The Siege of Leningrad was a prolonged military campaign initiated by the Axis Powers against the Soviet Union between 1941 and 1944. On the eastern front of World War II, Germany invaded Leningrad from the south while the Finnish Army invaded from the north, creating a circle around the city.

The siege began on September 8, 1941, and was one of history’s longest and most destructive sieges. Historians later classified the campaign as genocide because Hitler intended to systematically starve and destroy the city’s populace. Hitler targeted Leningrad because it symbolized the Russian Revolution, its military importance, and its industrial significance. As readers learn during the novel, Anya lived through the Siege of Leningrad, though she lost several family members. She carries this loss and trauma with her after the siege, explaining why she is cold and emotionally distant toward her daughters. The novel’s setting during the siege also provides Anya’s cultural background, as Hannah frequently mentions Russian art, culture, food, and language.

Leningrad’s population before WWII was over 3.3 million. Around 1.7 million citizens evacuated the city using the Road of Life, the Red Army’s route to bring supplies into Leningrad and aid its defense. The road went over a lake, so they used boats in the warmer weather and vehicles while the lake was frozen.