INFORMATION ON THE PECHENGA AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002200130016-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 30, 2005
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: September 18, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA002200130016-6
r'G4) c33
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SEC
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This Document contains information affecting the lb
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. dads, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its ooiiten,t+
to or receipt by an unauthorised person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
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PLACE ACQUIRED
USSR (Murmansk Oblast)
Information on the Pecheng~ Area
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FOR ;;cIT:C"I S%CURITY REASONS
NIT TO GE FURTHER
ITON THE UNITED
I~RD THE BORDERS
TATES, WITHOUT THE
amm mm, in OF THE REtEAS
INO OFFICE.
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
18 September 1953
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1. The Pechenga area, taken over from Finland after the war, is reached by steamer
from Murmansk to-Liinakhamari f'69-3g, E331-22 . There'is:,a:.road:.-from.-Mus nahskoto
Pechenga L169-33, F31-12Jbut it is reported to be unfit for heavy traffic.
From Liinakhamari an excellent all-weather road (part of.the Arctic Highway built
by the Finns for tourist traffic) rune to Lake Kuotsyarvi and the nickel mines.
This road is kept clear of sncr in the winter and-carries more or less continuous
traffic between the nickel mines and Liinakhamari, whence ore is transported
by the sea route to Murmansk.
2. Three passenger steamers ply regular2q between Liinakhamari and Murmansk, sailing
three or four times weekly in each direction during the summer. In winter and in
stormy weather, the service is less frequent and is sometimes interrupted for a
week or more. The DERZHAVIN and ILYA MIN are described as comfortable and as
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3.
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4*
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carrying mainly passengers; the VOLOGDA, on the other hand, is a much older and
less attractive vessel.
The ore from the nickel mines is loaded on cargo ships
loa ng is effected by the use
of a wheeled grab no on rails
When a ship is in port, the ore is loaded direct rom the truck".
"mountain" of ore near the quay. Both
passenger and cargo sps come alongside.
SECRET]
ARMY lx NAVY
IAIR X FBI AEC
 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA002200130016-6
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SE/RETJ
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7. The village of Pechenga, and indeed the whole area, was thoroughly scorched
after (sic) the war. Ver few civilians are now to be found in tearea,
there are many soldiers.
e frontier troops ha green shoulder boards; but
the majority of the so diers seen in the area were not frontier troops.)
8. The airfield at Luostari is in use, but the hangars appear to be derelict.
25X1 this airfield was built b the Germans during the war.
it is situated in the angle
25X1 between the echenga and Naamjokk Rivers, just south of Luostari village. In
the neighborhood of the airfield naval-type uniform,
25X1 I Imembero bf the' Naval Air Force.
9. No official name has yet been given to the now township which has sprung up
25X1 near the nickel mines. It is known simply as Nikel' (Finnish: ).
It is much more of a town than Peohenga, and is laid out in streets.t has
two-story houses and a number of shops. More civilians are in evidence here.
There is a bus service from Nikel' to Liinakhamari, but the normal method
of transport is by thumbing a lift in a nickel or military truck. In the
Peohenga-Luostari area, the civilians are mainly women. There is a shop at
the Luostari airfield, and at least two at Pechengaj there are post-offices
at Peohenga, Luostariaand Nikel'.
10. The sites in use by the East Peohenga Geological Expedition, south and south-
west of Luostari, are shown on the map on page 3. The headquarters of the
expedition ( No. 1) are marked with the figure '.". Two'subsidiary sites
(marked "2" and " " were being operated in 1950-52., and together formed
No, 2. About 300 persons were employed by the expedition of whom
25X1 a ou 0 were engaged in drilling. The site on the River Lammas ("3" on the
map) closed down in the winter months.
11. The Geological Prospecting Party
(
),
located ?imewhat to the west of
the expedition site, had no co
nnection
with
the expedition,
prospecting party
permanen
t
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organisation, wh
ereas the expedi
tion would eventually pac up
and go ho
me.
12.
the climate
in the area dose not seem to
o severe b
y
northern standards and is extrem
ely changeable in winter the
temperatu
re
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sometimes varying in the course
of a single day from -306 0 to
a thaw.
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SFiCRETJ
Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA002200130016-6
 Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA002200130016-6
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SJJ
_3_
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9ECRETT
ILLEGIB
Legend:
Airfield
East Phsnga
Expedition Site
T (lot sector)
J) 0 (2nd bsotor)
(D Geological
Prospecting Party
~~~d''al~eathor
rgad
1i(: :wL
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Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP80-0081 OA002200130016-6