On October 18, 73, the Blockade Theater was opened in Leningrad, which now bears the name of Vera Komissarzhevskaya.
By the time the theater was opened, the city had been besieged for more than a year, and the time of evening performances was constantly changing due to air raid. The bread card of the theater actor was no different from that of the worker; hungry fainting during the performance was commonplace. When the actor fell, the stage partner began to improvise. The spectators came to the performance with flashlights - there was no lighting then.
It is difficult to imagine, but the cultural life in Leningrad never stopped. Even in the most terrible winter of 1942, artists took to the stage, and the audience walked to the theater, transport did not go at that time.