Leningrad remembers siege

Russian servicemen take part of a military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the lifting of the Nazi siege of Leningrad, at Dvortsovaya Square in Saint Petersburg on January 27, 2019. - Tanks and air defence missile systems rolled through the heart of Saint Petersburg on Sunday as the city formerly known as Leningrad marked the 75th anniversary of the end of a World War II siege that claimed more than 800,000 lives. (Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP)

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin will on Sunday preside over ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the World War II siege of Leningrad that claimed over 800,000 lives.

Russian servicemen march during the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the lifting of the Nazi siege of Leningrad, at Dvortsovaya Square in Saint Petersburg on January 27, 2019. – Tanks and air defence missile systems rolled through the heart of Saint Petersburg on Sunday as the city formerly known as Leningrad marked the 75th anniversary of the end of a World War II siege that claimed more than 800,000 lives. (Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP) Saint Petersburg — formerly known as Leningrad — will plunge into the atmosphere of a wartime city under siege, with authorities broadcasting air-raid warnings, radio announcements and the ticking of a metronome.

The centerpiece of the commemorations will be a military parade in the city’s Palace Square featuring more than 2,500 servicemen in modern and period uniforms, tanks and multiple-launch rocket systems.

People watch the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the lifting of the Nazi siege of Leningrad, at Dvortsovaya Square in Saint Petersburg on January 27, 2019. – Tanks and air defence missile systems rolled through the heart of Saint Petersburg on Sunday as the city formerly known as Leningrad marked the 75th anniversary of the end of a World War II siege that claimed more than 800,000 lives. (Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP) Many in Saint Petersburg, including some siege survivors, have denounced the planned parade as misplaced sabre-rattling and militaristic propaganda.