Siege of Leningrad: Diary of the Second World War: by Alexandra Nikiforovna Borovikova

The machines worked poorly, but by 9 o’clock things had improved.

At 8:30 am, shift «B» returned from Kingisepp.

Air raids forced them to leave defense work and return.

6/VIII 2 enemy planes were shot down, there were casualties among the defenders.

At 12 o’clock they announced on the radio that diplomatic relations with Norway had been restored.

It is so pleasant.

How sympathy for the Soviet Union grows every day.

There should be no doubt about this, they should be, are, and will be.

Today I received a letter from Kolya Ulyanov.

I wrote him an answer right away.

I never delay in responding to fighters.

22:10 pm – we need to end with a note about today.

The weather was cloudy.

By evening my mood also deteriorated.

At 2 o’clock I was summon to the director of the Factory.

Anakin stated that 120 more people need to be sent to defense work.

From my workshop, 15 people are needed.

I am sending 3 people from shift «B», 9 people from shift «A»: Pryadichev, Savina, Stroeva, and Postyukovich.

In addition, they offered go drive are one from us: either Russkih or Erofeev.

Russkih it’s a pity to send something.

It’s better to let Erofeev go, he’s been doing a slacker lately, he’s working with his staff in a completely non-military manner.

At 2 o’clock I met A.E. Grube.

My «sympathy» for the rest of my life.

What a good person he still is.

You always speak well of people like him.

At 4 o’clock there was a party meeting (*Meeting of members of the party organization).

Oh, that «Director», Anakin.

The report was boring and dry.

Oh, how this meeting spoiled the mood.

I’m so tired of managing the Factory.

Such a mash (*Phraseologism: a mash is a mixture of yeast and sugar to create the alcoholic drink moonshine, here it is meant as a terrible mixture).

Someday all this will be unearthed.

The scoundrel sits on the scoundrel, the other urges him on.

They hide their skins from the Army.

If only someone would go to the front line, there’s no point for them to guard women’s skirts and eat off their belly – no.

Owns dont bite his own, on the contrary, he will defend himself.

I’ve been planning to report these pranks to the District Party Committee for a long time, but I still think it will be better, but still, someday, they’ll probably make me lose patience – I’ll report.

Two deaths cannot happen, but one cannot be avoided – it’s still not good.

I sent two letters: one to Comrade Ulyanov, the second to the Apostle.

I sent him such a cheerful letter, and my terrible face – I don’t know how he will accept it.

I have such a disposition towards him to raise his morale.

I really don’t know whether my letters are pleasant to him or not.

Oh, if I knew, I would immediately turn the steering wheel in one direction or another, although it’s late now, it’s better late than never.

Because I’m not a bad helmsman, and he’s just a Red Navy man (*Military rank of enlisted personnel of the USSR Navy), whom I never loved in my life, but considered them to be womanizers.

Now, until I receive an answer, I will remain silent.

By evening my clouds cleared.

It’s now 20 minutes, I’m writing and writing.

And in the soul A…

How I want to meet and talk.

I’ll probably go to the district these days, and still get away from all this to the front.

If only they would send me to Estonia… then that would be all.

Okay, it’s time to finish.

Shurochka, go to the workshop, check the work, and it’s time for a sleep, because tomorrow something new awaits again, either good or bad, probably bad, A.E. Grube promised to come tomorrow.

Well, I’ll put an end to it, but in my head I’ve been thinking for a long time about writing a poem or poems dedicated to…

If I compose it, you will see that it will be dedicate to the first…

10/VIII/1941

10/VIII. 11 o’clock in the afternoon, message from the Information Bureau.

From August 7 to 8, our planes raided Berlin.

From 9 to 10 August, too, military facilities were damaged and fires were visible.

On the night of Moscow, fascist vultures attacked, 8 planes were shot down.

Our losses during the raid on Berlin – one plane is being sought.

Yesterday I was told a joke:

One lady went to buy shoes and a dozen eggs.

She head was filled with other thoughts.

He walks into a shoe store and says:

«Show me size 42 eggs.»

The store seller was short and said:

«What are you saying, citizen, we don’t have such sizes. Go to the one next door, there’s a bigger one there.»

At 12 o’clock I listened to the latest news, where they said that at 14 o’clock there would be a common-Slavic rally.

14 hours: wave 19.37, 19.75, 19.47, 21.79, 22.72, 24.51, 50.93, etc.

Rally of All-Slavic Peoples (*Probably means: I All-Slavic rally in Moscow. Appeal to all Slavic peoples «Brothers, oppressed Slavs!»)

Russian writer Alexei Tolstoy opens the rally.

As equals among equals, everyone united to destroy fascism.

The speech lasted 18 minutes.

Polish general, Czech writer, Croatian, Bulgarian, etc.

They had already begun to interfere with the transmission, and they were not speaking Russian.

Nothing is clear, I didn’t listen, and I didn’t have time.

They gave us a military large order, we must prepare for it.

I had a great argument with Fedya Titov.

Oh, and the man is worse than a seedy woman.

The language is such that at least tie it.

Today is one thing, tomorrow is another.

For all my contradictions and stubbornness, I feel they are starting to attack me.

But it’s okay, I won’t let myself be offended.

At 20 o’clock, as always, Comrade Erofeev’s shift came, and I went to spend the night with Nyura Tsvetkova.

I took my work with me and went to bed at 12 o’clock.

Somewhere in the distance, gun fire shots were heard – dull, dull.

I was afraid that there would be «air alert», but I slept peacefully.

11/VIII/1941

11/VIII. We jumped off at 6:20, got ready quickly, and went to the Factory.

Again, shots were heard on the right bank.

It’s 7 o’clock now, I’m listening to the latest news.

There were battles on August 10 in the Soletsky, Kholmsky, Smolensky, Belotserkovsky and Uman directions.

During 9 august, 45 German aircraft were shot down.

Our losses are 25 aircraft.

From August 8 to 9, 10 enemy aircraft were shot down during a raid on Moscow.

The raid of German planes on Moscow from August 10 to 11.

Single planes made their way through.

There are killed and wounded.

Fires broke out in residential buildings.

No military installations were damaged.

At 12:34 they gave «air alert», lasted 26 minutes.

It went smoothly for us.

At the 5th G.E.S. (*5th State Power Plant «Red October» of the Leningrad Council of the National Economy of Leningrad. Built on the south-eastern outskirts of Leningrad in 1922 in the Utkina Zavod area) they say there were bomb explosions.

And during yesterday evening’s shooting, Tosno was bombed.

I don’t know how much is true, because… These are other people’s conversations, but I haven’t seen them myself.

Morning message.

Directions: Belotserkovskoe, Smolensk, Uman and Estonian.

7 pm, meeting of all-Slavic peoples.

Speakers included Wanda Vasilevskaya, Yanko Kupala and others.

Zaikina made me laugh a lot today.

She told how they were bombed near Kingisepp, during defense work.

So, he says, I’m washing my face in the river, the river is deep, and suddenly I see a fascist plane flying right over my head, low, low, it stopped above me, looked and waved.

I was so scared, I hid my head in my knees and sat there.

She sat for a long time.

I tell her: he probably didn’t like you, because… very black, if she had been beautiful, then he would have put you on a plane and taken you to Germany, but I probably didn’t like you.

In the evening I was nervous about the light masking (*Hiding from the observation of air and ground enemies the light unmasking signs of troops and forces, military facilities, industrial areas, and populated areas, and their imitation on false objects) in the workshop – I don’t know what to do.

12/VIII/1941

12/VIII. I listened briefly to the Information Bureau.

Direction: the same.

How close the enemy is to Leningrad, I don’t know what will happen.

The night passed peacefully.

In a dream I saw my former «sympathy» Z.Z. Guscha – I don’t know why, but somehow it was pleasant, it still has an effect – I love him, as before, for his simplicity and cheerfulness.

Eh, Z.Z., I wish I could meet you again and probably we will, at least I have such a feeling.

Vlasov arrived during the day for a special order.

I’m sitting around 6 o’clock in the evening, suddenly Borya Chizhov comes to me and says that they caught a piece of paper (leaflet) from the air, I read it, and put it under the cloth, and then transfer it to the director.

The bastards who wrote this piece of paper and who released it are not enough lead, they need something stronger.

Dirty lips still say:

«Comrade Red Army soldiers, do not listen to provocations, that they are mocking you – this is a lie. Avoid provocations and come to us.»

It disgusts me to write down these words, it tears my heart apart.

Here, bastards, idiots, I can’t even find words to scold them for these provocations.

You will be in trouble, and no one will believe your leaflets, and hardly anyone will come to you, and so you have poisoned our happy, calm life, and now you are still embarking on such vile adventures – no, nothing will work out.

Bullet in your forehead, scoundrels!

I sat at the Factory until 9 o’clock in the evening, and then, having quarreled with the mechanic, she went to spend the night with Nyura Tsvetkova.

In the evening I wrote a note to Vasya Vinogradov and enclosed a letter in Nyurino.

At the same time I read her letter to Vasya.

How cold!

13/VIII/41 I received a letter from Petya Betselev – I need to answer.

13/VIII/1941

13/VIII. I got up early, I wanted to get some more sleep, but Nyura leaves early and so we arrived at the Factory at 6:30 in the morning, I went to the Headquarters, wanted to listen to the latest news, «Director» interfering, he was talking something on the phone, and everywhere he called himself director – the same, not the Director.

Today can’t understand the mood.

It was very bad in the morning, because… the military summary was very modest, but during the day something immediately became clear.

There is some kind of stormy in me, some kind of premonition.

In my opinion, they will report something interesting in our favor in the coming days.

We’ll wait, but now, A.N., go have lunch, otherwise you really want to eat.

At 4 o’clock we listened to a lecture on extinguishing incendiary bombs.

There were a lot of people, a full red corner (*A room reserved for religious communist events (party meetings, admission to the Party, Komsomol, pioneers), as well as for the needs of agitation and political education)

The lecture was okay, I liked it.

Shvedov was there today and reported that on 10/VIII 41, the fascist bastards occupied Kingisepp and Volosovo.

I don’t quite believe it, but I won’t talk to anyone, except Sokolov.

The future will show.

Let this remain in my diary.

But we, calm in Leningrad.

But he also reported that there were 48 points left in the rear near Pskov (*Firing or machine gun points), which the Nazis were hunting for, but could not find them.

And so, these rear points hit the advancing enemy in the back of the head.

For some reason I have a feeling that they will soon give him a fever, and he won’t have time to come to his senses.

Tomorrow is a day off, but I’m on duty today.

14/VIII/1941

14/VIII. The night passed peacefully.

They woke me up at 7 o’clock, and I sat at director until 8 o’clock.

The issue was decided on defense work.

They sent all the men and stayed with me: Egorov on a brevenka, and Arseny Ivanov.

It’s okay, we’ll work, we won’t lose momentum, and Arseny won’t let you down.

In the afternoon I went drive to the District Council (*District Council of People’s Deputies, a representative body of government in the region) on one matter.

I was elected to the evacuation commission for the evacuation of children.

Commission consisting of: Borovikova, Basov, Ogarkova, Romanova.

In the evening there was a meeting after Basov’s trip to the District Council.

List of evacuation sites:

1. Vologda

2. Chelyabinsk

3. Novosibirsk

4. Ivanovo

5. Kazakhstan

6. Udmur ASSR

7. Kirov

8. Molotov

9. Sverdlovsk

10. Omsk

11. Aktyubinsk

12. Karaganda

13. Pavlograd

14. Kyzyl-Orda.

15. (*The numbers are there, but the name of the place is not written in the diary)

I drive to home, Pavlusha Erofeev arrived.

I was so happy that I forgot to take my bag with dirty laundry with me.

During the week I was so busy, like a devil, I walked around dirty, not looking like a boss.

I came home and was horrified.

Imp-Lenka was drinking with someone in my room.

There is such chaos on my desk!

Dirty plates, bread, wine in a bottle, and empty bottles, soup cooked.

Well, I tidied up the dishes, put everything in the room, went to bed, and, of course, drank a little slivyanka (*Plum liqueur or tincture).

Suddenly, at night I hear a knock.

It turns out that the horse, Lenka, was waiting and waiting for me, and decided to follow me to the Factory, and at that time I was already sleeping at home.

So I didn’t open the door for her, I really wanted to sleep.

I knew that she would come and disperse the sleep.

15/VIII/1941

15/VIII. I got up with the radio at 6 o’clock.

Lenka immediately came to see me, we had a hearty breakfast, and I drive back to the Factory.

On 14/VIII there were battles on all sectors of the front, from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea.

Our troops left the city of Kirovograd and Pervomaisk.

Never mind, don’t be happy, Hitler, we’ll see how you run back.

I have already bought a map of Western Europe, soon we will look to the west, how they will scuttle.

Well, stop writing, it’s already 8:25, time to start working.

In the afternoon I made a list for the evacuation of women and children.

Karpova staged a whole concert, but then calmed down.

Doesn’t want to drive leave.

I would drive leave myself, or rather, I would just take my things home, and then I could be here again to defend Leningrad if I bring any benefit.

Frankly speaking, it’s a pity for the junk.

The devil knows, you live as if everything is not enough, but it’s still a pity to leave it, especially for the fascists to plunder.

At 1:05 p.m. I was in the dining room, they said «air alert», and I ran to my room without my hind legs, but «air alert» was only 6 minutes, passed quietly.

At 15:40 they gave again «air alert», lasted 20 minutes.

Morning message:

Direction – Kexholmskoe, Staro-Russkoe, Smolensk, Estonian.

The day and night passed peacefully.

16/VIII/1941

16/VIII. It was a stupid day.

I got up at 7 o’clock, at 8 o’clock I was drinking tea, suddenly the phone rang, Petya Betselev called, I thought Sasha (potatos-groom).

Betselev reported that he was wounded in the arm and was in the hospital.

Tomorrow I’ll go to him, need to find out, it’s my duty, to visit him.

The day passed so quickly that there was no time to take the diary.

It’s 6 o’clock now, I’m rushing home, at the same time I need to write down the past day.

In this day happened was that evacuation lists were drawn up, etc.

Well, okay, I’m finishing.

Kuzmich is in a hurry.

I’m going.

Goodbye, Katushka.

Hello, Borovaya street!

Came home.

Such boredom – everyone is sulky, everyone is silent.

I drank some tea and went to bed; of course, I worked a little with a needle.

This is my illness, and the war does not interfere.

17/VIII/1941

17/VIII. I got up at 6 am, along with the radio.

Evening message: battles along the entire front, and some adjustments to destroy aircraft.

On the night of 16/17/VIII there was a raid on Moscow, but the planes were not allowed in.

Yesterday at 8:05 there was «air alert», lasted 45 minutes, passed quietly.

Today at 6:45 again «air alert» lasted 5 minutes.

At the call of the Komsomol (*All-Union Leninist Communist Youth Union (VLKSM)) today is Voskresnik (*Communist form of work, collective extracurricular work, arranged voluntarily on rest days) – I don’t know how it will go.

I forgot to write down, when I was driving home, there were a lot of military men coming from Kuznechny, and I really felt sorry for them, because… they walked tired and loaded, and it was very hot.

Ahead of them walked other soldiers with dogs.

Sunday in my department is going well.

Today, in a 16 o’clock, I have to go to Petya Betselev.

Today they took M.K. into the Army, it’s a shame, he’s a very good man.

You can talk to him about anything.

At 16:30 I drive to see Petya Betselev.

It turns out it’s far away.

It takes more than an hour to get to Stachek Square.

Walking through the square, suddenly I see a fascist plane, a tank, standing on the square, and a lot of people around.

But I was in a hurry and passed without stopping.

I went to see him in Hospital, in the line of man who can walking.

I met him in the yard.

There were some two ladies with him, but they soon ran away, and we sat with him for more than an hour.

Walking back across the square, I then looked at the plane and the tank.

Such a colossus, I spat at him and left.

I arrived at the Factory at 8:45, and they told me there was a letter.

I assumed from whom, of course, it was from him – the Apostle.

In it he reprimands me that I rarely write to him, BUT I sent him three letters, it’s true, he didn’t receive them.

Eh, Apostle, if only you were here, and even…

What a pity that that time has passed, will it really not return?

I remember my family.

All this has passed, and there is no hope for a good future.

Let him remain a good comrade in my memory, and then I’m happy.

Means no luck.

I’ll write him an answer tomorrow.

Yes, when I was at Petya’s, I saw wounded Latvians.

I almost fell in love with one of them.

Ha-Ha-Ha.

The old traditions regarding dating still remain in me.

I wrote a letter to the upcoming Apostle for bedtime, and almost cried, it was somehow so boring, and I felt sorry for him.

18/VIII/1941

18/VIII. I got up at 7:30, but haven’t slept since 6:00.

The fighting took place along the entire front.

Army surrendered the city of Nikolaev.

They said that several German regiments were defeated again in the southwestern direction.

Life goes by interesting.

After lunch, I go home and meet my workers.

Nyura Tsvetkova brought me potatoes and cucumbers, and at the same time handed me Matveev’s packet of cucumbers.

I’m eat full to my ears, I can barely puff.

And there are times when there is no time to eat.

Today I again sent 5 people to defense work.

Mood schvakh (*Evaluative description of someone or something as being in a bad, weakened, exhausted state; bad, bad).

Leningrad is calm, but until a certain time.

Leningrad is now in a very dangerous situation, if you take everything seriously.

Something will happen in a few days, it’s just a pity for the city.

I just can’t get my head around this.

In this we are sure that victory will be ours, but it’s a pity for the devastation where the front will pass.

This bastard, Hitler, what a curse on his head.

Such a good summer, such weather, such a harvest, and this bastard is trampling Soviet fields.

It’s been transfer on the radio for a few days – battles along the entire front.

How difficult it is, because you have to fight back, on any sector of the front.

This morning’s report, as they say, was scalded, about the surrender of Nikolaev and Krivoy Rog.

The devil rushes and rushes towards the coal base.

Something with Odessa now.

What a poison this war is for everyone.

19/VIII/1941

19/VIII. A echelon with women and children is leaving.

We thought about sending it to Omsk area, but now we’re sending it to Ufa area.

At one time they offered me to go as an chaperone, with a echelon, but now they are silent.

Today T. Pavlovna said that she had a conversation with Popov, in the sense of an chaperone.

Popov says that nothing will come of Basov, because… he’s a chicken, and that’s for real.

And Borovikova is sorry to let she go and lose his engineer, and if I flutter from Katushka, he will completely break up with me.

It turns out that I am valued, despite my stubbornness. Oh, he’s Popik, he’s still a good person!

It’s time, Shurochka, to go to bed, but you again take the pen in your hands to write down the rest of the day.

My eyes were very tired because I worked with a needle all day, that’s also a habit.

At about 9 pm we held classes on D.P.V., at the 8 shed.

Our commanders are doing a good job.

The result is not bad, but the paramilitary guards let themselves down.

In the evening I was at Headquarters, and Popov told about his many Moses.

At one time, they all applied to be volunteers, and now they are walking around Kazan, all their pants are covered in rust, they can’t even wash them after Akulovka.

Good night, Shurochka, sleep, may you dream about the Apostle.

But I didn’t dream, I was really bored in the morning.

19/VIII/1941

19/VIII. Military summary:

The city of Kingisepp was commissioned.

How hard it all is.

After all, it’s very close to Leningrad, as they say, just a stone’s throw away.

I wonder why it’s calm in Leningrad, or his point of view is to take Leningrad safe and sound.

But Leningraders will not surrender Leningrad like that.

The surroundings are calm, I slept peacefully at night, I am writing and drinking tea, and there, at the front, there are probably hundreds and thousands of corpses lying around, there is a massacre going on, not for life, but for death.

But you can’t break my mood, victory will still be ours.

At 10 o’clock I went out onto the brevenka, and I heard a rumble from the right bank of the Neva – an airplane, then it went to the city center, and suddenly I heard shooting at it.

Romanova and says: why don’t they give «air alert».

Then they give «air alert».

It went well and lasted 10 minutes.

Today, wagons of peasant refugees on cart’s and with herds of cows stretch along the right bank.

It’s a pity to look at them.

I feel sorry for the people and the cattle.

Where are the people going, abandoning everything they have lived with for centuries, what awaits ahead.

Yes, life.

After all, those who were born there lived to old age, raising grandchildren, but now they are forced to leave everything, and with a small belongings (*Belongings, movable property, household junk) move forward into the interior of the country.

The only consolation is that they are taking with them cattle and all their belongings, not even leaving cats, to be torn to pieces and tormented into the hands of the Germans.

This is good.

Let the presumptuous Hitler and his gang meet dead silence everywhere, and no hope for life.

At 16:45 I laughed until I cried.

This is over the guard of the used barge, Egorov.