Millions of tons of goods issued by the customs of the North-West during the great Patriotic war
The treacherous attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 caused significant damage to the customs system. On the Western borders of the country ceased to exist 24 customs. Many customs officers have fallen in the first days of the war, taking the fight to the composition of the outposts. Almost 90 % of the personnel of the customs authorities was drafted into the army and the Navy, enrolled in the militia, went to guerrilla groups.
By the end of 1941 ceased operations and customs in Leningrad, trapped in a ring of enemy blockade.
All Northwest operated only customs in Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. 1941 customs Northern customs work at the customs clearance and clearance of cargo, supplied under lend-lease (transfer, lend or lease weapons, ammunition, strategic raw materials, food were U.S. allies in the anti-Hitler coalition) and the red cross. In the nomenclature of goods supplied under lend-lease, included medicines, medical instruments, instruments and apparatuses, hospital equipment, items of sanitation and hygiene, dentures, clothing, linen, shoes, bedding. They were intended to maintain the combat readiness of units and formations of the red Army and Navy.
Murmansk and Arkhangelsk customs in the years of the great Patriotic war became a real Outpost of the customs system of the country. Employees of these two customs were the work almost on the front lines, fearlessly, constantly risking his life under enemy bombing and torpedo attacks, they are doing their professional duty.
The military life was for customs officers in Murmansk and all northerners excessively heavy. German aircraft bombed the city day and night to destroy his aircraft from the air. Especially violent attacks have targeted commercial sea port. In the port there is not one undamaged pier, they continually had to repair and restore, port workers and customs officers did under the fatal fire.
Customs Arkhangelsk worked in the harsh wartime almost at the forefront.In addition to lend-lease, through Arkhangelsk received the goods in commercial turnover imported trade unions. Here crossed the border of the USSR the considerable part of foreign and Soviet passengers, there were diplomatic and other international mail and baggage.
Only during the war years, the Northern route arrived 41 the caravan, composed of 738 ships with goods and sent to 36 caravans that are exported by the escort ships.
According to the state Department of the United States, during the war, through the Soviet Northern and Arctic ports of England, Canada and the United States received about 4.5 million tons of cargo. It’s almost a quarter of all deliveries in the USSR during the war. Of them in the Northern ports delivered 3.7 million tons, including in Arkhangelsk and Molotovsk 1.9 million tons, i.e. more than half of the cargoes arriving in the ports of the North.
As compensation for lend-lease from Arkhangelsk was released by customs and sent to the allies a large number of various goods: timber, pulp, asbestos, flax, magnesite, resin, cotton, chrome ore, wool, fur and so on. All from Archangel allies was sent 1.5 million tons of cargo.
For the resilience, courage, acceptance of strategically important goods, their safety and facilitate quick delivery to the front of many employees in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk customs was awarded the order of Labor red banner, medals “For Defense of Soviet Arctic”, “For valiant labor in the great Patriotic war”, “For labour valour” and “For labor”.
In April 1944, resumed its work in Leningrad custom. In 1944-1945 by the chief of customs was A. M. Lopatkin. In June 1944 in the liberated Vyborg resumed their work custom, performed the inspection of the passenger and later freight trains, EN route from Finland. After the capture of the city of königsberg by Soviet troops opened here post Virbaliskiu custom converted later in Königsberg, and then in the Kaliningrad customs.
75-summer anniversary of Victory in the great Patriotic war customs of the North-West revere memory of participants of war, veterans of the customs service, concentration camp prisoners, survivors of siege, home front workers. Of their heroism tells the page on the website SZTU “75 years of Victory”. Every year, in observances customs of the North-West, Saint-Petersburg laid flowers at the memorials and monuments of the defenders of the polar region of North-Western cities of Russia, the city of Leningrad, where fierce fighting took place for the liberation of the Motherland from Nazi invaders.
Department of public relations, North