Letters from the North. War at the Arctic Circle, 1941 – 1944

Now I feel good, as if there is no war either – I am traveling on a train from Murmansk – I do not know where. They say we will live in barracks, learn to shoot and so on. We were turned from builders into a reserve infantry regiment. Once we arrive at the place, I will write the address. My suitcase with all the stuff was bombed. Say hello to Grisha,16 Sergei.

Regards, I kiss you. Yakov.

5.

Hello Mom, Nadya, Lyalya, and all relatives.

In the last letter (I don’t know if it arrived), when I wrote on the way, I could not describe everything properly. I am writing now in brief.

After the 22nd of June, we found ourselves in the center of front-line events and our whole life went off the road and fell on uncharted paths. Now I can say that I received my first baptism of fire. Five times I was under bombing and shooting with a machine gun from an aircraft. The planes here use the following tactics: it flies with its nose down (dives) and throws a bomb beneath, then it lifts the nose up and flies up. At that time, a machine gun is shooting from the tail. That’s when the machine gun starts shooting and bullets click near you, and they clicked 30 cm of my head, then your heart really stops, and you are pressing all of you into the ground.

Well, now a lot of these planes have been beaten. They are only eager to bomb where there are no anti-aircraft guns or our aircraft, so they almost literally do no harm. When three of our planes appear, nine of them immediately flee away. One of our fighters landed on a German bomber and rode it. That pilot was scared to death and landed in our positions. One of their pilots said that it is impossible to fight with our pilots: “they, he says, are mischievous” – they are not fighting according to (German) rules.

Fun!!!

We will probably celebrate the 7th of November in Berlin.

Well, about myself.

I now live in Kandalaksha. We live in the forest under the bushes. At night it was so cold at first that I didn’t sleep but ran, now we have adapted, with three friends we put an overcoat on the ground, all three lie down and immediately cover ourselves, it turns out very warm. Now, however, we have made dugouts for ourselves. We are engaged in studies. So, I got my wife.17 I take care of her. Besides, I am now the squad leader. They entrusted me with 15 souls. The food here is very good. I feel cheerful. The only thing missing is that since the 24th of May, I have not slept undressed or even taken off my shoes. Soon we will receive good new uniforms, otherwise we are like partisans – builders (patches and holes shine). Soon we will probably go closer to A.S. Ginzburg.18

By then, write to the address Kandalaksha, mail 79, on demand, Shafirovich, Ya. V. Write your full address on the envelope.

Just write more and as soon as you receive my letter, otherwise I can leave again. I feel very, very unwell from the absence of letters from you. After all, I don’t know anything – how it is there. Write!!! Kisses to all in the strongest way. Yes, my suitcase disappeared with all the contents.

Greetings, Yasha.

6.

Hello Mommy, dear Sister, Aunt, and other relatives.

I bow to you to the ground. I don’t know, unfortunately, how your life is there, mine I must say is quite good. True, I must say that there is not enough time, and there is no free time at all. Despite the fact, however, that we learn a lot, this training is much easier than building a road. I command the squad, train them. You have to learn something yourself while you show them. What else? It seems that there is nothing more to write.

Mom, I will ask you to tell my address to Sasha, Vasya (if they are in Noginsk), Khren, Nina and Marta Terekhovs. Apologize to them for me not writing to them. However, apart from Nolik, I wrote several letters to all of them. I think that they will all understand that I was, and even now I am not that far from the front and that we did not come here to rest. There was nowhere to write, no paper, no pen, no time, and besides, there was simply no physical strength to sit down to write a letter. Now I more or less have the opportunity to write to all of you, so I beg you – write. After all, I have not received a single letter! What’s the matter with all of you there? Allah knows. You Mommy cheer up there. Lyalya probably needs help a lot. But maybe they didn’t take Grisha? How is Sergei? See, I don’t know anything.

Well, for now, with the Red Army arctic greetings. Ya.

My final address is Field Post Office 441, Reserve Regiment, 2nd rifle company, Shafirovich, Yakov Volfovich.

Write your address on the envelope. Don’t write No. 441, just write 441.

Khapulin and Katz are alive and well.

7.

29 July 1941

Mom and all my friends – hello.

I am sending you my warmest Red Army arctic greetings.

My life has finally improved and returned to a normal track. I already wrote that I am the squad commander here. I am busy with fighters – I teach them bayonet fighting, tactics, rifle components. You wonder – how can I know this myself? Yes, I didn’t understand anything about this. But I grasp the explanations on the fly, and I finally master them myself already in the process of training my fighters.

The other day I had to part ways with my friends. Except for us, the commanders, all our soldiers went to the front. They are now at the forefront. It seems, I can’t say for sure, that Monya Katz also left with them. The command recognized all the soldiers of my squad fit for their stay at the front. It is very pleasant to feel that I have already brought though small but benefit to the state for defense.

Now I am working with new fighters. This is likely to continue.

Today I was told that I and all the commanders (prepared from soldiers like me) were enrolled in the regimental school, which is being organized again here. Upon leaving it, I will receive the rank of sergeant. So, if I am alive, and I did not doubt it even when it was possible to doubt it, I will have to serve for 3 years.

Studying at school lasts for a month and a half. But it hasn’t been organized yet.

The big question is where after school – to the front or continue to train fighters? Anyway. Until now, I did not control my fate but completely obeyed it, and, I must say, it never let me down. I think that this time I will not be wrong too.

The weather is wonderful here. Very hot. We swim. Today I hit the road and went to pick cloudberries – this is a very tasty berry. If not for 12 hours of classes and zero free time, I would not have felt the war. Well, I forgot. I took an oath of allegiance to my beloved socialist homeland.

The food is very good. I receive a salary of 12 rubles 75 copecks. This is for the Arctic (instead of 8.50), for the Arctic sometimes they give 600 g of condensed milk. Oh, and it’s delicious!

Well, it seems that’s all about me.

Write to me immediately if you want to find me here (anything can happen), write more, as I have not received a single letter. Tell everyone my address:

441 Field post station, 56th reserve regiment, 2nd rifle company, Shafirovich, Ya. V. (Write the return address on the envelope.)

Write where Grisha, Sergei, Sasha, Vasya are. How are Lyalya, Lida, Vadya.19 You and Nadya?

How are bombing and other stuff. How is communication with Moscow?

Here is some information about the war. The captured German said that they were told that Kandalaksha was taken on the 5th day of the war, Minsk and Kiev on the 7th, Moscow was burning and surrounded. When he was told the real situation, he smiled and said, “Now I understand what the matter is.” And when he was fed, he hatched his eyes and said, “We don’t get such food even on holidays.”

I saw Mannerheim’s leaflet to the Karelians. He says national culture and freedom were taken away from you. Here, he says, we have known freedom (this is under the German boot). These leaflets are used as paper for tobacco. The paper is decent for this.

Then bye.

Hello to everybody. I kiss you hard, Yashka Shafirovich.

PS Khapulin is doing just like me. Nedro is here too.

8.

8 August 1941

Hello Mom!

Yesterday I received your two letters from the 25th and 26th. Well, I’m not talking about the joy of the very fact of receiving letters. Clearly, it became more fun.

Your message that everything is like before is very encouraging. From your letters, I understood that you don’t really feel the war there, just “watch the clouds.” I am very happy about that. By the way, since we were bombarded and fired upon when we were still outside Murmansk (you received a letter about this), I have not heard a single bomb explode. They fly here sometimes, and high in the skies – barely visible. We are even glad for them: when we hear the buzz, we stop classes and lie down. Thus, our rest is lengthened. Well, this is by the way and as a joke.

Belatedly, I congratulate you on your name day. By the way, I celebrated my birthday lying behind a stone and hiding my head from the bullets falling from above.

Tell Lyala to write how she is doing, no time to write separately yet. I wonder how Vadim walks and Lida reads. Hello to them. Write about the location of the House of Pioneers and about its existence and fate in general. Khren and Braga left, you wrote. And where to? Their address? The same goes in more detail about Vasya, Sasha, Tolya Terekhov. Write about all my schoolmates and other comrades.

I am very glad that you, our mothers, are meeting each other. Zhenya Khapulin is alive and well and has not left me yet though we are in different companies. Nedro is together with Zhenya, in the same company.

Lesha Korotkov went to the front. Monya Katz too. They got into a good team. Our regiment received gratitude for them. I am proud that there are 16 fighters of my training among them.

They say that they beat the Finns there (there are few Germans there). There are already wounded among them. They are in our hospital. There are almost no killed there – after all, our troops are on the defensive.

Well, there is no time to write more. I, comrades, have to ask your permission to write letters in response to your letters, to Nadya and Lyalya in your name, otherwise there is no time.

Only now have they brought Aunt Nadya’s postcard. Thanks. Write more about what and how everything is there.

Nadya sent that postcard to the old address. This is just a clarification of the postal address. Now the address is even more precise: 441 Field Post Station, 56th Reserve Regiment, 2nd Rifle Company.

With Red Army greetings from the Arctic Circle. Your Yashka!

PS Yesterday I gorged on blueberries. You asked about sending a parcel. Wait for now.

Well, I forgot. Today we sent another batch of warriors. This is my second group that went.

I asked to go to the front too. The commander says: “No, forge the front here.” This means, teach the fighters. Orders are not discussed. I turned and walked away. And now I’m forging. Trying. I think I won’t fail. One soldier of my squad is already almost a hero (he is from the first team, where Katz is).

9.

13 August 1941

Hello Mom!

With this letter we have already started correspondence. Hooray!!! Henceforth, I will write in your name in response to Nadya and Lyala too. Otherwise, there is no time.

Write down Galkin’s address if any.

I am very glad that Nolik and Brazhkin left for the Red Army. Well, they’re probably already at war. Write Sasha’s address, if you have one. Say hello to all comrades and acquaintances. Write if Comrade Sidorenko, Comrade Lukin, and Khrenov are there.

I am very pleased and happy with the situation with Lida, Vadia, Grisha, Seryozha. Warm greetings to all of them.

I have everything here as before. But I think that one of these days I can go to the front line.

Now I am finishing with the third team of trainees. They will be leaving soon. Well, there are no more changes. Yes, you write, you have berries there. We had cloudberries, now there are a lot of blueberries. We have tactics. Here you position your squad in defense, and you go to pick the berries. Oh, and I eat them a lot!

Yesterday a soldier came to us from the front line. He is from my squad – from the first team. He said that we trained them well. He was injured in the leg but is already recovering and soon goes to fight again. He says that Finns throw leaflets in which they write, “Well, why are you fighting in vain? Moscow, Leningrad, and Kiev have long been taken.” Did you find it funny? It was very funny to me. He says that instead of bombs, for some reason, stones are falling from planes. Is it a lack of bombs or the work of our friends? Well, it is clear that stones do not bring any harm. Now they are throwing bombs made in 1941, so eight out of 20 do not explode. And once one bomb exploded, and there was tobacco there. This is certainly not accidental. They are fighting (that’s for sure) only drunk. They are being mowed down like grass. And our troops are not yet advancing but only beating. Wait, we will go on the offensive. Only down will fly. It will be hard to see where the Germans have what, only the heels will sparkle.

So, wait. We’ll chase them soon.

Well, how is it going with the bombing? I heard they got into the Tchaikovsky Hall. And I have never been there!!! Do they fly there? How is Manya Loseva’s homeland?20 People say they dropped off there?

From your letter I understood that there are pioneer camps there (hello to Nina), and they go swimming near our house. It’s good that everything is the same. How about food? We are fed well. And on the front line – canned meat, condensed milk, butter, cabbage soup with bacon, porridge – as much as you want. And the Finns have dried bread like burnt boards. Hilarious!!!

You are asking about sending a parcel. Ship it, maybe it will find me. I need envelopes, notebooks, a foldable knife with a can opener, a small fork, collars, socks (one warm pair). Don’t send jam. No sugar needed. Otherwise, you will send it because of tradition! I only ask that the parcel is not oversized. I forgot – send the razor blades. More!!

Well, that’s all for now.

Khapulin and Nedro are here. I don’t know anything about Katz since he left.

Hello to Antosha. Where is the House of Pioneers?

Greetings to Lyalya, Nadya, Lida, Vadya, and all Noginsk.

Regards,

Evgeny Khapulin (left) and Yakov on the train. May 24, 1941.

Part 2: The first battles (September 1941 – February 1942)

On the front line. The death of friends. School for junior commanders. I am becoming a ski lover. Bathhouse and wood grouse. I am again in my unit. Red ball with yellow-red rays. We are all hungry for the offensive! Shells have already entered the daily routine.

10.

7 September 1941

Hello Mom!

My life has changed radically. On the 23rd of August, I was sent to the front.21 And here I am at the forefront. On the second day of my combat life, my three-line rifle killed two White Finns22. That was all my combat successes so far.

Well, how do I feel here? Imagine – I am OK. Before, I always faced the truth and did not claim that I was not afraid of anything, that I was brave, etc. Here, to my surprise, it turned out that, in comparison with the majority, I tolerate the nearness of death rather well. And death constantly reminds of itself with the whistling of bullets, the bursting of shells and mines.

So far, it’s not very cold here. There was, however, a night when the water froze. The overnight stay and the whole life under the open sky are very annoying; otherwise, everything would be fine.

A tragicomic incident happened to me tonight. My tunic and shirt caught fire from the fire, and the whole side burned out. I woke up with a burn. Hilarious! Now I walk with ventilation.

I feel the need for a sweatshirt, two pairs of warm gloves, footcloths and socks, blades, paper, envelopes.

Unfortunately, this address is probably short-lived because I and my group are not permanently attached to any unit.

Now I am writing about sad news. Nedro and Zhenya Khapulin came to the front with me. I kept in touch with them all the time. Once I was sent to the rear for food. At that time, there was a hot battle, during which Nedro and Khapulin were killed.23 I was saved, as you can see, by chance. It is not known exactly what happened to them – killed or taken prisoner – I think that they did not surrender and died a heroic death. Yes, now there is no Khapulin – our friend. And in 1945, the drama club scheduled a meeting of all members. So, we met… Well, OK, then I’ll tell them about the last days of his life. (For some reason, I have no thoughts that I can be killed, etc.).

Mom, there is no time for letters in a combat situation. Don’t worry if you won’t receive them for a long time.

Then bye. Kisses to everyone.

PS The last letter was received from Aunt Nadya on the 2nd of August.

Greetings, your Yasha. Write more about everything!

11.

13 September 1941

Hello Mom!

On the 7th of September I sent you the last letter. In case you did not receive it, I inform you that since the 23rd of August I have been at the front. I had a chance to participate in two battles. In the first of them, I sent two White Finns to the next world. At this point, my combat successes have paused so far because now I am in the guard of the headquarters. You know, it’s very interesting how quickly a person gets used to all kinds of conditions: on the second day I was already calmly having breakfast and lunch to the accompaniment of artillery fire and the whistle of bullets. And they use explosive bullets – as a bullet touches a knot, it explodes. There is continuous crackling noise due to this.

I am all the time in the open air. I will probably breathe oxygen for life. We all have a very good appetite from the forest air. This is also helped by the fact that we receive 100 g of vodka every day. As before breakfast you drink it, so half a liter of soup [crossed out]. If there is a possibility, send me a parcel. I need:

1). Sweatshirt or [illegible]

2). Warm socks

3). Warm footcloths

4). Warm mittens (with finger)

5). Shoe polish

6). Paper and envelopes.

When you write, put an envelope with paper in the letter or send it in a separate envelope. Well, that’s all. I’ll tell you about the rest when I arrive. And I will arrive by route through Berlin. Well, we will not have to wait long to see the Red Army on this route.

Write how Aunt Nadya, Lyalya, Grisha, Lida and Vadya, Seryoga are doing there.

Write in more detail. Otherwise, Nadya writes that she wants to write about everything, but that her “breath stole from joy in her goiter” and her thoughts scattered. And does it make it easier for me? She could drink water and write about everything.

In that letter, I wrote about the fate that befell Khapulin and Nedro. I was with them on the front lines. On the 30th of August, the commander sent me to bring food for the soldiers. In my absence, Khapulin and Nedro perished.

Here we got confusion with the addresses of the group where they were. Therefore, they will probably not inform their relatives soon. I will certainly try to insist on informing them.

Yes, I wonder which of the drama club members will remain to meet in 1945? Sorry for Khapulin. And for Albert too. Well, I will do my best to take revenge. I have nothing else to help the grief of their mothers.

Give everyone there my address. Couldn’t Lyalya write me a letter?

Don’t worry if there are no letters for a long time. No time and wish to write. Interruptions are possible. Now I will not write until I get an answer from you.

My address: Field post station 280, 273rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd battalion, Yakov.

12.

7 December 1941

Hello Mom! For some reason, there have been no letters from you for a long time, so I am writing not in response.

My life went on normally until the 26th of November. And on the 26th I was sent to the junior commanders’ school, so now I am not on the front line for the first time in many months of war. Here I am spared the daily enjoyment of the whistle of bullets and the hoot of shells. The explosions from the shells can be heard, it is true, but in the distance – quietly. You know, it’s very interesting – right away my war changed to peace. It is now necessary to welcome the commanders and to address them in accordance with the regulations and follow many other rules. After the liberties of the front line, this whole discipline seems very strange. We live like in peacetime with fixed times to get up and to sleep – we need to get used to it again. Yesterday the school commissar sent me personally a gift from the Kandalaksha women for my good academic performance. There was a “cocoa and cream” pill. I dissolved it and tasted the cocoa with an indescribable pleasure!!! I am doing well with my studies, so I will soon be the commander of our Red Army.

Strangely, our weather is not very frosty. However, two days ago it spun at -35 C° (at night). The Germans, and they are still here in boots, garrison caps and summer overcoats, are probably very cold. We, dressed in sheepskin coats, felt boots, and hats, are not so cold.

Write how you live there, what do you hear about Vasya? Does Zhenya Khapulin’s mother know about his death?

Well, bye! My address: Field post station 280, 273rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd battalion, 4th company.

With front-line Arctic greetings, cadet <Signature>

PS Yes, tomorrow we will have a movie. Here is happiness!

13.

Hello Mom! Just now I have received your two letters dated the 7th and 11th of November. Great that you guessed to put the envelope and paper, otherwise I don’t have a lot of these materials. You wrote that you were upset that I received a poor parcel. Freak, if you lived for six months among stones, forests, swamps, and snow without a roof, then you would understand what joy this parcel brought me.

You write that Grisha has been evacuated from the hospital. By God, I couldn’t figure out how he got to the hospital? Write in more detail where he is and what happened to him.

I am now a cadet of the junior commanders’ school. I study! Soon I will be the commander of our beloved Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army24! You write that Comrade Stalin’s report has poured new strength into you there. Well, there’s no need to talk about us! Now our army is really becoming professional – we have learned to fight! And we have learned hard! Be sure – we will soon chase the German bastards. Yesterday I learned that England had declared war on Finland25. Nice event!

Here also Grandfather Frost26 is fighting hard with the Germans. I saw myself how German sentries run to the post in a tunic, and there they take off quilted jackets from other sentries and put them on. In boots, overcoats, and garrison caps in frost of -35°C you can’t do much. They don’t even have camouflage coats. Sentries wear white aprons – as he turns, the back is black. And he can’t not turn, he has to perform the German dance “Frost on the Skin”. We, dressed in sheepskin coats, felt boots, hats, and mittens, only laughed. I was lying in a white camouflage coat ten steps from a German sentry and smiled at his dance. Now he no longer dances…

Well, bye, be happy. Greetings to Lida and Vadya and to all of you. Did you receive my message about the death of Zhenya Khapulin and Nedro? Kissing hard, Yasha.

14.

25 December 1941

Hello Mom!

Day is breaking. The frost slightly stings the face and legs. Skis slide in deep snow. We’re going to class. The path lies through a wild forest, through frozen swamps and lakes, through steep high hills. The greatest pleasure is given by a frantic descent from high mountains – not along a clean slope, but between trees, through branches whipping in the face, through fallen trees and ravines. Maneuvering through all these obstacles is rather tricky. A minor mistake, and you continue to descend on your back.