Viktor Bulla’s Pioneers in Defense Drill; ca. 1937

“Viktor Bulla’s photograph of hundreds of children wearing gas masks was not meant to be ghoulish, a commentary on war or lost innocence, but rather exemplified a reason for pride—the country was blessed with well-trained, well-equipped and obviously courageous young fighters.”

(From “Propaganda and Dreams: Photographing the 1930s in the USSR and the US” by Leah Bendavid-Val)

November 13, 2014 | Categories: History, Human History, Images of History, Life under siege, Nightmares of World War II, Photography, Russian Empire, Soviet Union, The Drama Of It All, U.S.S.R. Under Stalin, Weird, World War Two | Tags: 1937, black and white photography, Gas mask, Historical, Historical photo, Historical photography, History, human history, Leningrad, Military history, Photo, Photography, Pioneers, Russia, Russian, Russian History, Russians, Society, USSR, Viktor Bulla, Viktor Bulla's Pioneers, War, Warfare, Weird, World History, World War two, WW2, wwii | Leave a comment