108. Day, May 5, 2021


The first thing I did today was the hand that our hero uses to wipe the tears from his eyes! Thanks Wayne!

It is now much brighter ...:



Then I turned to the card protruding from the bouquet that our hero is carrying in his hand ...:.



The research was hard work, because there are thousands of these cards - and hundreds of new ones are added every year!

On "Dem Pobjedi" ("Victory Day") the schoolchildren usually give the veterans bouquets of flowers - as a symbolic thank you from a new generation to those who have given their lives to defend the country ...:



Every year competent dealers, organizations - and also the state - issue cards that can be attached to the bouquets of flowers - our hero is immortalized on many of them ...:





Finding the right one (and for me "rivet counter" it can't be anything other than this one!) Is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

On the card - as an extreme enlargement of the photo shows - a laughing Red Army soldier can be seen, the "Order of the Patriotic War", which has already been mentioned several times, is emblazoned above his head and the years "1941" and "1945" are closed to the right and left of the head detect...:



And I was lucky with this card, because the draftsman of the original is no stranger!

It's Viktor Semjonowitsch Klimashin (1912-1960) ...:



Throughout the war, Klimashin worked as a frontline correspondent and lived among the soldiers. He made a lot of drawings that were used for all sorts of things.

His most famous work, it is also known in the West! - is this one:



It was created in Berlin in 1945 and shows a joyful Red Army soldier in the Berlin Reichstag building, the proverbial symbol of the victory over Nazi Germany in the Soviet Union.

On the wall behind it is a slogan that all survivors of the horrific slaughter probably had in mind when the last shot was fired:

"Домой !!" ("Domoj !!" - "Home !!")

Under the picture you can also read the slogan "Krasnoy Armii Slawa" ("Glory to the Red Army").

The drawing by Viktor Klimashin, which was the template for the card he was looking for, was also from 1945 - it was created as the cover picture of the magazine "Change" ("CMEHA") ...



The drawing evidently met with great approval in higher places - because Klimashin immediately had to make a poster out of it - this one ...:



This poster also became quite well known - and then one saw and heard nothing of it for many years.

Until 2017!

There was - as a card for the veterans - a digitally revised new edition (please, take it, if you want, Kev!)...:



And that's the card our hero carries with him!

I used to scale down the template on the PC - and here it is now ...:




Cheers

Nep.

But a plate with his name (it lastet many weeks, but I found it!)


Cheers

My wife's teaching me to knit as we speak.

Awesome Martin, that's all I can say.

BTW, I have several of these cards which a friendly militaria dealer in Ukraine used to pop in with anything I had ordered.

Phil

Umm... no. Actually it says "Doshli!!" - "We've arrived!"
And the poster behind the soldier's back reads "Doydyem do Berlina" - "We will come to Berlin!"

Great research, Martin, I'm in constant awe.

Thank you, Marcin!

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109. Day, May 6, 2021

The program for today:

Get our hero off the work block and repot him on the finished base, and that - completely contrary to my "habit" - as accident-free as possible!

There are no special incidents to report.

I also decorated the base plate with a piece of Saint George ribbon ...:








Cheers

Absolutely brilliant! Are you going to tackle something difficult next

Stunning.

Insane. That's all I can say. Tracking down that card, and the little history lesson with it... I bow to you sir.
Superb painting on the figure, and an outstanding base to do it justice.



(I hesitate to say this, but you should take the pictures against a neutral background. )

Will do als always - but after the last step which is to go tomorrow...


Cheers

110. Day, May 7, 2021

From the beginning I wanted to find out who the man the bust is showing.

That was more difficult than expected - not to mention the language problem! - because there are hundreds of photos of him, but very little background information.

Since working on the bust, I've literally "fled" hundreds of Russian websites, all of which had to be laboriously translated back and forth in order to get biographical information. In total, around 20 hours went into this research alone.

Nevertheless, I was able to collect a few things:

The man's name is Lew Aleksandrovich Gitsewitsch!





He was born in Moscow in 1928.

And even if he wears many medals that he has not acquired himself, one thing cannot be denied: He is a real war veteran!

Wait a minute, you will say: "Born in 1928, then he was just 13 years old in 1941!"

Right!

When the German attack on the Soviet Union began, Gitsewitsch fought his way through to the front on his own initiative and ended up in the 1134th Rifle Regiment in July 1941 (he says himself!) Or in September 1941 (say those who examined his life!) "Strelkowy Polk", the Soviet name for infantry regiments), which belonged to the 338th Rifle Division.

The following picture shows members of this unit ...:



He began his military career as a so-called "regimental son" (Полк сын).

This happened very often in the Red Army during the war. "Regimental sons" were mostly boys who had lost their family members as a result of the effects of the war - in order to somehow survive, they joined a military unit and were, so to speak, "adopted" by it.



They were given a uniform, normal soldiers' food, a place to sleep and were initially allowed to do all kinds of low-level work.



If such a "regimental son" proved himself, he was given a weapon and thus became a fighter and soldier and served himself as normal ...:



Many "regimental sons" acquired high - and highest - awards until the end of the war and ended the Great Patriotic War as corporals or even sergeants ...:







"Regimental sons" are still highly respected today in the successor states of the Soviet Union - several monuments have been erected for them ...



... books written about them ...



... and movies made about them ...:







Our hero was discharged from the Red Army in 1947 ...:



Despite the most intensive search, I have not found a single piece of evidence that Lev Gitsewitsch received any order during the war - apart from the battle medals awarded summarily.

It was not until June 4th, 1985 that he was awarded the (anniversary) "Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class" by decree of the Defense Minister of the USSR ...:



And now you also know why I absolutely wanted this miniature copy to be "old and worn" on my base!

At this point it should not be overlooked that Gitsewitsch is today close to right-wing ultra-nationalist circles ...



... and of these - in fantasy uniform - is often used for propaganda campaigns ...:



Nevertheless - he is a real war veteran, he is listed in the Russian State Archives under the veteran number 1645576.



Even if it plays a certain propaganda "role" ...

That's why my bust is now also getting its name tag!

Nothing is forgotten and nobody is forgotten!



Cheers

Outstanding research, and a fascinating story.

I'm lost for words. I had a notion you would want to establish our veteran's identity, and I am pleased that he isn't just some old guy who likes dressing up, and that he has been there, done it, and got the tee-shirt.
Fine work Martin. I salute you!

Phil

111. Day, May 8, 2021


So, the name tag is now in its place - matching the base in travertine look ...:



And with that, I got our friend ready for Victory Day (it's tomorrow!)!

Tomorrow there will be a few final pictures in front of a neutral background ...

Cheers

If I ever issue it somewhere, the ID card and the original photo will be next to it ...

If you should still be able to read something on the ID card, it is too large for the base ...


Cheers

All in all a very well done piece of work Martin. You should be very happy with the final presentation and this piece is finally done. Look forward to the next venture.

Wayne