December 1941. The Siege of Leningrad. The city is under continuous shelling. The ration is 125 grams of bread per day. That year, the command made a desperate decision: to arrange a holiday for the children. A single train car filled with tangerines was sent from Georgia (a country in the Caucasus region; not the 14th state) to the besieged city.
The final leg of the journey was across the “Road of Life” over the ice of Lake Ladoga. The driver behind the wheel was Maxim Tverdokhleb. On the ice, the truck was spotted by two Nazi aircraft, and they began their hunt. Maxim maneuvered, but bullets pierced the cabin.
The windshield shattered into fragments. The temperature outside was -20°C (-4°F). Stopping was impossible; the truck would become an easy target. Only through sheer persistence did Maxim reach his destination, but he no longer had the strength to leave the cabin and was almost unconscious. Soldiers carried the driver out by hand and urgently rushed him to the hospital.
The truck was found to have 49 bullet holes, but the cargo remained intact. These tangerines were distributed to children for Christmas in bomb shelters and hospitals.
For many young Leningrad residents, this bright orange sphere and its aroma became the last joyful memory in their short lives…