75 years ago, Soviet forces broke one of the deadliest sieges in history — here's how Russians marked the anniversary

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — The Russian city of St. Petersburg is marking the end of the World War II siege by Nazi forces with a large military parade in sprawling Palace Square.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the city's "unbroken" spirit during ceremonies to commemorate the end of what is believed to be one of the longest and deadliest sieges in history, claiming more than a million lives.

Below, you can see how Russians marked the anniversary.

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The siege of the city, then called Leningrad, lasted nearly two and a half years until the Soviet army drove the Nazis away on January 27, 1944.

The parade included T-34 battle tanks and multiple-launch rocket systems — the first time World War II-era and modern heavy weaponry lumbered past the city's Hermitage Museum to mark the end of the siege.

Source: AFP

T-34 tanks played a key role in defeating the Nazis and became a widely revered symbol of the nation's wartime valor and suffering.