Two girls assembling sub-machine guns during the Siege of Leningrad in 1943. The siege was a prolonged military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers. It started on September 9 1941, when the last road to the city was severed. The siege was not lifted until January 27, 1944, 872 days after it began. It was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history, and possibly the costliest in casualties suffered. 414,148 children were evacuated during the siege. Speaking about the colourisation process, photographer Julius Jääskeläinen said: 'It removes a layer of separation between you and the photo. Things seem much more real to me when I actually get to see it in colour and many others have said the same, which makes me feel that I'm actually doing something of value'
{}