SOVIET ARCTIC STATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R001700130006-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 20, 2011
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: July 30, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/20: CIA-RDP82-00457R001700130006 7X1-HUM
_NV
COUNTRY USSR
PLACE
ACQUIRED
&)A t"E OF fl FO
Soviet Arctic Stations
THIS COCU64?HT CONTAINS INFORUATION AFV5CTINO aH? N9TIONAL DEFENSE
OF THO UNITED STATES IVITNIN THE MEANING OP TIM E P10NAGE ACt 50
U. 0 C.. 31 ANU 22. AS A94070E0. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
L?91OI.GD BY LAW. REPROOUCTIOP OP TIIlS FORM IS PCOIIUi1TED. HOIY-
05CR. I IFOCU .TION COIITAIUEO Ill 000Y OF THE PORN NAT OE UTILI2E0
AS OE?11E0 NFCE65ARt S TH5 REC?IVHNG AGENCY.
DATE DISTR. 303,al; 1942
NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO. .
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION FOR THE RESEARCH
USE OF TRAINED INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS
1.
A line of so--called "Arctic sta'_,ioras" is bating r.^ai.ntained b V the Soviet
Goverment along the Arctic r arit3 route fras?~.t I urr'1armk to the Pacific.
Some of these strt' ions are situated on the Earopean-Asiatic land rasa
itself, both on the coast and inland, chile others are on islands in the
Arctic Ocean. The stations were set up to serve as ether stations,` to
facilitate the conduotin; of scientific or r'ilitary exreriI!tents, and to
serve as banes for the exploration of Arctic sea and air routes. In 1937
there tere csventyr-eight such stations; U? c?,ere officially registered in
1939; in 1941 theta were almost 200; trhile Lore than 350 had been set up
by 1946.
2. Before 1939, all the Ilia. Sian Arctic stations acre acininistered by G1av-
sevrorput (Chief Adninistration for the Ilorthen Ilaritit a Route) and the
Arctic Institute of Leningrad. After 1939, two further sdx ainistrrt Ions
joined Sm the control and direction of the stations s GUIIZ (Chief Adinis
tration of the NNI1 Forced Labor Colonies) and the Amy General Staff.
3. The several types of Arctic stntions fall into the f'ollo4ng general
to e,fories:
F
AR
Document No. (P
NO CHANCE in Class. ^
(] DECLASSIFIED
DISTRIBUTION
w T
Class. CHANGED TO: TS S c'? m ELI
DDA Memo. 4 Apr 77 ii
Auth: DDA REG. 77
Dater ~~JI~`1g
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/20: CIA-RDP82-00457R001700130006-7
1) Scientific installations for geographic, geological, topographic=al,
citic, and sociological studies.
2) Laboratories for industrial tests (rartic riy of netalc).
3) Installations for testing the functioning of arm, and rotors.
4) Banos for 1.onr-distance or local loration, Yrith Pro:: cting
te.~rts.
5) Pe' sont roars for t~aeteoroloerlea1 observation.
6) Radio stations.
7) Antl-ai raft defense posts (usually three AA batteries).
CLASSIFICATION S CTt;~'T 001.7TOL U. S. 0 ICIA1LS OPII '
CENTRAL INTELLIGENC REPORT
 5nx1-Hl JM
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/20: CIA-RDP82-00457ROO1700130006-7
EGRET COIRROL
N3
CEInmAL = LLIGESOE AGDNOY
S) Coastal defense posts (17
,enerolly two batteries tsith 107 ma
cannon. and two batteries with 12 . howitzers) .
9) Ground defense units (sell elite garrisons a= ad with auto-
ratio weapons and hoof tzers) .
10) Airfields.
11) Bases for sm 3-I icebreakers of less than 1,( tons.
Almost all the stations are very well equipped technicalily. They
are built by forced laborers who, as a rule., are oxtezinated once
the t rk is finished. '.then the terrain is suitable, some of the
structures are extended ur.3erground.' Food and other supplies arrive
each summer, but a throe-year roserve is retained as a precautionary
measure. The personnel of this type of isolated station varies as
to both quantity and quality. The average conpiement is approo~tely
250 :man. Each station has a ereciel eoienti-ic staff, It a own ad-
ministration, its r ilitRzry command and rarrison, and a pool of forced
laborers supplied by the GMI. The latter w aald be liquidated in the
event of a shortage of rations.
M&Uyga- L or a=,;
These rank above all roteorological and radio stations. Their task
is to en-sure the safety of the sea and air services, and they act as
advance or intermediate posts fOr expeditious leaving the isolated
stations mentioned above. In erall, they do not possess much In
the *,?ny of scientific equipment. They often adjoin airfields and
are conetl es located near lighthouses. Their AA and gwotmd defense
units are generally adaptable to meet sea attacks. Some of the sea
and air traffic station- are poorly equipped technically. The of i-
cial plan allows for reserves of food, clothing, and arms for three
years,, but this standard is hardly ever reached., and the personnel
often find themselves in a precarious position in the months precedd
in- the arrival of the annual nunmer supplies. Only rarely are there
more than fifty persons at such stations. These are either free Soviet
citizens or deportees who are politically reliable but who have part
of a renal sentence to serve in the Arctic,
Ca '" tat' e nt of trafficz
These stations sonatinas possess an independent scientific staff
and sometimes serve as relay posts for the establishments nentioned
in Tragmph 3a. These stations occasionally lie near airfields
and are always equipped with radio trap aitter~s. They have simple
ground defenses, including light field pieces. Technical equipant
and food supplies suffice for the needs of the thirty persons who
;generally ran the stations.
d.
These stationd are for the most part in the nature of pieneerin Or
exploration camp and it is not until after two or three year&
desrelo nt that they are either transformed into permanent stations
of one r' the types mentioned above or abandoned. They are provided
with radio transmitters and scientific and meteorological. equi nt,>
The size of the complex ent varies from 50 to 250 men. Those always
include a GU4Z representative, who mi., when necessary, requisition
forced laborers to assist in the ,cork of the station.
ME
B.S. c)FFICIAL9 ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/20: CIA-RDP82-00457ROO1700130006-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/20: CIA-RDP82-00457R001700130006-7
Cod
CENTRAL n ILIC ICE AGETICY
e. 8tat12na 3n VOrta gr_tow ,s:
These differ from the previous types in that the various services
are separate and independent, The stations are for pti e],y
scientific purposes; the radio, meteorolog ealp and research eta-
tione belong to. the towns.
In certain ports there are also centers which are in change of a
region. The principal
series of sub .stations in the surrounding
centers of this type are at I iotosersk, Anders., Novy Port, Port
Dickson, Taimyrsk,, Khatanga, Port Tiksi, and Atibarchik. At Ark '
bangl, Yakutsk, and s `.ag dan there are centers of a still higher
grade which supervise the above-mentioned regional centers,
The following is a list of known Arctic stations:
Five Imo. east of Gavrilova, Kola Peninsula: a sea traffic station
with lighthouse, no airfield.
A few 1=teat of Varsinak, Kola Peninoula. a sea and air traffic
station with nearby lighthouse and airfield.
Yakutsk, formerly Svyatoi Nos: a sea and air traffic station.
Ponol: a sea traffic station on the t?Uhite Sea Straits.
I=lezen: a station within a town.
Kanin Nos: an isolated station of the type mentioned in paragraph 3a.
Thirty-eight la,. east of Kani-n Nos, a lighthouse and radio station,,
Paza: a scientific '1,ionp 100 lone inland.
Nizh Pesha: a sea and air traffic station.
Nord n ?k.ip of Kolguev Island: a scientific at