The Battle of Leningrad was the longest battle of World War II, lasting from July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944. Through the prism of biographies of both famous commanders and unknown heroes, the author paints a large-scale picture of the defense of Leningrad. The emphasis in the book is on the actions of the troops of the Leningrad Front, who fought from inside the blockade ring. Hunger is the most terrible and merciless test that can befall a person. Famine erases millennia of civilization, reducing people to a primitive state. And only love, faith and understanding of the common misfortune make it possible to preserve human dignity. Generals and officers, soldiers and civilians - all found themselves bound by hunger and a common fate. On the pages of this book, the City itself turns from a scene of action into the main character, bringing Victory closer on a metaphysical level. Based on archival extracts, combat logs of regiments and divisions, the author shows in what conditions commanders had to plan operations, and soldiers had to attack well-fortified German positions. Certain materials related to the biographies of V. E. Lomakin and M. A. Nefedov are published for the first time. The book is intended for anyone interested in the history of Russia and the Great Patriotic War.