January 27 is marked in S. Petersburg due to its double significance – two important events occurred on this day. On January 27, 1944, the Leningrad blockade was finally lifted and, one year later on this same day, the Red Army liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp. Since then the United Nations has declared this day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
On this occasion, the leadership of the Jewish community invited representatives of various religious denominations, diplomats and government officials to the Great Choral Synagogue to commemorate the victims of the blockade and the Holocaust. In addition to guests, the memorial included veterans of the war and the blockade, Jewish students and teachers.
mong those who lit candles in memory of everyone who died during the Leningrad blockade and the Holocaust were Jewish leaders, as well as those from the Orthodox Christian, Catholic, Lutheran and Muslim faiths, as well as other denominations. Representatives of numerous consulates and government agencies at different levels were also involved.
During a Moment of Silence, some quietly prayed, while others remembered their loved ones. People approached the microphone and movingly shared their thoughts and feelings. Perhaps the most succinct was the governor’s representative in the Legislative Assembly, Mikhail Brodsky, who could hardly contain his tears and eventually had to walk away from the microphone. There are indeed times and events that make even politicians weep. The event included music by a string quartet, including the moving tune from Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List." The ceremony concluded by cantor Grigoriy Yakerson reading the Kaddish.