The Polyarny Museum of History and Local Lore presents a rather unusual exhibit — a wooden plaque. It was discovered in 1999, during the renovation of the Circular House’s facade.

The plaque is planed at the two long sides and sawn off at the two short ones. The plaque’s surfaces are uneven, with a knot and some cracks. There is an inscription on one of the long sides of the plaque: “The stained-glass window was installed by the 116 battalion of the 4th сompany during active service.” There is also an inscription on the reverse side of the plaque: “Proshev A., Shershnev N., Gonichev P., Petrov N., Govraev N., from 1929 / IX 37”.

The plaque was embedded in the plaster near the window sill of the stained-glass window of the building. After its discovery, it was handed over to Igor Opimakh, a person with a keen interest in the town’s history. He donated this valuable object to the museum. The plaque is signed by the servicemen of the 116th battalion of the 4th company with a pencil. The surnames are listed on one side, the text on the other. The date is November 29, 1937.

In 1933, it was decided to make Polyarny the headquarters of the Northern Military Flotilla of the USSR. This brought new life to the city: new areas were developed, new buildings and engineering structures appeared. All construction in Polyarny was managed by the 95th Department of the Head of Works, which united several construction organizations. However, construction battalions were also put to this task. In 1936, the 116th construction battalion arrived in Polyarny. It was tasked with erecting buildings in the city. It is obvious that the plaque was signed and mounted in plaster at the time of construction of the most magnificent and beautiful building in the city — the so-called Circular House.

In mid-July 1941, the 14th Army stationed at the coastal flank of defense faced serious problems. There was a threat of the enemy breaking through the front and reaching Polyarny — the main base of the Northern Fleet. To support the army troops, the fleet commander formed a marine landing force. The 116th construction battalion (about 500 people) was reorganized into a rifle battalion and, under the command of Major Egorov, landed on the shore of the Western Litsa Bay. The battalion was armed with rifles and machine guns. Having completed its task, the 116th battalion was placed at the disposal of the commander of the 14th Army and took part in the defense of the Arctic until the end of hostilities.