Shostakovich in Leningrad

[Tugay-bey]

Originally posted by vorosilov

Hello Tasker,

Not only sostakovich but many famous people remained in Leningrad during the siege to lift the moral of the defenders of that great city.
The theatre, the opera, the balletgroups were all performing during the siege.

There were loudspeakers installed and Sostakovich pieces were broadcasted to the soldiers on the front.

All those folks are nice enough not to call you a liar.I ain't!!!Liar,how many other famouse people nave stayed in Sankt-Peterburg during the siege?
Dude you're even worth than the wholle Soviet propaganda mashine.Were'd you get your info? Your communistic visions?
Dude,you and SunRus would make a perfect pair of bankmates in some nice establishment with soft rubber walls.You two can swap your "stories" there with no interferrence,'couse I'm sure ain't gonna visit yu'all there.

[ILay]

Hi Balamut,

work, work, work, too much of it during the last year, now some relief.

Tugay-bey,

Alexander Belyaev, Sergey Chernov, Dmitriy Lichachev, Olga Bergoltz, Daniil Granin, Paklun, Vasiliy Kaluzhnin,
just some coming to mind, who sttod in Leningrad during the siege.

[vorosilov]

In a documentary, what was broadcasted in Canada, they said and showed pictures that Shostakovich was in Leningrad during the siege and was conducting the orchestra what was broadcasted to the fighting Russians on the front.

Hello Tuhay-Bey,

SunRusdiego is a fine young gentleman.

[Voyager13b]

Originally posted by Tugay-bey

All those folks are nice enough not to call you a liar.I ain't!!!Liar,how many other famouse people nave stayed in Sankt-Peterburg during the siege?
Dude you're even worth than the wholle Soviet propaganda mashine.Were'd you get your info? Your communistic visions?
Dude,you and SunRus would make a perfect pair of bankmates in some nice establishment with soft rubber walls.You two can swap your "stories" there with no interferrence,'couse I'm sure ain't gonna visit yu'all there.

"Dude", calm your liver. There seems to be some difference of opinion over who stayed in town, and who didn't, but does it really warrant moving from debate to vein popping anger, and calling people "liars"?

Chill, dude.


Voyager

[Voyager13b]

Originally posted by vorosilov

In a documentary, what was broadcasted in Canada, they said and showed pictures that Shostakovich was in Leningrad during the siege and was conducting the orchestra what was broadcasted to the fighting Russians on the front.

Hello Tuhay-Bey,

SunRusdiego is a fine young gentleman.

Voro,

I heard similar stories. Then again, Stalin has been depicted as having visited the war front in Soviet films, even though his car never made it that far before he turned around, and went back to Moscow. Sometimes history can be difficult sand to sift. No matter, as I don't think Tugay does himself any favors by acting like a wounded rattlesnake, and striking in all directions with venom filled fangs. The perfect disconnect in a debate is to answer a question with an accusation. Those interested in the debate lose, as the debate morphs into a series of personal attacks.
What a shame.

Voyager

[vorosilov]

Hello Voyager,

Why do you come up with Stalin's name again and again...
About Stalin... Never, in any book I have read about him the authors claimed that Stalin visited any front during WW2. Why would he go there? That wasn't his job.

I still stick to my statement that Shostakovich was in Leningrad during the siege to conduct the orchestra. It might have happened because Stalin ordered so. I don't know that and you don't know that either so don't speculate about it.

[Voyager13b]

Originally posted by vorosilov

Hello Voyager,

Why do you come up with Stalin's name again and again...
About Stalin... Never, in any book I have read about him the authors claimed that Stalin visited any front during WW2. Why would he go there? That wasn't his job.

I still stick to my statement that Shostakovich was in Leningrad during the siege to conduct the orchestra. It might have happened because Stalin ordered so. I don't know that and you don't know that either so don't speculate about it.

Voro,

If you would let down your guard for just a minute, and re-read my comments, you will see that I also understood that he was in Leningrad during the siege. I offered my opinion as to why he might have stayed there during that time. I didn't think my reasoning was insulting to anyone, as it fit the circumstances of the time if he was indeed there.

Alex offered a different view, in that he understands that the composer was evacuated from the city early on. That may be the case, and I don't have enough information to prove or deny it. Either way, if he did "stay in town" during the siege, I think my attempt to understand why he stayed was very reasonable.

As for Stalin visiting the front, the "event" was chronicled in the Soviet press, and depicted in Soviet poster art. You asked why he would go there? It was a morale booster, pure and simple. The reality is that such things were his job, as Russian success depended upon the sheer will of it's armed forces at the time.

I wasn't suggesting that Stalin was a coward (that is hardly the case) because his motorcade turned back. I was just reporting information revealed by Soviet archives, and by eyewitness accounts of the journey. It appears that the Soviet image of Stalin benefited from a personal observation of the front that NEVER happened.

Why would you have a problem with any of those remarks, Voro?

Voyager