Memory of the World: Events, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the polar convoys, in the Museum of Artillery in Saint-Petersburg

September 2, 2016 on the external exposition of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps (Saint-Petersburg) is held a solemn event dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the arrival in the Russian Arctic convoy "Dervish". The culmination of the celebrations will be a ceremony of the "Sherman" tank, raised from the Barents Sea, an open exposition of the museum of the St. Petersburg public organization "Polar convoy". 

Tank M4 "General Sherman" - the basic American medium tank during the World War II. It is widely used in the US Army in all areas of fighting, as well as large quantities delivered to allies (notably the UK and the USSR) on the Lend-Lease program.

In the USSR the US "Sherman" began arriving in November 1942, but in significant quantities the tank appeared in the Soviet army until the end of 1943. Dozens of "Shermans" participated in the Battle of Kursk. Since the spring of 1944, "Sherman" was involved in almost all the battles on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War.

Military and industrial machinery, equipment and ammunition were supplied under lend-lease to the Soviet Union military transport ships as part of the Arctic convoys.

During the 2 months before the end of the Great Patriotic War, in March 1945, the American ship "Thomas Donaldson" in convoy followed around Europe in Murmansk. According to some information on board were two locomotives and other military assistance to Georgia. Not reaching the port of Murmansk more miles an American convoy fell into a trap set by the German submariners. Transport sank at the entrance to Kola Bay, near Kildin Island.

In 2010, management experts of search and rescue of the Northern Fleet (NF UPASR) started design work on raising the surface of the contents of the holds of the American ship parts and weapons "Thomas Donaldson".

In 2014, from the bottom was raised a medium tank "Sherman" and after some time managed to extract another of the same tank.

August 1, 2016 the tank "Sherman" was delivered to the Nevsky Shipyard in Schlisselburg. For a month the tank has been restored and now takes its rightful place on the outside of the exposure of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps.

Within the preparation for the ceremony, members of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps prepared a new exhibition complex "Allied victory. To the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of the Lend-Lease agreement". Here is presented small arms, ammunition, items of arms, as well as models of tanks, trucks, motorcycles and airplanes, comes the northern sea convoys to the USSR from the US and the UK. The exhibition is complemented with form elements of allied garments, as well as posters and other materials.