Red Army Girls in Luleå

Some of the women appear to wear uniform shirts (summer tunics) but most wear civilian clothes, probably made in Norway. PHOTO: Johan Eriksson

In the summer of 1945 some 25,000 Soviet citizens came to Luleå in north Sweden. They had until recently been prisoners of the Germans in Norway, mainly constructing the "Polar Railway" that was to connect central Norway with northernmost Norway. Here are some new photos of them.

These photos have never before been published in any way. The photographer was Johan Eriksson of Luleå, one of many, many local people who came to the Karlshäll area where the Soviets stayed for a day or two before being transported by ship to the Soviet Union.

What is so special about the above photo is that I have never before seen women in any photos of the Soviets in Karlshäll. Presumably some or all of them had been Red Army soldiers while some may have been civilians forced or lured by the German occupation authorities in Ukraine etc to work in Norway. Any reader of this blog who has more information about the depicted women please let me know.

Mr. Johan Eriksson also photographed men, also former prisoners of war, in Karlshäll. Here are two of these photographs:

The banner reads "Long live the victorious Red Army and its first marshal comrade Stalin!" PHOTO: Johan Eriksson.

Two former prisoners in front of the former main supply base of the German Wehrmacht in Luleå. The lifebuoy to the right is marked "Luleå". PHOTO: Johan Eriksson

All original photographs were kindly donated by Johan Erikson's son, Stig, and I have given them on to the Luleå Municipal Archive.