The Climbers of Leningrad
Witness History
BBC
4.5 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 28 December 2017
⏱️ 11 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Mountaineers risked their lives to camouflage churches and palaces in the great Russian city during World War Two. The city was besieged by the Germans and under bombardment. The climbers used paint and canvas to conceal the landmarks from enemy attack. Mikhail Bobrov was just 18 years old when first got sent up the city's spires. He's been speaking to Monica Whitlock about his wartime experiences.
Photo: A climber suspended from a spire in Leningrad. Credit: Tass/PA.
Transcript
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| 1:21.0 | Hello, you're listening to the witness podcast from the BBC World Service with me, Monica Whitlock. |
| 1:27.8 | And today we're going back to the freezing winter of 1941 in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, where I've been speaking to Mikhail Bobrov, one of a team |
| 1:36.8 | of climbers whose daring exploits helped save the city from aerial bombardment during World |
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