1st row veterans Valentin Soldatov, Nina Danilkovich, Thor Hotsbro

2nd row Lt. Colonel (Retd.) Tor Mulkelien, Lt. Colonel (Retd.) Alexander Goncharov

     Since 2012, within the framework of the Russian-British veteran project “The Last Soldier of the Second World War”, delegations of Russian veterans of World War Two, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, come every year to the UK to celebrate Victory Day, while in turn British veterans regularly visit Russia. In May 2019, Norwegian veterans for the first time joined the celebration on board the cruiser-museum HMS Belfast. Our meeting with them turned out to be significant. In particular, making contact with the chairman of the Norwegian Allied Convoys Fund, Jens Inge Egeland, led to the creation of strong and fruitful ties between Russian and Norwegian veterans. J.I. Egeland suggested finding those Russian veterans of the Great Patriotic War who participated in the liberation of Northern Norway, with the idea to award them with the Norwegian medal "For Contribution to the Victory in World War II". Using archive files obtained from the Central Archive of the Russian Navy, we prepared and sent the necessary documents to the Norwegian Ministry of Defence.

      On the eve of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Norway by the Red Army, a series of interviews with Russian veterans of the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation were organised in Moscow for Norwegian media representatives. Meanwhile, with active assistance from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway, the Russian veterans received visas and airline tickets. Finally, on October 24, 2019, the veteran delegation began its visit to Norway. It consisted of Valentin Aleksandrovich SOLDATOV - a Solovetsky Naval School cadet, boatswain of the Pechengsky brigade of torpedo boats of the Northern Fleet; Nina Mikhailovna DANILKOVICH – a partisan of the special forces detachment under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union Colonel G.M. Linkov; Alexander Ivanovich GONCHAROV - a veteran of military service. Unfortunately, two other participants in the military operation for liberation of Norway whom we managed to find were unable to attend the celebrations for health reasons. Nevertheless, their medals will be awarded to them in Moscow.

     The high status of our delegation’s visit was confirmed on the very arrival at Oslo Airport, where the delegation’s members were met at the plane’s stairs by representatives from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then escorted to the official delegations’ arrival hall. Following the two-hour flight to Kirkenes, the main place of the celebrations, the honour and attention paid to the veterans only increased. A busy day on October 25 had begun for veterans already at breakfast with a long conversation with the Defence Secretary Ms. Tuna Skugen, during which the war veterans told her about their battle histories.

     A large Russian delegation arrived for the celebrations in the border town of Kirkenes, including Moscow and Oslo based diplomats and representatives for the command of the Northern Fleet and border troops, as well as public organisations from Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. The events included a press conference with participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Norway and Russia, at which major aspects of the bilateral relations were raised. Sergey Lavrov praised the exemplary efforts of the Norwegian authorities in preserving the Soviet military burials and monuments.

     On this memorable day, almost the entire population of the 5,000-strong town was mobilised: accompanied by the sound of a brass band, a large festive column of children and adults passed through the town to the central square named after Roald Amundsen. With the participation of King Harald V of Norway, Prime Minister Ms. Erna Solberg, the top brass of the Ministry of Defence, Foreign Affairs Ministers, Norwegian and Russian veterans and other guests of honour, a state rally and a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Mothers monument took place.

Norwegian and Russian veterans at the War Mothers monument, Kirkenes

     Then the VIP guests and veterans went to lay wreaths at the monument to the Soviet Soldier. Bilingual inscriptions on the monument erected by Norwegians in 1952 read: "To brave Soviet soldiers in memory of the liberation of the town of Kirkenes in 1944".  Even though there are only a few dozens of our compatriots living in the town, nevertheless the town’s street signs are written in both Norwegian and Russian. The town also has a Russian Sunday school.

     The day's official programme finished at the Thon Hotel with a dinner held by the Government of Norway, attended by senior officials of the state and the government, veterans and other guests of honour. In her speech, Prime Minister Erna Solberg noted: “All of Norway thanked the Soviet people and the Red Army soldiers for liberation of this part of our country. Here in the North, we feel this gratitude very strongly indeed”. During the dinner in a festive atmosphere, V.A. SOLDATOV was awarded with the Norwegian medal "For Contribution to the Victory in the World War II." It should be noted that this is the first time in the history of modern Russian-Norwegian relations that a veteran from Russia has been awarded an honorary state award of Norway.

     During the dinner, violinist Julie Alapnes and guitarist Lena Jinnegren, as well as other performers, entertained guests with their melodic folk music. After the meal, Prime Minister Erna Solberg gathered at her table Russian and Norwegian veterans, as well as children of the World War II, to recall events of that memorable year of 1944. During the intense battles for Northern Norway, Nazi forces retreated to the west of the country, ahead of the Red Army’s advance, with “scorched earth” tactics: they drove away local populations and destroyed residential buildings and infrastructure. Upon liberating the territory, Soviet troops provided the affected population with food and rebuilt vital infrastructure. For the feat of arms and restoration of their peaceful life, the people of Eastern Finnmark are still deeply grateful to our Army and Navy. Good-neighbourly relations between the two nations were clearly demonstrated at the festive concert of a local brass band conducted by captain 1st rank, Alexy Karabanov, leader and artistic director of the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Central Concert Orchestra of the Russian Navy, who came from Russia specially for the event.

from Oslo to Kirkenes

     On our veterans’ return to Oslo, the staff of the Russian embassy in Norway showed them maximum attention and provided them with all necessary assistance. At the request of Norwegian friend Jarle Andhoy, the departure of the veterans to Moscow was postponed from October 26th to 29th. The next three days in the capital of Norway were filled with sightseeing and meetings with several famous Norwegians, organised by our new friend. Jarle Andhoy, who at the time was making a film about World War II veterans, helped us to set up interesting meetings with Norwegian artists. Especially memorable was a visit to the artist Vebjorn Sand’s open air gallery where, supported by the capital’s authorities, a construction of the “Roseslottet” memorial complex and a gallery (which will contain 33 portraits of participants of the Norwegian Resistance and 2 portraits of our veterans - V.A.SOLDATOV and N.M.DANILKOVICH) is fully underway.

Veterans Valentin Soldatov, Nina Danilkovich at the monument to Soviet soldiers at the Oslo cemetery Vestre Gravlund

     On May 8, 2020, a grand opening of the memorial complex dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Nazi occupation of Norway and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II will take place. It should be noted that one of the monuments of this complex will be dedicated to Soviet prisoners of war, 100,000 of whom worked in Norway in the most horrendous conditions on construction of bridges, ports, railways and highways. Many died and remained forever in the Norwegian land.

     For their attention and support, on behalf of the members of our veteran delegation, I sincerely thank: His Majesty King Harald V, Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Defence Secretary Tuna Skugen, County Governor of Troms and Finnmark Elisabeth Aspaker, Mayor of Sør-Varanger and Kirkenes Rune Rafaelsen, filmmaker Jarle Andhoy, chairman of the Allied Convoys Fund Jens Egeland, members of staff of the Norwegian Embassy in Russia headed by the Ambassador Rune Resaland, the Consul of the Norwegian Consulate-General in Murmansk Torunn Hasler, members of staff of the Russian Embassy in Norway headed by the Ambassador Teymuraz Otarovich Ramishvili and many others who participated in organising the visit.

     Separately, I would also like to thank Norwegian media professionals who covered the visit so well that, throughout the trip, ordinary Norwegian citizens came forward to express to the Russian veterans their sincerest sympathies, thanked them heartily and took joint pictures with them as a keepsake. All our veterans were delighted.

Member of the Russian veterans' delegation, co-organiser of the project "The last soldier of WW2"

Lt. Colonel (Retd.) Alexander Goncharov