Dmitry Karalis’s book “Corridors of Immortality” wins first prize in the Literary Prize named after Marshal of the Soviet Union L. A. Govorov

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, a ceremony was held on Palace Square to present the Literary Prize of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg named after Marshal of the Soviet Union L. A. Govorov. The first prize went to Dmitry Karalis’s book “Corridors of Immortality,” about the feat of Leningrad’s railway workers.

Researchers from the Russian Railway Museum provided scholarly advice and materials from the collection for the book.

The work tells the story of the operation to supply Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. After the blockade was broken, temporary railway lines connecting the city with the mainland were built in the shortest possible time. Trains carrying ammunition, medicine, and food ran along the left bank of the Neva and the southern shore of Lake Ladoga.

In 2026, 50 works by 111 authors were submitted for the prize. The second prize went to the photo album “So That They Would Remember,” dedicated to the role of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in preserving cultural heritage during the Great Patriotic War. The third prize went to “Along Steel Roads of Trials and Victories: A Military-Historical Work.”

The event took place as part of the 21st International St. Petersburg Book Salon.

“This book is a vital contribution to preserving the memory of the Great Victory. We were pleased to assist Dmitry Nikolayevich with this work and hope that the book will find readers, including among younger audiences,” said Vladimir Odintsov, Director of the Russian Railway Museum.