City Of Thieves Sparknotes

In his novel, City of Thieves, author and screenwriter David Benioff illustrates life during one of the deadliest campaigns in human history, the German Siege of Leningrad. This is done by telling the adventures of Lev and Kolya, the two main characters of the novel. Through the complex and atypical relationship of the protagonists, its development throughout the story, and the emotional, at times humorous plot, Benioff is able to illuminate the courage of Russian citizens, and the struggles of growing up, and against the backdrop of World War 2.

The events of the novel take place in World War 2, during the Siege of Leningrad, also known by historians as the Leningrad Blockade, a military operation carried out by the forces of Nazi Germany in partnership with Finland. The siege began on September 8th, 1941, and lasted until January 27th 1944. It is the longest military siege in history, with a total of almost 900 days. The city’s capture was one of the primary targets of the German Operation Barbarossa, which was the name the Germans gave to the invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22nd of the same year. During the siege, rationing was quickly introduced. Soldiers and manual workers got most of the available food, which at times consisted of nothing more than bread composed mainly of sawdust, and then followed the rest of the …show more content…
Lev initially dislikes Kolya, who teases him about his heritage, and sees him as nothing more than a cocky, insufferable brute, even resenting him for having everything he does not. Yet, as they journey out into Piter and further out into the countryside, they both show cracks in their armor, proving to be much more complex than their appearance may let on, and ultimately, their friendship grows. Two characters who serve as foils to one another become connected in a way that neither could imagine, with Kolya guiding Lev, who looks to him as a sort of big brother