On January 27 of this year, a commemorative evening was held at the Russian House in Brussels, dedicated to two significant dates at once: the 82nd anniversary of the complete lifting of the Siege of Leningrad and the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked on the day when the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz (Auschwitz-Birkenau) was liberated by Soviet troops. The event opened with the screening of a video interview with M. A. Volchenkova, who shared the tragic story of her family and the unimaginable hardships they endured while living in a city besieged by fascist forces.

As part of the program, the feature film “The Righteous” (Pravednik), directed by S. Ursulyak, was screened. The film tells the story of the heroic deed of Red Army officer N. Ya. Kiselev, who in October 1942 saved the lives of more than 200 Soviet citizens of Jewish origin.

In addition, the exhibition halls of the Russian House in Brussels hosted the exhibition “900 Days of Courage”, provided by the Victory Museum. The exhibition portrays the daily life of Leningrad residents during the siege.

Within the framework of the “Blockade Bread” initiative, guests were given portions of rye bread weighing 125 grams—the minimum daily ration allotted to residents of the besieged city. At the same time, the documentary film “Leningrad: 872 Days of Hell” was shown on screens, featuring footage from Soviet newsreels and recorded eyewitness testimonies.

On January 28, diplomats from the Embassy of Russia in Belgium and the Director of the Russian House in Brussels, V. G. Bunina, visited M. A. Volchenkova, a survivor of the Siege of Leningrad living in the Kingdom, to congratulate her on the Day of the Complete Liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade. She was presented with a greeting letter from the Governor of St. Petersburg, A. D. Beglov. Similar messages were also delivered to two other survivors of the Siege of Leningrad residing in Belgium, V. A. Kovaleva and V. A. Nikolaev.