Tatiana Savicheva (January 25, 1930 - July 1, 1944) was a Russian child diarist who died during the Siege of Leningrad in the World War II. Her diary is one of the most tragic symbols of the Siege of 1941-1945.
Her father died when Tanya was only six, leaving his wife with five children - three girls, Tanya, Zhenya and Nina and two boys, Mikhail and Leka. After the beginning of the war all of her family, except Mikhail, who had already left, decided to stay in Leningrad. The Siege began... Everyone of the family worked to support the army. Mariya Ignatievna sewed uniforms, Leka worked as a planner at the Admiralty Plant, Zhenya worked at the munitions factory, Nina - at the construction of city defenses. Uncle Vasya and uncle Lyosha served in the anti-aircraft defense. Tanya, then only eleven years old, was digging the trenches and putting out the firebombs from the roofs of the houses.
One day Nina went to work and never came back. She was sent to Lake Ladoga and then urgently evacuated. The family was unaware of this and considered her dead. After a few days in memory of Nina her mother gave Tanya a small notebook that had belonged to her sister, and that would later become Tanya's diary.
The first record in it appeared on December 28. Each day Zhenya got up when it was still dark outside. She walked seven kilometers to the plant, where she worked for two shifts every day making mine cases. After the work she would donate her blood. Her weak body could not endure long. She died at the plant Then their grandmother died. After that Tanya's brother Leka. Then, one after another, uncle Vasya and uncle Lesha . Her mother was the last. That time Tanya probably browsed through the pages and added her final remark.
Some time later Tanya moved to her aunt's flat, but the kinswoman couldn't help her. For warming Tanya burnt the furniture, she melted ice for drinking. She could not go to school, because she didn't have forces for that. The girl lived in severe conditions of the war - starvation, hardship, winter. The little hero managed with all difficulties. However, such life was too hard for Tanya, who was only twelve...The Siege went on...
In August 1942, 140 children were rescued from Leningrad and brought to a village. All of them survived... except Tanya. A teacher in the orphanage wrote to Tanya's brother, who was lucky to be outside of Leningrad in 1941: "Tanya is now alive, but she doesn't look healthy. The doctor, who has visited her recently, says she is very ill. She needs rest, special care, nutrition, better climate and, most of all, tender motherly care". In May 1944 Tanya was sent to hospital, where she died only a month later, on July 1, 1944.
Tanya could survive in the awful conditions of the Siege of Leningrad because she wanted to live, but her energy was not enough to live further. The little girl died of progressing dystrophy.
During the Nuremberg trials, one of the documents presented by the Allied prosecutors was the small notebook that once belonged to Tanya.
The diary of Tanya Savicheva is now displayed at the Museum of Leningrad History and a copy is displayed at the Piskarevsky Memorial Cemetery.
“2127 Tanya” is a main belt asteroid, discovered by L. Chernykh on the 29th of May, 1978. She named her discovery in memory of this girl-hero.
Jenya died on 28th Dec. at 12.30 AM 1941
Grandma died on 25th Jan., 3 PM 1942
Leka died on 17th March at 5 AM 1942
Uncle Vasya died on 13th Apr. at 2 o'clock after midnight 1942
Uncle Lesha on 10th May at 4 PM 1942
Mother on 13th May at 7.30 AM 1942
The Savichevs have died. Everyone has died. Only Tanya is left.