Memory of Russia: Reverse "Northern convoy” from Arkhangelsk to London

The city Severodvinsk has unveiled a project, which is likely to bring together veterans of the Great Patriotic War, children of Arkhangelsk oblast and residents of London. The project entitled “Reverse convoy” has been created by Vitaly Pyatnitsky, former head of the Committee on Culture of the City Administration. The project will enable the Great patriotic War veterans and children of Arkhangelsk oblast to visit London. However, the key goal of the “Reverse convoy” project is to follow good traditions of meetings of allied convoys’ veterans and, what is more, marking the anniversary year to establish a friendship of children of the North with their peers from Great Britain.

"From 1553 our North has been historically connected with Great Britain. From 1554 thousands of British pioneers had crossed the harbor of St. Nicholas, which is located on the territory of modern Severodvisk, and later in 16-18^th cc. travelled across Arkhangelsk as well, - told Vitaly Pyatnitsky. – In 20^th c. Northern allied convoys again crossed our towns when delivering thousands of tons of strategic cargoes and provision for the front. In 1991, 50 years later, our cities celebrated a major holiday, dedicated to the first Allied Arctic convoy of World War II, code-named “Dervish”, which had carried supplies for the USSR. It attracted the members of convoys from different countries to Arkhangelsk. Today within the framework of this project children and veterans have a chance to meet the descendants of British pioneers and relatives of Allied convoys’ participants".