“On the night of May 9, 1945 the long awaited news about the unconditional surrender of the German army came to the Central telegraph of Krasnoyarsk. A telegraph lady, bursting out joy, breaking all the instructions, opened the window and cried: “Victory!”

Early in the morning we were awaken by a knock on the window. It was our neighbor – a small aged Tatar woman  Saparova, having armed with a long stick, she knocked on all the windows, which were still closed for night with the shutters, and shouted just one, the most desired, dear, sacred word : “Victory!”. Those days there were no differences between nations, all people lived friendly in one mighty multinational country. Hastily having dressed, by some unknown instinct everyone rushed to our central square, where usually festive demonstrations were held. There already were lots of people. Global unity: some sacred jubilant brotherhood! Smiles, tears, kisses. Acquaintances and people who met for the first time hugged, kissed each other and cried.

Not always these were the tears of joy: no one asked why an old, or maybe too early aged lady was crying so much, having put her head on someone’s shoulder. In the crowd, I saw our institute teacher. His face was burning with the multi-coloured  prints of girls’ lips. Overkissed and shy, with his eyes full of tears, he was standing unmoving. Somebody whispered, that his son had died at the front! If that had been a mistake!

A pouring rain, suddenly felt on the city, disturbed people’s great sincere jubilation, we didn’t notice clouds. The meeting was removed to the theatre, but could our small, though cozy, theatre accommodate this jubilant sea of people?! We were excitedly running in the still cold May rain. Everyone celebrated the Victory as he could. I don’t know, whether there were the appropriate festive invigorating drinks for this case. But even a glass of not very strong tea seemed to be more delightful than a glass of Champaign for us”.

Nina Trofimovna Medvedeva, Krasnoyarsk.

The Alaska-Siberia Air Road

The history of the Alaska-Siberia air road

The first and the only way, connecting America and Europe through the Bering Strait is the airway Alaska-Siberia. Its history counts a lot of incidents and deaths. In the district of Chukotka and Yakutia the piloting of aircraft were held in taiga and tundra, where each landing could become fatal.

The history of ALSIB started during the years of the Second World War. In the beginning of the Great Patriotic War the Soviet Union suffered heavy losses, so already in autumn 1941 the agreement, according to which the USA were obliged to provide the USSR with weapon, medical equipment, medicines, food products and raw materials in the framework of Land-Lease was signed.

A short transport corridor, unachievable for the German air force, was the air route from Alaska to Siberia. Krasnoyarsk was chosen as the final point of the route thanks to its excellent airport and aviation specialists of the high level.

This is here, where one of the few airdromes, able to accommodate heavy bombers and cargo aircraft from entire Alaska and the northeast of Siberia, was situated. So, Krasnoyarsk became a key link in the chain of provision of materials and equipment for front.

The airdrome’s importance was so high, that a whole system on its guarding and protection from the German bombing was developed. A big amount of aircraft, flying through this airdrome, made it one of the biggest airdromes in the USSR. Today the airdrome has an international status and is one of the biggest airdromes in Russia.

ALSIB creation

On the 9^th of October 1941 a group, headed by a polar pilot, Major General of Aviation Vasiliy Molokov, started designing. And already in July 1942 the air road, spading from Fairbanks to Krasnoyarsk for almost 6500 kilometers, was ready. The transportation of the American planes was headed by the Commander of the 1^st transit air regiment Ilya Mazuruk.

The American and Soviet pilots transported fighters by planes through the transit airdrome road, built between the city of Uelkal in Alaska and the village of Markovo in Yakutia.

There were several airdromes on the route, where pilots had to make stops for the time of aircraft refueling and repair.

Under the conditions of severe frosts the airdromes had to be modernized and improved, the aircraft had to enter service efficiently and as soon as possible. In the territory, where rivers flew, it was very hard to held works. As a result, a new transit route from Fairbanks (USA) to Kolyma (village Seymchan) was organized.

The longest air road for aircrafts transit in the world

The transit route, connecting the northern part of the country and America, became the longest air road in the world, where air crews and a part of combat aircraft, as well as cargo and mail planes, flew.

In total about 8000 bombers and fighters, cargo and training planes were delivered through ALSIB for the following transportation to the front. Different technics and consumer goods were delivered via the route, as well as military specialists and diplomats, including the US Vice-President Henry Wallace, travelled along this way.   

Today, instead of some of them you can see the photos of the historical events. ALSIB became an important link due to the Land-Lease and the USA’s help to the Soviet Union. Its air roads were used even after the war.

Historical places, related to the Alaska-Siberia air road

Some of the memorable places, related to the Alaska-Siberia road, have been pserved and are being ppared for development. For example, “Avia House” in Vavilov street, 35, where the pilots and technical staff of the air regiment lived. Thanks to the pupils of lyceum 11, a plaque appeared on its wall, and inside the lyceum there is the museum “My Small Motherland” with an exposition, devoted to ALSIB. 

In Molokov street, built on the place of the runway, a monument stele to Vasiliy Molokov is mounted.

The monument to the heroes of the Krasnoyarsk Air Road will appear on the square, which is being reconstructed in Aerovokzalnaya street. And on Molokov Island, where the hydro aviation base was located, the Park Museum of the Development of the North will be founded. The artefacts, found on the route of Land-Lease, will be psented there.

One of the most important exhibits will become the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, evacuated from Taimyr during the expedition of the Russian Geographical Society.