WAR CORRESPONDENT PHOTOGRAPHER 

The primary task of wartime photography was to support the morale of the people, and therefore wartime photojournalism had its own rules and restrictions. Nevertheless, there is an opinion that it was precisely the war that gave many photojournalists a certain degree of creative freedom. Indeed, despite recurring subjects and themes, staged shots, and poster-like imagery, the defining feature of Soviet wartime photography, the quality that makes it truly unique, is humanity.

Emmanuil Evzerikhin’s wartime photographs became widely known thanks to their publication in both Soviet and foreign press. When discussing the fame of a particular wartime image, it is important to understand that all of these photographs were created specifically for newspapers or other printed materials — it was precisely their wide circulation that made certain shots iconic. The interpretation of wartime photographs in terms of their artistic value came later, already after the war.

This was also the case with Evzerikhin’s most famous Stalingrad photograph — “August 23, 1942. After the massive air raid by Hitler’s aviation”, depicting a fountain of dancing children against the backdrop of the burning railway station. This image was reproduced in numerous media outlets around the world, later appeared in wartime newsreels, and took part in exhibitions, becoming a symbol of the Battle of Stalingrad and of the horrors of war as a whole.

The photograph “Stand to the Death!” also became iconic — it embodies the qualities characteristic of Soviet wartime photography: both heroic and deeply human at the same time.

Emmanuil Evzerikhin photographed the capture of Königsberg, the liberation of Poland and Czechoslovakia; he recalled how he spent about two months “traveling across Europe in a small Opel,” documenting the gradual restoration of ruined cities and the return of peaceful life. After the Great Patriotic War, Evzerikhin was awarded the Order of the Red Star and the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class, as well as the medal “For the Defense of Stalingrad.”

Evzerikhin received a second Order of the Red Star for, in addition to his work as a war correspondent, training soldiers in photography. He remembered how, during the war, his former students would approach him to express their gratitude. Evzerikhin’s story as a mentor and teacher would continue to unfold in the postwar years.