"Attack," 1941
Gelatin silver print
17 x 23 3/8 inches
Artist's and Ogonyok Magazine stamps in Russian on verso

By the end of November 1941 the Germans had already suffered 250,000 casualties in Russia. In December the Russians began their counterattack. When first published, Baltermants’ photo of charging soldiers was criticized as it depicted “half-a-man,” and was thus inconsistent with socialist realist standards. It has since become one of the most enduring war photos ever taken.