The images below are from a small treasure trove of photos I recently obtained from a seller in Lithuania. They offer candid and hitherto unpublished glimpses into the lives of Red Army soldiers from the time of the Great Patriotic War and immediately after.
Many of the pictures in this collection include handwritten inscriptions on the backs of the photos. These inscriptions – where legible – were translated by our friend Grover Furr.
The word on the banner in the chalkboard sketch is “спорт,” or “sport,” which might be related to the boxing gloves that are worn by the mouse.
Berlin
1945 found / situated
in Xol’sus (first letter unclear)
Vilnius
Little northern town
In bushes near Konm.
table (?). with service friends. Viktor
Yaukus Vasil’evskaya.
15.06.47
Vilnius
Little northern town
“Commutator” N. image
with Viktor.
13.06.47
We’ll post more photos from this collection in the near future.
