Video: "Autographs of War": portraits of forgotten heroes of the Second World War, who lived out their days on the island of Valaam
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Every year there are fewer and fewer veterans of the Great Patriotic War, which is why the memory of their exploits is priceless. Series of graphic portraits "Autographs of War"written by a Russian artist Gennady Dobrov, is a requiem for all who have not returned from the battlefield. Before us are portraits of seriously wounded war veterans, heroes who lived out their days on Valaam.
Gennady Dobrov bore the title of Honored Artist of Russia. He became famous as a talented portrait painter. The theme of war occupied a special place in his creative legacy: he saw his calling in telling subsequent generations the life stories of veterans who, by the will of fate, were abandoned on Valaam or ended up in other boarding schools scattered throughout the country.
Dobrov devoted several years of his life to traveling to boarding schools, where the participants of the Great Patriotic War, who were seriously injured, lived. The artist made his first expedition to Valaam, after which he visited Bakhchisarai, Omsk, Sakhalin and Armenia. Everywhere I met terrible evidence of war. Disabled, shell-shocked, deprived of limbs, hearing, sight - all these people recalled the war with horror. Each warned that this horror should not happen again.
The conditions of detention of patients on Valaam were terrible, there is even a known case of suicide, when a legless and armless disabled person managed to climb the bell tower and throw himself down. The staff treated the veterans carelessly, many were not properly cared for, and there was no talk of providing psychological assistance at all. The fate of people who sacrificed their health for the sake of victory did not bother anyone.
A few words about the fate of the heroes
Lieutenant Alexander Podosenov volunteered for the front when he was 17 years old. He graduated from the war with the rank of an officer. In Karelia, he received a bullet wound to the head, all the years spent on Valaam, he could only sit motionless.
Ivan Zabara took part in the defense of Stalingrad. He recalls with horror what the soldiers had to endure then in order to withstand. The soldier has lost his sight.
Infantryman Alexander Ambarov heroically defended Leningrad. In battles, he was twice covered with earth during the bombing, his fellow soldiers dug him out, not hoping that he would be alive.
Mikhail Kazankov went through three wars: Russian-Japanese, World War I and World War II. Gennady Dobrov painted a portrait of a veteran when he was 90 years old.
Andrei Fominykh was injured in battle; all his life he took care of his wound on his own.
Vasily Lobachev lost all limbs after the defense of Moscow. His wife Lydia, also an invalid with amputated legs, took care of him all his life. Despite the injuries, they created a happy family and gave birth to two sons.
Radio operator Yulia Yemanova took part in the defense of Stalingrad. She was awarded the Orders of Glory and the Red Banner.
Private Mikhail Guselnikov spent more than 30 years bedridden. During the defense of Leningrad, he was seriously wounded in the spine.
Alexey Kurganov took part in hostilities from Moscow to Hungary, lost both legs.
Marine Alexei Chkheidze was injured in the winter of 1945 in Budapest during the defense of the Royal Palace. The hero lost his arms, went blind and practically deaf. Despite this, I found the strength not to lose heart and write an autobiographical book.
Vladimir Eremin lost his arms, but mastered writing with his feet. After the war, he was able to get a law degree.
The commander of the artillery crew, Mikhail Zvezdochkin, went through the entire war to Berlin. He went to the front as a volunteer, hiding his disability.
Airborne paratrooper Mikhail Koketkin lost both legs. After the war he graduated from the institute and worked at the Central Statistical Office of the RSFSR.
After the hospital, Boris Mileyev mastered the machine typing, despite the fact that he lost both hands. All the rest of his life he worked as a typesetter, wrote a book of memoirs.
The scout Serafima Komissarova led partisan activities. She lost her legs due to severe frostbite. During the assignment, the girl froze into the swamp, they could find her only in the morning, the heroine had to literally be cut out of ice.
In memory of the heroic deeds of Soviet soldiers, we have compiled a selection 10 Soviet films about the Great Patriotic War that you need to show your children.
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