The authors of the book suffered the blockade as children. S. V. Magaeva’s essays “On the Edge of Life” talk about the pangs of severe hunger and bitter cold, the horror of air raids, and the fear of losing family and friends. Examples of great, sacrificial love for one's neighbor are given. The possibility of survival, preserving human dignity and the ability to sacrifice in a situation that is beyond the norms of life is shown. The album by E. O. Marttil “The Face of the Siege” presents drawings, lithographs and engravings made from fresh memory and from pencil sketches of the siege years and truthfully reflecting the harsh, starved face of the siege.