Garrison of the Solovetsky Archipelago during the Years of World War II Review of Solovetskii garnizon v 1940–1947 gg. Stranitsy istorii. Nasledie. Arkheologiya [Solovetsky garrison in 1940–1947. Pages of history. Heritage. Archaeology], by A.Ya. Martynov, L.I. Prourzin, and M.P. Kalatur (Solovki; Arkhangel'sk: Solovetskii gosudarstvennyi istoriko-arkhitekturnyi i prirodnyi muzei-zapovednik, 2025)

The monograph under review is the first fundamental study on the history of the Solovetsky garrison from the time of its creation in 1940 till the transfer of its main units to the mainland in 1947. The Naval Training Detachment constituted the basis for all military units and institutions on Solovki in those years. The detachment included 6 schools for training naval specialists, including the most famous Naval Cadet School (Shkola Yungov VMF). Along with the detachment, thirty more military units (a hospital, a postal aviation unit, anti-aircraft and coastal artillery batteries, specialized companies, etc.) were stationed on Solovki back then. Based on the great number of sources, most of which are being introduced into the scholarly discourse for the first time, the researchers made an attempt to highlight the activities of each of the units. In parallel with their work in the archives, the authors of the monograph examined and described the remains of more than one thousand “dugouts,” outbuildings, and defensive installations during several field seasons, adding artifacts and extensive field reports to the collection of the Solovetsky State Historical Architectural and Natural Museum Preserve. A brief description of the most interesting monuments was included in the book as a “kind of memory catalog.” The results presented by the authors of the book under review destroy many myths and stereotypes of the history of Solovki during the war years, thereby making it possible to correct the existing errors in literature, movies, and even on the memorial plaques and monuments.

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