Nikolai Baranov

Already in the first days of the war, a technical camouflage working group led by a graduate of the Institute of Civil Engineers (at that time - LISI, now - SPbGASU), the chief architect of Leningrad from 1938 to 1950 Nikolai Baranov (1909-1989) had developed a project for the Smolny shelter. Nikolai Varfolomeevich recalled with what tension he was waiting for the report of the commander of the aviation fighter unit, Hero of the Soviet Union S.P. Danilov after he circled the city. He also recalled the joy he felt when he heard that from a height of a thousand meters the disguised buildings of the northern part of Smolny were not recognized and merge with the surrounding park.

Later, Nikolai Baranov will write the book “Silhouette of the Blockade”, which will be published in 1982, about how the treasures of culture, historical buildings, the most important objects of the besieged city were saved, how defensive engineering structures were built. It contains his diary entries of those years, documents and memoirs of the author and soldiers of besieged Leningrad about the hard work of architects.

On 26 June, 1941, Nikolai Baranov was called by the secretary of the city committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, Aleksey Kuznetsov. “You are instructed to urgently develop and implement a project to disguise the Smolny in such a way that the German pilots during the raids did not see the building and could not bomb accurately ...” Nikolai Varfolomeevich was well aware of how difficult the task was: Smolny stands near the bend of the Neva, nearby is the high Smolny Cathedral. It seemed impossible to hide these landmarks. Baranov found the only right solution: to use the surrounding park and hide the building under an artificial cover imitating large clumps of trees. Camouflage began from the northern part of the building, and for two days half of Smolny was covered with camouflage nets stretched on ropes, which were reinforced 20-25 meters from the walls. With the help of this simple technique, it was possible to completely eliminate chiaroscuro and change the U-shaped volume of Smolny.

“Thus, the shelter of Smolny became the beginning of a huge work - the technical camouflage of important industrial, transport, warehouse and civilian facilities in Leningrad. A few days later, I was entrusted with the leadership of a special service for the technical camouflage of Leningrad, which was carried out throughout the long months of the blockade, ”Nikolai Varfolomeevich wrote in his book. Already by the beginning of July, the specialists of the architectural and planning department under the leadership of Baranov identified the most important areas of activity, concentrating forces wh ere the professional skills and experience of architects could help the most in defending the city and saving people.

Specialists designed light shelters and capital bomb shelters, carried out full-scale measurements. “At that time, we did not yet know about the barbarism of the Nazis, against cultural values, but it was clear that majestic architectural monuments that do not have military significance, such as the Admiralty, the Hermitage, St Isaac's Cathedral, the Russian Museum, suburban palaces and parks, could be bombed. In addition, we were engaged in the shelter of the national treasure - monuments and memorials. It is difficult to imagine Palace Square without the Pillar of Alexandria or Senate Square without the Bronze Horseman, so we did everything possible to save them,” recalled the chief architect of the city. As Nikolai Baranov writes, sand, wood, and burlap were used to cover the monuments.

But the monuments to Suvorov on the Field of Mars, Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly near the Kazan Cathedral and the monument to the sailors of the destroyer "Guarding" in the park on Kirovsky (Kamennoostrovsky) Prospekt were left open: they remained at the military post throughout the blockade as symbols of military glory of our ancestors. Thanks to the professionalism and selfless work of architects under the leadership of Nikolai Varfolomeevich Baranov and his deputy, Aleksandr Ivanovich Naumov, also a graduate of our university, enemy bombs and shells did not destroy any of the most significant architectural monuments in Leningrad. In addition, it was possible to maintain, and after the war to increase the area of parks and green spaces in Leningrad.

At the initiative of Baranov, in 1943, twenty squares and streets of Leningrad were returned to their historical pre-revolutionary names (including Palace Square, Nevsky Prospekt and Sadovaya Street).

“I am completely convinced that for a person who somehow connected his life with Leningrad, this amazing city will never become a stranger,” said Nikolai Baranov.

Other materials of the "Scientific Regiment" project:

Our Graduate Built the Road of Life

Front Line of the Architect Aleksandr Nikolsky

Researcher who Developed Science in Besieged Leningrad

Fights of Student Klinov

Engineer of the 3rd Belorussian Front

Nineteen-Year-Old Gunner Stormed Berlin

Path of a Volunteer: from Front-Line Roads to Space Development

Ivan Solomakhin: "The Most Memorable Battle was for this Devil's Hill!"

Fiery Dnieper of the Hero of the Soviet Union Aleksandr Prygunov

Approaching to the Victory

Fedor Komal's Front: from the War Start to the Victory

Junior Political Instructor Boris Gubanov: “Shells Were Whizzing, and the Ground Took off Nearby”

Viktor Kvyatkovsky, Radio Reconnaissance Operator of the Baltic Fleet