Siege of Leningrad Blockade Now and Then

 History has told us all but frequently we forget about the hardship experienced by generations past, especially during certain wars. However, some people have a very creative and profound way of reflecting on times gone by, presenting their take on the world in a new light. Hopefully our children and future generation will still remember that comfortable life they get is coming from bloodshed of people in the past.

These haunting, hybrid images of past and present St Petersburg – formerly known as Leningrad – are the works of Sergei Larenkov. After studying old images of the city, Larenkov visited the same spots, capturing them on film. He then digitally superimposed the old image over new, producing these eerie and thought-provoking shots using remakable photoshop technique.

Like ghosts captured forever on film the scenes depict all too clearly a harshness that can result only from times of war. The 900-day Siege of Leningrad, also known as The Leningrad Blockade, lasted from September 9, 1941, to January 27, 1944 – just over 65 years ago – and was “one of the longest and most destructive sieges of major cities in modern history, and second most costly,” according to Wikipedia sources.

Although the blend of the two images seems natural, it’s hard not to ignore the colorful boundary of the present and focus totally on the black and white scene of the past. Each image demands the viewer to stop and contemplate what life must have been like in Leningrad during World War II. The difference between life now and then in these moving images is distinct, and deserves the attention of an undoubtedly more privileged audience. Thumbs up!