Petr Aleksandrovich Aliakrinskii
(Born Orel, 1892; died Moscow, 1961)
Dem'ian Bednyi
(Born Gubovka, 1883; died Moscow, 1945)

He Defended Stalingrad, TASS No. 0628, December 21, 1942

Stencil
1575 x 1170 mm
Disaster strikes: no shells remain.
But the red marine would never think
To turn his back on the enemy!
Even if no more grenades
Lie on the snowbound grass, there remain
Two bottles with liquid fuel.
The heroic sailor grabs one:
“I’ll throw it at the first tank!”

Suddenly at this instant
A bullet burst through the bottle
And flame engulfed the hero.

Ignoring the sharp burning pain
The hero threw himself
At the enemy tank with a second bottle.
Crash! Fire! A column of black smoke!
The motor hatch is engulfed in fire.

Completing his heroic labor
Our red marine did fall,
But he fell as a proud victor!
Legends about him will arise,
The highest reward for a hero:
“He burnt the enemy with his flame!
He was a defender of Stalingrad!”
Ne boltai! Collection, Obj: 205750