Lot 4398: Soviet War Photography: Chaldej, Jewgeni: Moscow, June 1941

Lots 4398 - 4413 comprise Soviet War Photography by various photographers.

"The First Day of War", Moscow, June 22, 1941/printed 1960s. Gelatin silver print. 28 x 20 cm (28 x 40 cm). Flush-mounted to board.
On June 20, 1941 Jewgeni Chaldej was commissioned to document young pioneers in the small village of Lermonsov. Upon his return to Moscow, Germany had attacked the Soviet Union and Chaldej went out into the streets to photograph the people listening to the announcements over the loud speakers. Molotov stated: "Today at five o'clock in the morning, German troops crossed our borders, from Murmansk to the Black Sea. There was no declaration of war. Kiev, Minsk, Sebastopol and Brest are being bombed". It was this picture which was ultimately printed in place of the Lermonsov pictures. - Retouching in side edges for publication, otherwise in very good condition.
Lit.: Ernst Volland/Heinz Krimmer (eds.).Von Moskau nach Berlin. Bilder des russischen Fotografen Jewgeni Chaldej. Berlin 1999, ill. p. 13.