A Russian billionaire has made an anonymous donation of $80,000 to fund construction of the Russian Arctic Convoy Museum in Aultbea, Scotland, LifeNews reported.
Museum organizers, who said the donation was one of the biggest contributions from an individual, are "astonished" by the public's support for the project.
The head of the museum project, Francis Russell, said 1,200, including World War II veterans, had attended museum events. The museum will provide jobs and boost tourism in the economically depressed region where Aultbea is located, he said.
The Arctic convoys, which carried war materiel to Russia, departed from Loch Ewe in Scotland's Northwest Highlands beginning with the first convoys in 1941.
In total 1,200 ships were sent to the northern ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. More than 100 were sunk.
The local community has also sought assistance from the government of United Kingdom with a request to create a special award for veterans who served on the convoys.
