Ok, thanks for these responses. While I obviously won’t be too quick to cede Leningrad to Germany, I will leave it on the table as a necessary evil that may have to take place as a desperate measure in order to protect Moskva.

I am a newly registered member on this forum (didn’t see any intro section), and was why wondering why some think evacuating Leningrad is a good idea? Honestly my friend and I who normally play allies do not usually consider this strategy for several reasons: Novgorod Is Russia’s only viable in game port and the minor IC, Airbase, and Naval base make it invaluable, also there is the consideration of the major NO given to the Fascist player if he controls Leningrad (5pts per turn I believe). Then there is the consideration of letting German troops go around the north  to Moscow. Historically, Leningrad was a pivotal city and was not to be given up by any means.

Marshall Zhukov was a major advocate for holding on to Leningrad and we stand firmly behind this belief. Actually in most of our games we have great success with the Soviet Union in this version and their ability to defeat Fascist invaders. We have nothing but the greatest respect for our standard Axis player and his abilities as an officer, therefore we do not believe it to be necessary and actually counterproductive. Obviously strategies are dependent on opponent moves and luck, and we do recognize that history and this game does not perfectly coincide with the real war. However I am interested in hearing from both proponents and opponents of this strategy to asses its validity.

Sorry if this question has already been addressed on this forum as it seems like it could be a common topic, but I could not find it.