Commemorative events marking the Day of the Lifting of the Siege of Leningrad have begun at the Grand Choral Synagogue in Petersburg, Russia, offering community members and guests meaningful opportunities to remember and reflect.

Elderly participants from the Rachamim Charity Center, along with visitors of the Synagogue’s Leisure Center, visited the special exhibition Dedicated to the Feat of the Siege of Leningrad at the Union of Artists.

The exhibition, curated by Alexander Yakovlevich Gordin, showcases works by several generations of artists—including war veterans and siege survivors—who express, through painting and sculpture, both the horror of those times and enduring hope. Gordin’s own piece, Seventh Symphony, serves as the exhibition’s opening work.

Further commemorations include the January 29 premiere of the feature film Twins of Auschwitz, based on the writings of local Jewish community member Arkady Masenzhnik and directed by Alexandra Agrinskaya. The film was produced with the financial support of the Committee on Culture of the Government of St. Petersburg, in honor of both the Day of the Complete Lifting of the Siege and International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Another highlight is the Crystal Melody concert, scheduled for February 1. The event is dedicated to two intertwined dates: the anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad on January 27, 1944, and the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, 1945. The concert—now an annual tradition—serves as a musical dedication to the strength of the human spirit and the value of every human life. Through stirring classical music and poetry, Crystal Melody reminds audiences of the fragility of human existence and inspires continued faith in a brighter future.