Following the German invasion of the USSR, Nazi forces closed in around Leningrad (the name for today’s St. Petersburg during World War II), laying siege to the city from September 8, 1941 until January 27, 1944. This was known as the Siege of Leningrad, a brutal, drawn-out military blockade that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people during the 900-day ordeal. Several hundred thousand people were evacuated from Leningrad across Lake Ladoga via the famous Road of Life, the only route that connected the city with the mainland. The Siege of Leningrad, which stretched out for roughly 900 days can be seen in this photo gallery.