“Field Post 37650”
Tiffany White
Art of Creative Unity Award 2020 | Second Prize
In my dead grandfather’s attic, I find a manilla folder neatly labelled Moscow 44 in his elegant cursive script. Inside the folder I find a thin sheaf of correspondence. Letters written on torn scraps of brown wrapping paper in smudged purple ink and almost indecipherable in places.
16th July 1944
To Chief Commander of the Allied Forces of Britain and America
Enclosed kindly find personal correspondence addressed to an Unknown Soldier of the Allied Forces. I would be greatly obliged for this to be handed to one of your soldiers irrespective of his social origin, religion, or race. To him, my comrade in arms, I am sending this in hope,
Greetings to your excellency from Russian soldier,
I. Yaroslavtzev
Field Post 37650, Leningrad
To Unknown Soldier of the Allied Forces
My Dear Friend
This letter is from a soldier in the Red Army who, for over two years has been fighting in the front line against this crawling reptile which spreads hateful tentacles over Europe. I walk through the long road of war with all its heavy burdens and on this road, I learn to fight, and, more, to hate. I am sure, my friend, that you know well of all the victories our mighty army have won; how our enemy was sent reeling across the Caucus, across the Ukraine (undecipherable)the long blockade of our great city Leningrad was raised and we stormed into Romania on the heels of our enemy. It is our wise leader, our father, Stalin that led us to glory.
We soldiers and officers of the Red Army, together with all the peoples of our country, wait anxiously for the day when you, our brothers in arms, descend. For the day when, under a shower of fire and metal from the air you from the west crossing your blows with ours from the east and chase the monster down to its lair. I see in my own county your guns, your tanks, ammunition, sausages, cheese, and clothes.
It was well into the night on the 6th of June when the news of your historic move reached the ward. None of us sleep that night until we gave solemn promise of solidarity to the unknown soldiers of Britain. This is the reason of this letter. Now, on leaving hospital I am once more on my way to the front. (undecipherable) hated adversary with all my might I shall not part easily with my life in our fight for the world that not seek enemies or war.
Whilst you and I are on the battlefields our mothers, our sisters, our wives keep faith with God and know victory will be ours one day. That day is not far off, friend, but the path is hard and full of horror. You and I must be brave and resolute in the justice of this crusade
My unknown comrade in arms, I would wish this correspondence would serve a foundation stone for our children and am eager for reply.
Your friend
Ivan Yaroslavtzev
Field Post 37650, Leningrad
To Unknown Soldier of the Allied Forces
My dear friend
I write further about my comrades my country my hopes. I hope you will do the same. I shall be interested to know to whom this correspondence is given if I deserve this honour.
To you, I am the unknown soldier so something about myself. (undecipherable) of boundless forests, rich with oil and gold. Siberia has supplied the front with millions of shells and guns, thousands of aeroplanes, and tanks. I was born in this land of plenty in Ordynak, a village on the banks of the river Ob (undecipherable) flow through the crevices of giant boulders to the Kara Sea.
My father was killed in the first World War. My mother, an illiterate peasant woman, was left a widow with five children. Her Russian perseverance and love sent me to high school and gave me an education in law. To enter high school for a peasant such as I was only possible under the Soviet government; Stalin is our father, the dearest and best loved of all men. It is only because of his care that I am able to write this letter to you, my friend. It is only because of his love that I know why I am fighting so hard. (undecipherable) in 1943 on the north-west front then the taking of Taganrog, Matveev and Kourgan.
With unspeakable pain and sorrow, I mourn the dead while looking at the ruins of Leningrad and the beautiful Peter of Palace. What words could describe my grief, our grief, when we saw the glorious palaces, museums and monuments torn apart, our culture wrecked and ruined.
Now, brother, I am once more on my way to the front-line. I feel easy in my mind: I know you are also on the way to meet me. And meet we shall, do not think the same, dear friend? Together we shall embrace our loved ones, and all will be well.
I close with best wishes from myself and my comrades to all our brothers.
Your friend
Ivan Yaroslavtzev
Field Post 37650, Leningrad
P.S I urge that you may write to my mother and I might write to yours. My mother resides in Novosibirsk, Communisticheskeys Street No. 85, Flat 6, Yaroslavtzev, Akulina Peodovna.
15th August 1944
To Chief Commander of the Allied Forces of Britain and America
This is to state that a month ago I forwarded correspondence addressed to an Unknown Soldier of your gallant army to which I have had no reply. I beg you to hand this second letter to the same soldier to whom the first was handed.
I. Yaroslavtzev
Field Post 37650, Leningrad
To Unknown Soldier of the Allied Forces
My dear friend
A month has barely passed since I wrote last and it seems almost incredible that so much has happened in such a short space of time. On the very day that I wrote, being the 16th of July, we at Leningrad received orders, both simple and brief “Take Viborg.”
- page missing -
it would take many sheets of paper to [undecipherable] perfectly harmless and a myth [undecipherable] and those patriots of resistance! Can you imagine anything more heroic than those boys dressed as policemen arresting the guards at the munitions store and carrying off machine guns and rifles and grenades. Not far off is the time, my friend, when true people will take back freedom for their own.
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I bear witness but do not understand these atrocities of men [undecipherable] is a poet in my unit, an experienced warrior, when he commands he is stone but when he talks of war his eyes sparkle and his face becomes young. A few short days ago 57,000 soldiers entered Moscow not as they dreamt but shackled prisoners of war, thanks to Stalin our good father [undecipherable] humanity anguished [undecipherable]
your friend,
Ivan Yaroslavtzev
Field Post 37650, Leningrad
7th Sept 1944
To Mrs A Yaroslavtzev,
Flat 6
85 Communisticheskeys Street
Novosibirsk
Dear Mrs Yaroslavtzev
These letters were among my son’s possessions, and I forward copies to yourself in hope that they comfort you in this terrible grief we bear. My son was John White, the unknown soldier, and I believe our sons were compassionate men. Our husbands died for their children and now our children die for their own.
Let it end here: We must forgive, not forget the past.
Your sincerely
Mrs. Lillian White, 23 Briars Court, Swansea
All that remains is the sealed envelope addressed to Ivan Yaroslavtzev Field Post 37650, Leningrad and I don’t know what happens next.