Allemann, L. The sami of the Kola Peninsula : about the life of an ethnic minority in the Soviet Union / Lukas Allemann ; [transl. by Michael Lomax]. - Rovaniemi : University of Lapland Printing Centre, 2013. - 151 p. : ill., map, portr. ; 25 см. - (Senter for samiske studier, Skriftserie ; 19).

The Sami of the Kola Peninsula In the foreword I have already mentioned that the existing literature on the Sami of the Soviet Union often takes a strong pro- or anti-Soviet position, which does not always match the reality of everyday life. The pro-Soviet position has already been amply demonstrated in the publication by Kiselev/Kiseleva (1987). It is on the board­ ing schools that Sarv (1996) expresses an extremely negative opinion, with state­ ments that could not be confirmed by any of my interviewees. We contrast a few of these statements with interview excerpts. "The teachers were bent on acculturating the children; i.e. they were force fed Russian food, potatoes and semolina pudding even though they would have preferred the traditional fish and reindeer meat. "174 This statement is already incorrect in suggesting that the Sami diet consists solely of fish and meat. For centuries before the October Revolution the Sami had had contact with the other ethnic groups present in one or the other form on the Kola Peninsula, trading with them and buying grain from them. Flour-based food had for long been as much part of the Sami diet as fish and meat. Ms Afanas'eva also reports from her time at boarding school: О: [...] Но все равно вот душа туда рвется домой, потому что мама тепленькая ждет тебя. И кушанье домашнее ждет, там [в Гремихе] ведь интернатовское питание. Нас все равно олениной кормили, уху варили. В: Да? О: Да. Давали. Была возможность в Гремихе. Рядом колхоз большой в Варзино и колхоз «Искра» иокангский. Мясо давали интернату. // A: [...] And yet, you miss home very much where your warmly loving mom is waiting for you. Because there you enjoy home-made food. But even in the Gremiha boarding school they served us reindeer meat and fish soup. Q: Really? 174Cf.: Sarv 1996, 136. Senterfor samiske studier, Skriftserie nr. 19 115