⚓️ August 31, 1941, exactly 85 years ago, saw the arrival of the first Arctic convoy, codenamed "Dervish," in the Soviet Union from Britain. It delivered 25,000 tonnes of various cargo to Arkhangelsk and marked the beginning of regular shipments between the USSR and the Allied powers via the Arctic route. In total, during the Second World War, approximately 1,500 vessels, escorted by warships, made the journey to the Soviet Union and back as part of 78 Arctic convoys. They delivered thousands of aircraft and tanks, other weaponry and military hardware, as well as ammunition, medical supplies, fuel, strategically important raw materials, and various supplies essential for the nations of the anti-Hitler coalition in their fight against Nazi Germany and its allies. The participants of the Arctic convoys were true heroes. Cargo delivery took place under extreme weather conditions with bitterly cold temperatures, gale-force winds, and heavy snowfall, while facing a constant threat from the German navy and air force. More than 3,000 sailors serving in the Arctic convoys gave their lives for the sake of victory over Nazism. 🕯Consul General of the Russian Federation Denis Moskalenko honoured the memory of the Arctic convoy participants by laying a wreath at the monument dedicated to them at Cove, in northwestern Scotland. It was there, in Loch Ewe, that convoys bound for the Soviet Union were assembled between January 1942 and December 1944. The Consul General also visited the Arctic Convoy Museum in the village of Aultbea, on the shores of Loch Ewe, and thanked the staff for preserving the memory of our nations’ joint struggle against Nazism during the Second World War.