Remembrance events in North West Russia

As an important part of our annual Remembrance events in Russia every November, the British Embassy Moscow and the Consulate General in St Petersburg always visits the cemeteries in North West Russia where British and allied servicemen died during World War One,  World War Two and the Allied Intervention period of 1918-19.  To mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two this year, the Ambassadors of the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand made a joint visit to cemeteries in Murmansk and Severomorsk on 16 November. I was fortunate to accompany them.

The four Ambassadors laid wreaths in honour of those British and Commonwealth servicemen who died, as well as Russian servicemen who fought and fell alongside them.  Severomorsk is the headquarters of the Russian Northern Fleet and a ‘closed’ city, which meant that our visit needed to be facilitated by the Northern Fleet. The Mayors of Murmansk and Severomorsk joined us at the events. The timing of the visit to the cemetery in Severomorsk coincided with the minute silence for the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks. The Ambassadors held a minute silence together with the Russian hosts at the cemetery.

We also had time to visit the Northern Fleet Aviation Museum in Severomorsk, which houses an impressive collection of Soviet era aircraft dating back to World War Two. Among the collection is an original British Hawker Hurricane MKIIA aircraft which had arrived in Russia in autumn 1941 as part of the British and Allied assistance programme for Russia. The hurricanes arrived with the first and subsequent Arctic Convoys. Members of the Royal Air Force 151 Wing spent three months in the region training Russian pilots and fighting alongside them. Four members of 151 Wing received the ‘Order of Lenin’ for their efforts. Their memory and sacrifice is honoured today in the Northern Fleet Aviation Museum.

Our hosts in both Murmansk and Severomorsk helped us to ensure we were able to organise dignified and moving ceremonies in challenging conditions north of the Arctic circle. As we have seen at other commemorative events this year, Russia continues to recognise and appreciate the contribution of British and Allied servicemen in World War Two, particularly those who participated in the Arctic Convoys. All we met made it very clear that they wanted to work with us to commemorate appropriately the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first Arctic Convoy in August 2016. We look forward to honouring those who took part in the ‘worst journey in the world’.