The “Cemetery War” in the Town of Mo i Rana. To the History of Soviet War Memorial Heritage in Northern Norway

Abstract

The events surrounding the Soviet military burial site at the Mo cemetery in the town of Mo i Rana are a bright page of the Soviet military memorial heritage's history in Northern Norway. In 1945, at the burial place of 90 Soviet prisoners who worked on the construction of the Nordlandsbanen rail route, the monument was erected by their comrades. In 1948, through the efforts of the residents of Mo municipality, the monument destroyed by weather was rebuilt. Plans by the central authorities to move the remains from the cemetery to the island of Tjøtta during the all-Norwegian campaign faced with public protest led by members of the Communist Party of Norway. The removal of the remains, scheduled for November 2, 1951, didn’t take place in connection with a large-scale protest action, which later called the “cemetery war”. Residents of Mo i Rana are rightfully proud of this page in their history. In 2020, the memorial at the Mo cemetery was opened after renovation initiated by concerned citizens. In 2021, the efforts of the authorities and residents of Rana municipality to preserve the memory of Soviet soldiers’ feat were marked by Russian state awards.