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 Sami language was increasingly sidelined in the Mat^chin family. Today no one of Anastasija's children and grandchildren can speak Sami. Anastasija Nikolaevna complains particularly of the circumstances of the reset­ tlement in Gremiha, where the state provided virtually no help. Neither homes nor jobs were made ready for the displaced persons. Even before the family moved to Gremiha, Anastasija's husband searched on his own for a new home. Through ac­ quaintances, he found an abandoned old house, which according to Anastasija's words had long been used as a lavatory by passers-by and residents. 103 B efore the family's arrival, Ivan Nikitic more or less repaired this house with his own hands. He had to totally disinfect it, poison the rats and completely replace the floors. Only after several years did the family receive a two-room apartment in a new apartment build­ ing. The work was hard: Anastasija Nikolaevna worked for 17 years in Gremicha as a washerwoman, and after that another one and a half years in the production and maintenance of buoys. These were manufactured or repaired in winter, and in the summer they travelled out into the fjord to install them. Among the predominantly male workforce another three women apart from herself were employed in this work. From 1947 onwards, Anastasija Nikolaevna was several times deputy for the kol­ khoz and in this capacity was sent four times as part of a delegation to Murmansk. There are some doubts about the actual decision-making power of this body. In the kolkhoz, employees were put forward as deputies, and the fact that the choice fell on the nearly illiterate Anastasija Nikolaevna is significant. One suspects that this was a mere formality. In Murmansk she gave no speeches, she travelled with the others, answered questions put to her about the work on the kolkhoz and travelled back home. Unfortunately Anastasija Nikolaevna did not provide any further information 103 There were no sewers in these settlements. To minimize the tedious work of emptying one's own toilet, it was easier to relieve oneself outdoors away from the settlement or even in an uninhabited building. Senterfor samiske studier, Skriftserie nr. 19 55