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.
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