Daily Life of British Pilots in the Soviet Arctic in 1941 (According to the Participants’ Memoirs)

The article examines the daily lives of the pilots of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain who arrived in the USSR in 1941 to assist the Soviet Armed Forces in the defense of the Arctic. The purpose of this article is to describe the little-known page in the history of the Great Patriotic War, to expand the knowledge about the Soviet-British cooperation and intercultural interaction. Based on the general analysis of the memories of the participants of the events, an attempt is made to show the living conditions, lifestyle, recreation and other factors affecting the adaptation of the British pilots to the life and combat missions in the Arctic. The research aims to understand the impact of various aspects of the British pilots’ daily lives on the course of events, morale and formation of allied relations. The personal testimonies of the British pilots collected in memoirs and diaries serve as a basis for this article. Historical modeling of the everyday life is based on the authentic narratives of the participants of the events, which contributes to the formation of a holistic view of the features of everyday life of the period under study. Additionally, archival documents and photographs were used to clarify the details and form a more complete picture. Mutual assistance, professionalism and respectful cooperation with the allies ensured overcoming difficulties and made a significant contribution to the military operations’ success, confirming the key role of the human factor in achieving a common victory.