Maksim Starostin’s War Diary. 1941–1945

Abstract

This article seeks to shed light on the diary of Maksim Ivanovich Starostin (1902–1948), First Secretary of the Murmansk Provisional Committee of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Murmansk Defense Committee, and written during the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945). As a colonel and later major-general, Starostin was a member of the Military Council of the Soviet Northern Fleet and the Military Council of the 14th Army, which conducted the defense of the Kola Peninsula. He travelled during both summer and winter to inspect the conditions of the soldiers at the front, at the same time working intensively to provide the city of Murmansk with building materials and food supplies. Starostin also played an important role organizing the fishing industry. A particular challenge that demanded much of his attention was the unloading of Allied vessels delivering equipment and goods of critical importance for the Soviet Union’s struggle against Nazi Germany. A significant problem in this regard was a lack of available manpower. Effective supervision of personnel was regarded by Starostin as a key to success. In many respects he was an ideal party leader, loyal to the political leadership of the country, but at the same time independent and not afraid to criticize decisions made at higher levels. Despite this, however, on the 14th of April 1945 the Party Central Committee elected to transfer Starostin to Moscow, only weeks before victory. As a consequence, Starostin was prevented from celebrating Victory Day in Murmansk, a city to which he had given all his strength during the Great Patriotic War. Perhaps Starostin, in the eyes the Stalinist leadership, had become too powerful and independent to be left alone in the High North.