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Siege of Leningrad
Soldiers of the Russian Liberation Army defending Leningrad.
The sound of artillery fire rumbled as the Soviet advance stalled.
"That was the fourth assault this week!" yelled Captain Markov. "They'll suffocate us under the weight of conscripts if this continues!"
It was a dark time. Though the Soviet government was still in shambles, one of the various factions had begun to lay siege against Leningrad, the only major base that the Russian Liberation Army controlled. Already the siege had dragged on for several months, and it appeared that the Soviets were beginning to become impatient. Parts of the city had fallen already, and the Red Army continued to throw men at the defenses.
Soviet troops celebrating the capture of a small outpost outside the city proper
Command of the city's defenses was originally the responsibility of Major-General Yuryev, a high-ranking and well liked officer in the Russian Liberation Army. However, he had been killed in action during a small skirmish that came before one of the Soviet assaults several days ago.
Now, command had fallen to a defector from the Soviet government. His name was Vladimir Spiridonovich, and he was a former member of the NKVD. He claimed to have defected during the Second Phase of the Revolution when he had a vision of God himself commanding him to leave the Soviets and make common cause with the RLA.
Those under his command were leery of him; a former NKVD man was not to be trusted easily. Vladimir was ambitious; he knew he needed the trust of his men in order to accomplish his goals. Reports had been coming in that a detachment of the RLA was coming in to lift the siege, and Vladimir needed to do something in the time that remained.
When his son died of illness during the siege, he capitalized on that, even through his grief. He made sure to show his men that he too would fight to defend the city, even if its defense had cost him his own flesh and blood.
Vladimir lead the defense personally, fighting in the lines alongside his men. Though he made every precaution to ensure that he was safe, he still made sure to portray himself as a leader fighting alongside his followers.
Once he knew that relief was coming, he personally lead a counter-attack upon the Soviet emplacements; though casualties were terrible, they pushed back just hard enough to link up with the other detachment, allowing Vladimir to claim that he alone had broke the siege around the city. With loyal soldiers and the prestige of holding onto Leningrad, he was able to raise his own flag above Leningrad. To sever the city's Soviet connections, he decided that the city must be renamed; when put to a (likely rigged) vote, it was decided that the city would be named after the hero of the siege; Vladimirgrad.
