Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony was performed in besieged Leningrad as a testament to the resilience of the city and its inhabitants. Vera Terzhevik will discuss how the score was created, who prepared the historic performance, and why music born amidst war still helps to speak about courage, memory, and human dignity. The performance of the Seventh Symphony in besieged Leningrad became an event in which music was part of the resistance. While the city lived under bombardment and suffered the consequences of hunger, musicians prepared a complex score that required a large orchestra. The lecture will trace the path from Dmitri Shostakovich's original idea to the evening when the work was heard by the residents of the besieged city. The composer began working in Leningrad in the first months of the war and completed it after evacuation to Kuibyshev. There, the premiere took place, but the performance in the homeland of the piece gained special significance. The score was delivered by plane, and conductor Karl Eliasberg began rehearsals with the Leningrad Radio Committee Orchestra. Musicians were sought in the city itself and at the front for the augmented ensemble. Preparation required physical and moral strength. Rehearsals took place under conditions of exhaustion, but the participants continued their work, understanding the significance of the upcoming concert. During the performance, Soviet artillery suppressed enemy batteries as part of Operation "Squall." The music was transmitted via radio and through city loudspeakers, so it was heard far beyond the Philharmonic Hall. The lecture is led by Vera Terzhevik. Where to go in St. Petersburg, we tell on our website.