Accession Number
2015/2.104

Title
A Trophy of War

Artist(s)
Dmitri Baltermants

Artist Nationality
Russian (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1941-1945, printed 2003

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm)

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

Subject matter
In this photograph, two young Soviet soldiers pose on the aft of a bomber from the Nazi Luftwaffe. The plane is visibly pocked with bullet holes, which suggests this aircraft’s recent involvement in combat. One of the young men lies across the plane’s horizontal stabilizer and looks off toward the left while his companion leans back against the rudder and looks back directly at the viewer. Prominently displayed between the pair is the Nazi swastika, also punctured by bullet holes. 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
Two Soviet soldiers pose with a captured and heavily damaged Nazi warplane.

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
airplanes
bombers
journalistic photography
military aircraft
soldiers
war photography