International Russian War Cemetery

During World War 2, many prisoners - mainly Soviets - were held in camps in Norway. They had to work hard and were seriously punished, often shot, or died through inllness.
There were many camps around in Nordland; the prisoner's work was very important for that area because they helped building up the infrastructure, and worked in fish and brick factories.



In 1944, British planes attacked the ship "MS Rigel" which was taking thousands of Soviet prisoners south. "MS Rigel" was baldy damaged and about 2500 people died; it is the third biggest incident of all times! 

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Starting in 1957, "Operation Asphalt" was supposed to collect all dead Soviet prisoners, bring them to Tjotta, and burry them there at one place. In 1953, a piece of land given by the government to place the bodies. There are now burried about 8000 people, mostly unidentified          Russians. This big area is restricted with stone brick walls; on this walls there are boards on which names of the fallen are writen down. 
The place is big, very remote, and far from the city. Only few people know that this places exists and come to visit it. Although it was such a big happening, there is little information to be found. 
In 2013, it had been 60 years since it happened; but there were no ceremonies.


 In my opinion it is a pitty that there is not more information given about this tragic happenings. I was searching the internet but was not able to find someting I could have used. There is supposed to be an interview with a survivor of the Rigel catastrophy on video taken for the 60th anniversary but I sadly could not find a link. 

picture 1: http://www.nrk.no/nordland/60-ar-siden-helvete-1.95615