An exemplary military art: Marshal Leonid Govorov’s grandson was featured on the National Centre RUSSIA podcast

The National Centre RUSSIA continues its new project — the podcast series "Tell Me About Victory," dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and to the heroes whose feats will forever remain in the memory of generations.

In the sixth episode, the guest of the podcast was Alexei Govorov — grandson of Marshal and Hero of the Soviet Union Leonid Alexandrovich Govorov.

"In the autumn of 1941, my grandfather took command of the 5th Army of the Western Front. Later, he was appointed commander of the Leningrad Front. During the siege of Leningrad, he went to the front line and was shocked by what he saw in the streets. In a short time, he managed to turn the city into an impregnable fortress, thanks to the dug trenches and fortifications," noted Alexei Govorov.

The marshal’s grandson shared that under Govorov’s leadership, operations were developed to break the siege of Leningrad in January 1943 and to fully lift the blockade in January 1944 — operations "Neva 1" and "Neva 2." For planning and successfully carrying them out, he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. After the liberation of the city, the troops of the Leningrad Front under Govorov’s command went on to liberate the Karelian Isthmus, the Baltics, and the Courland Peninsula.

The Hero’s relative emphasized that all of the marshal’s operations were a true example of military art. He read maps, analyzed data, and anticipated enemy actions. This was made possible by his knowledge, experience, and talent.

During the Great Patriotic War, the phrase "stand firm like Govorov" was well known. The commander solved problems on his own, with understanding.

"I would call love for the Motherland a family tradition. One must be useful to the country. We honor the memory of our grandfather as a family," stressed Alexei Govorov.

The grandson of the Hero of the Soviet Union also spoke about Govorov’s relationship with his wife, a concert held at the Leningrad Philharmonic during the blockade where Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was performed, and his meeting with Stalin.