LUCKY MAN - a true story of heroes
London
Aim
Raising £20,000 to enable 13 heroes - veterans of the Arctic Convoys - to visit St. Petersburg, Russia.
BACKGROUND
It should take around four generations for people to forget tragedies and sufferings of a previous war before they allow another war to happen...
This summarises the thoughts of William Power (1873–1951), Scottish author, journalist, politician.
70 years on after the end of the Second World War, a group of unsung heroes of ‘the worst journey in the world’ will travel to St. Petersburg in Russia for the unveiling of a memorial ‘In Memory of the Arctic Convoy Sailors 1941-1945’.
The veterans are: Frank Bond, Edward Cordery, John Crossman, Ernie Davies, Harry Grew, Ernest Hall, Fred Jewett, David Kennedy, Norman Robinson, Tony Snelling.
British veterans with their Russian friends in Moscow. 29 November 2013.
The Arctic Convoys (1941-1945) were one of the most important chapters of the Second World War. They delivered crucial food and munitions from Britain to the northern Russian cities of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk, sailing through icy seas that were vulnerable to aircraft attack and heavily secured by German U-boats intent on destroying the ships that carried essential supplies.
THE TRIP
This journey will be a follow-up to the 'ARCTIC STAR TO RUSSIA' trip to Moscow in November 2013 when the British veterans delivered and presented an Arctic Star medal to Russia’s Central War Museum as a gift in recognition of all the efforts and the losses by the Russian people in the Second World War.
ITV News report by Luke Hanrahan. November - December 2013, Moscow.
The main Heroes of the trip and the subsequent 'LUCKY MAN' film will be the veterans of Arctic Convoys - members of The Russian Convoy Club (London) and the HMS Belfast Association.
The Russian Convoy Club members leaving for Moscow. November 2013.
DAY 1 - 29 AUGUST 2014
On Friday 29th August 2014, a team of 90-year young-at-heart veterans will gather at a London airport, to be met by British supporters for a group photograph prior to their departure for the Northern capital of Russia, St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg today.
Leningrad, as it was called at the time of the war, St. Petersburg was blockaded from the rest of the world by Nazi troops from 8 September 1941 until it was liberated by the Russian Army on 27 January 1944 (2 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 5 days).
Siege of Leningrad.
Upon arrival in St. Petersburg the veterans will be greeted by their Russian hosts and treated like royalty.
DAY 2 - 30 AUGUST 2014
After a good nights’ rest they will board a battleship on Saturday morning to cruise around the Gulf of Finland. They will visit historic scenes of naval battles, which will bring back vivid memories of past days.
Gulf of Finland
A visit to St. Petersburg’s Peter and Paul Fortress, the original citadel founded by Peter the Great in 1703, will display monuments to the history of one of the world’s greatest cities.
Peter and Paul Fortress
DAY 3 - 31 AUGUST 2014
It was on 31st August 1941 when the very first convoy, codenamed ‘Dervish’, arrived in Archangelsk bringing much needed supplies to support Russia’s resistance against the Nazis. Amongst the many supplies, there were 24 Hurricanes, which later defended Moscow between 2nd October 1941 and 7th January 1942.
Hurricane plane
It will be on the anniversary of this famous day of Dervish that the veterans will visit the Piskariovksoye Memorial Cemetery, a sobering monument which commemorates the lives lost of more than 500,000 victims of the Siege of Leningrad.
Piskariovksoye Memorial Cemetery
After paying their respect to the victims of the Siege, veterans will gather in the front court of a historic Naval Academy, the Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy, to unveil a memorial ‘In Memory of the Arctic Convoy Sailors 1941 - 1945’.
Plaster cast of the memorial
The bronze sculpture (see the plaster cast above) depicts three figures of Russian, British and United States sailors who stand on the stern of a battleship.
The historic unveiling will be crowned by a Reception in honour of the veterans, hosted by the Governor of St. Petersburg, Mr. Georgy Poltavchenko.
DAY 4 - 1 SEPTEMBER 2014
The following day, Monday 1st September, will be the first day of the new school year for children of St. Petersburg after their summer holidays. The veterans will visit schools to meet with children whose great grandfathers fought alongside them with Allied forces to defeat Hitler’s notorious plan for world rule. The meeting with British veterans will stay in the memories of children for the rest of their lives.
1 September in Russia - back to school
In the evening a special concert to honour the veterans will take place in the Theatre of Music Comedy. The theatre is renowned for its continued performances throughout the entire siege of Leningrad.
Theatre of Music Comedy, main hall.
DAY 5 - 2 SEPTEMBER 2014
Infused with Russian hospitality and admiration, the veterans will depart for home on Tuesday 2nd September.
CREW MEMBERS
British Heroes and their family members will be accompanied on their trip to St. Petersburg by a team of news makers from ITV - a UK prime television channel - led by Luke Hanrahan (see the ITV news video above). They will be joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Southwark, administrators of HMS Belfast Association, Chairman of the Russian Arctic Convoy Museum (Loch Ewe) and British violinist Litsa Tunnah. Delegation will be led by Eugene Kasevin.
LYRICAL INTRO
Stacey Blythe, a British singer, composer and song writer, was casually driving her car along a motorway when she heard BBC Radio 4 interview by Eddie Mair with British veteran of the Arctic Convoys - Edward Cordery*. She stopped to listen to the story, and her new song 'Lucky Man' was inspired.
Two years later, the 'Lucky Man' was found and selected by Eugene Kasevin (project leader - see the bio below), after having heard it on YouTube (full version), to be the title song for a new documentary film and the title for the St. Petersburg trip.
* - Edward Cordery served on HMS Belfast. Thank God! - he is alive and well, and will be traveling to St. Petersburg.
CONCLUSION
Whilst all prime news channels in Britain, Russia and the United States will report this event, our to St. Petersburg will become the only record to fully convey the story of a few remaining witnesses and participants of a wartime history we must never forget. The story of a few lucky brave men who stood for the world we are living in today, at a time when it was most needed.
Your support will make this project possible and ensure the comfort of our safe return. THANK YOU!
REWARD ITEMS
Eugene's poem 'Torpedo' is offered to all backers as a THANK YOU reward. Illustrated by Russian iPad artist Nadja Ryzhakova, it depicts the last moments of a sailor’s life before a torpedo hits the ship. A young sailor swiftly recollects the day of his wedding that took place just before he was sent on a convoy mission to Russia.
Torpedo
Fierce torpedo cuts through silent wave;I watch its path and see, through mist,You and I, hand in hand, wrist on wrist,Slicing our cake, our future lives to pave.
Sea foam, frosting cut by hands entwined.Guided knife as sharp as silent thrust.Reunion is close at cost of lives. Then ‘Trust!’You said to me, and so I keep your words in mind.
(The original Russian poem was creatively interpreted in English by Diana Rodell)
ELEVEN SONGS FROM LOVE LANE - Album by Stacey Blythe
I am so excited about 'Eleven Songs From Love Lane' - the music and these lyrics are mirrors of the many voices and stories reflecting all the adventures I have had as a musician and human being! I can feel the songs smiling back at me saying "we are so glad you have got us out there!" They sing about love, loss, travel, dreams, hope and happiness... I hope they make their new listeners as happy as they've made me when i was writing them..
VICTORY DAY LONDON - www.VictoryDayLondon.co.uk - 9 May 2015
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PROJECT LEADER
EUGENE KASEVIN was born in 1970 (Crimea, USSR). Following his move to the UK in 1992, Eugene spent many years promoting Russian contemporary classical music to British audiences.
He is the founder of the VICTORY DAY LONDON event that takes place every year in London in honour of the Second World War Victory and, most importantly, the heroism of the people who took part in the Arctic Convoys.
Having started the Victory Day London in 2007 he quickly grew very close to the Arctic Convoy veterans, which brought back the memories of Eugene's late grandfather, Yury Kasevin, who also served in the Second World War as a naval fighter pilot.
Eugene's other projects on the theme of Arctic Convoys include the ARCTIC STAR TO RUSSIA and the DERVISH PROJECT.
David Kennedy recollects on the Arctic Star trip to Moscow.
In May 2014, Eugene was made an Honorary Member of The Russian Convoy Club (London) of which he is very proud and grateful.
Musician (classical trumpet) by education and poet by nature, Eugene considers himself to be an impresario of true human talent. He is focusing on creative start-ups with the Arctic Convoys and the veterans as his true inspiration to keep going.
This project closed unsuccessfully on 18th August 2014