Destruction

Jim, I think a lot of these were just that and thus why they survived the war. When my father was captured he and every other man with him were searched and all photographs found in their possession, including those of family, were dropped in piles on the ground in front of them.

These were then gathered up and placed in a large bag and taken away.

I read a few years back that the NKVD had issued orders that political officers with all front line Soviet units were required to gather all photos found on the dead and captured to be sent back to Moscow.

According to the article, this was done in part to gather information, but the greater reason it stated was that the Soviet government was very concerned about photographs of large numbers of Russian POWs or large amounts of captured or destroyed Russian equipment circulating.

It stated that one chief concern of the communists was that photos of smiling Soviet citizens in German occupied areas was contrary to the official story that all resisted. It was also thought that some of these photos were used by the communists as evidence against individuals and entire villages as proof of collaboration.

cyberia said:

Gotthard Heinrici said:

The plight of the civilians in the occupied territories is a terrible one. They suffered greatly under German Occupation and then again just as they thought they had been liberated. Very sad.

Very true, and then persecuted again for possible collaboration. Those people could not catch a break.

And alot of those very same people had already sent sons, brothers, fathers, uncles, (Many of these people actually did their bit for the Stalin Govt. and fought as Partisans themselves) into that meat grinder. Some never even knew if their beloved had survived or died....then they had to face their OWN Government when the territory was "Liberated" I just finished the book "ivan's War" a great book on the subject from the Russian perspective.....from Civilians to soldiers, Partisans to "traitors" (those Soviet citizens who willingly joined the German cause, and either actually fought against their homeland, or aided the German Army in a support role)
Stalin even made a scene at one of the big 3 conferences to get "OST" unit soldiers back from the Allies......(Basically so he could "Punish" (Gulags, Death camps, executions,and outright murder according to some sources) them for straying from the fold)