Artillery Commander K.M. Karabanov Protecting the Harvest

Accession Number
2013/2.325

Title
Artillery Commander K.M. Karabanov Protecting the Harvest

Artist(s)
Dmitri Baltermants

Artist Nationality
Russian (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1941; printed 2003

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
192 in x 20 in (487.68 cm x 50.8 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Thomas Wilson '79 and Jill Garling '80

Subject matter
This photograph provides a close-up view of Artillery Commander K.M. Karabanov operating the rotary crank of an antiaircraft gun. This young man looks toward the upper-left corner of the image, the line of his gaze matched by the steep diagonal of the gun’s barrel. The photograph monumentalizes this medium-ranking officer who, significantly, wears an USSR medal for courage. He performs his duty stoically, supported by his comrades in arms. Indeed, he is a dashing picture of unflappable patriotism. This image forms part of Baltermants’ larger project—as an official photographer to the Kremlin—which, spread across numerous portfolios, aimed to document scenes from the Soviet Union’s fight against Nazi Germany during World War II (1939-1945), known in the USSR as the Great Patriotic War.

Physical Description
Close-up view of a young soldier with a medal pinned on his breast operating a rotary crank attached to a large gun; two additional soldiers stand behind him.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
antiaircraft guns
armies
battles
fighting
journalistic photography
medals
war photography
wars

6 Related Resources

Dmitri Baltermants photographs from WWII
(Part of 3 Learning Collections)
Work and Workers
(Part of 9 Learning Collections)
Combat, Battle, Warfare
(Part of 3 Learning Collections)
Adventure
(Part of 3 Learning Collections)
World War II Images 
(Part of: Examples of Student Research in the Exchange)

& Author Notes

All Rights Reserved