The Winter War brought the Second World War into the Arctic when the Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939. Along a border more than a thousand kilometres long, Finnish and Soviet forces fought through extreme cold, snow and darkness, while the conflict attracted hundreds of foreign reporters.
At Suomussalmi and Raate Road, Finnish troops confronted Soviet forces advancing through northern Finland. The battles became an important part of Finnish wartime propaganda, as international media were brought to the battlefield and reports of the fighting spread abroad.
Today, archaeologists are investigating mass graves along Raate Road, where the number of fallen Ukrainian soldiers remains a historical mystery. Their research is helping locate burial sites connected to the fighting.
Discover how warfare, propaganda and international interests converged in the Arctic during the Winter War.
Documentary: Untold Arctic Wars : The Cold War EP1
Directed by: Anna-Reeta Eksymä et Teemu Hostikka
Production: NTRNZ Media Ltd (2022)
#documentary #freedocumentary #ww2 #worldwar2 #winterwar #finland #sovietunion #raateroad #suomussalmi #arcticwarfare #militaryhistory #historydocumentary