombs and artillery fire. The severe winter of 1941-42 was by far the worst period of the siege, when food reserves ran out, rations dropped to a little over three ounces of bread per person per day and regular supplies of water, fuel, and electricity stopped. Its epic suffering and endurance earned Leningrad the title of Hero City of the Soviet Union . This book is from an article in issue 123 of After the Battle magazine, the joint authors were Karel Margry and Ron Hogg.