Duke of Edinburgh opens Russian-reconstructed masts of HMS Belfast

19.10.2010 Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Consort of British Queen took part in opening ceremony of restored masts of HMS Belfast which participated in Arctic Convoys during WW2.

The ship is presently moored at Thames bank next to London's City Hall; she is a floating museum controlled by Imperial War Museum. HMS Belfast is the only remained participant of famed Arctic Convoys.

The cruiser's restoration project has lasted for over 1.5 years and was sponsored by a number of Russian companies including the United Industrial Corporation (UIC), Severstal, and Sovkomflot. British insurance company Lloyd's Register helped to transfer drawings from Imperial System into metric one.

Restoration of mainmast and foremast was carried out by 20 shipwrights of Severnaya Verf shipyard (St. Petersburg). They did it for free in acknowledgement of assistance rendered by the UK and other allies to the USSR.

Group of Russian experts who have been living and working aboard the cruiser since early Sept demounted all equipment from masts and restored it. Then they gradually dismantled old masts, mounted new ones, and fixed all equipment.

Duke of Edinburgh was an honorable guest during the ceremony on board HMS Belfast; by the way, he used to serve in the Royal Navy during WW2.

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russian presidential administration also attended the solemn event.

Among other invitees were Alexander Sternik, temporary charge d'affaires of Russia in the UK; Sir Peter Squire, director of Imperial War Museum; Phil Reed, director of HMS Belfast; Admiral Sir Alan West, ex-commander of the Royal Navy. Heads of the participating companies also attended the ceremony – Sergei Pugachev and Andrei Fomichev (UIC and Severnaya Verf), Sergei Frank and Lord Fairfax (Sovkomflot), Peter Hambro and Pavel Maslovsky (Petropavlovsk), Alexei Yakovitsky (VTB Capital), Russian and British veterans of Arctic Convoys.

Mostly consisted of British servicemen, Arctic Convoys delivered food supplies and combat hardware via Arctic waters to Soviet ports during WW2.

Totally, 40 convoys with about 800 ships were dispatched by the UK to the USSR. Over 100 ships were scuppered by German submarines and aviation which claimed lives of almost 3,000 British servicemen.

Nonetheless, Arctic Convoys delivered to the USSR about 4 mln units of cargo (approx one forth of allies' overall aid). Among successfully transported cargoes were over 7,000 aircrafts, more than 5,000 tanks, about 5,000 antitank weapons, 2,000 field telephones, over 4,000 radio sets, ammunition, fuel, food supplies, medicines, telephone wires, outfits, metals, and etc.

The contribution to victory made by Arctic Convoys was deservedly appraised by Russian authorities. Russian embassy in London regularly arranges medal investing ceremonies for British veterans (in spring 2010 such ceremony was held on board HMS Belfast); in 2006 British defense ministry established memorable sign "Arctic Emblem". In 2009 a memorial to lost participants of Arctic Convoys was founded at Orkney Islands.

Extant veterans of Arctic Convoys are honorable guests at all ceremonies held at Soviet memorial in London on May 9 (Russia's Victory Day) and Remembrance Sunday.