Блокадная прорубь, War memorial at Fontanka River Embankment, Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Blockade Ice Hole is a gray granite memorial situated along the Fontanka River Embankment in Saint Petersburg. A female profile carved in relief, measuring approximately 1.8 meters tall, faces toward the water below.
The memorial was created to mark the Leningrad blockade from 1941 to 1944, when bombing and extreme frost destroyed the city's water system. Residents had no choice but to break ice from this river and melt it for survival.
The memorial honors Leningrad residents who depended on this ice hole for water during the blockade years. The inscription reflects how ordinary people found ways to survive when city systems collapsed.
The memorial sits directly on the Fontanka River Embankment in central Saint Petersburg and is easy to reach on foot. Several nearby metro stations provide good connections, and the site is accessible year-round without restrictions.
The original memorial was installed in 2001 but vanished shortly after its unveiling, later replaced by a new version on January 18, 2003. This unexpected chapter in the monument's story remains largely unnoticed by most visitors.
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