10. The musings of the artist’s wife.

Lyudmila Dobrova

     

     His task was - to return to society from oblivion the whole social layer. The state didn't forget disabled veterans, they were fed, put and dressed. But they were forgotten by society, the public, writers, artists. And society needed them even more, than they - society. Confirmation to that was the powerful flow of publications about this series at the beginning of "perestroika”, a large number of radio and teleprogramms, creation of documentary films. In 1995 in the Central Artists House during the anniversary exhibition "Devoted to defenders of the Motherland”  we saw even the poster - plagiarism with a portrait of "The Old Soldier" (asking handout).

     In "The Unknown Soldier" the orphans who have already become grown up children of the  missing persons of the war, often "recognized" their fathers. Nikolay Grigoryevich Voloshin from Bishkek came to Moscow and to the island of Valaam for many years, telling everyboby about the destiny of his father who hadn't returned from the front and whom he recognized in the portrait. Similar cases appeared almost after each TV program. Having published in May 2001 the drawing "The Unknown Soldier", the "Zhizn” newspaper editorial office received the touching letter from the Moscow area:

       "... You disturbed my soul by this drawing. My brother was the participant of fights for Stalingrad, and was sent to hospital. Further all the threads have been broken. My parents, and later I, wrote to all the possible instances, archives, the Ministry of Defence, but he is still appears the missing person. My mother was sure through all her life that Boris is alive and so with this belief she died. I send you the photo of my brother, you see, that there is a similarity... I beg you, don't disregard my letter... ".