On its site articles, biographies, photographs and other materials devoted to the feat of battalions and the contribution of the indigenous peoples of the North to the Great Patriotic War will be presented.
Virtual museum of reindeer transport battalions of the Great Patriotic War will be created jointly by participants from the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) and the Komi Republic. According to the press service of the administration of the Murmansk region, the project to create a virtual museum of reindeer transport battalions became the winner of the All-Russian contest of youth projects of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs.
"The number of winners among individuals included Polina Kharybina, “Sam’ Sobbar” Sami Council Chairman, member of the Representative’s Council of Indigenous Peoples of the North under the Government of Murmansk Region, Deputy Chairman of the Youth Council of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation in the North-West Federal District, with the project of creating a virtual museum of reindeer transport battalions. The virtual museum will become a unique platform for articles, biographies, photographs and other materials on the feat of the reindeer transport battalions and the contribution of the indigenous peoples of the North to the Great Victory" - the statement said.
The contribution of the reindeer transport battalions to the success of the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation and to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War was significant: ammunition, fodder, food, firewood, fuel and equipment of artillery were transported on reindeers, urgent orders were delivered on the road, senior commands were sent to the troops, the sick and wounded were evacuated, and search for planes shot down in battle was conducted.
The battalions were formed mainly from representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North, who traditionally engaged in reindeer husbandry and entered the service along with their herds. Such battalions brought more than 10 thousand patients and wounded from the front line, transported 17 thousand tons of ammunition, and evacuated 162 emergency aircraft.