Top 20 Soviet and Russian paintings of WWII

1. Pyotr Krivonogov. Defenders of the Brest Fortress (1951). The Brest Fortress was the first Soviet position to face the German invasion on 22 June 1941. It was soon surrounded and left behind in the rear by the advancing enemy. Pockets of resistance continued to exist until late July.

O. Ignatovich/Sputnik

2. Nikolay Prisekin. Hard Times (1984)

Grekov Studio of Military Art

3. Konstantin Vasilyev. Farewell of Slavianka (1974). The Russian patriotic march, Farewell of Slavianka was written in honor of women accompanying their husbands to war. The march was very popular both in the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and is still the most favourite military march in modern Russia.

Konstantin Vasilyev

4. Boris Tarelkin. Comrades (1983)

Chuvash State Art Museum

5. Nikolay But. Letter To Mother (1970)

Nikolay But

6. Sergei Gerasimov. Mother of a Partisan (1943-1950)

О. Ignatovich/Sputnik

7. Fyodor Usypenko. Night Operation (1958)

Legion Media

8. Marat Samsonov. Sister of Mercy (1954)

Central Armed Forces Museum

9. Anatoly Shorokhov. Thirst (2009)

Anatoly Shorokhov

10. Aleksandr Deyneka. The Defense of Sevastopol (1942). Deyneka’s painting isn’t a realistic depiction of the Siege of Sevastopol in 1942, but a symbolic image of the clash of two implacable forces: a faceless dark mass of invaders versus Soviet knights - sailors in dazzling white costumes.

I. Kogan/Sputnik

11. Irina Baldina. Natasha Kachuevskaya - Red Army heroine of the Battle of Stalingrad (1984). During the Battle of Stalingrad nurse Natalya Kachuevskaya saved 20 wounded Red Army soldiers by single-handedly fighting advancing enemy troops. Out of ammo, she blew herself and the enemy up with the last grenade.

Irina Baldina

12. Aleksandr Deyneka. Downed Ace (1943)

А. Sverdlov/Sputnik

13. Pyotr Maltsev. The Storm of Sapun Ridge (1958). Sapun Ridge was a well-fortified German defense position during the Soviet liberation of Sevastopol in May 1944. It demanded many hours and much blood for the Red Army to take it. After losing this key point the Germans soon lost the whole city.

Alexander Krasavin/Sputnik

14. Evsey Moiseenko. Victory (1972)

Russian Museum

15. Pyotr Krivonogov. Surrender of Berlin (1946)

Pyotr Krivonogov

16. Kukryniksy. The End (1947-1948). "Kukryniksy" was a collective name derived from the combined names of three caricaturists: Mikhail Kupriyanov, Porfiri Krylov, and Nikolai Sokolov.

Getty Images

17. Pyotr Krivonogov. Victory (1948)

Vladimir Vdovin/Sputnik

18. Mykhaylo Khmelko. Triumph of the Victorious Motherland (1949)

The State Tretyakov Gallery

19. Andrey Gorsky. Missing in Action. 1946 (1962)

Andrey Gorsky

 20. Igor Kravtsov. The Last Salute (2010)

Igor Kravtsov

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