Soviet infantry launches a counterattack near Stalingrad under heavy German artillery fire. One of the most famous Eastern Front photographs, traditionally known as “The Commissar.”
"The Commissar" — An Icon of the Battle of Stalingrad
Stalingrad, USSR, 1942.
Smoke, dust, and exploding shells fill the battlefield as Soviet infantry rises to counterattack. Captured by renowned Soviet photographer Arkady Shaikhet, this remarkable image became one of the defining visual symbols of the Battle of Stalingrad and of the Red Army's determination during the darkest days of the war.
Traditionally known as "The Commissar", the photograph shows a soldier at the center of the assault carrying a PPSh-41 submachine gun, urging his comrades forward through German artillery fire. Around him, Red Army infantry armed with Mosin-Nagant rifles and a DP-27 light machine gun advance into battle. Whether the central figure was actually a political commissar remains uncertain, but the image has retained its historic title for decades.
Arkady Shaikhet sought not to romanticize combat, but to document its human reality. His wartime photographs captured moments of fear, courage, exhaustion, and sacrifice that statistics alone can never convey. This single frame preserves the determination of soldiers fighting for every ruined street and every meter of ground along the Volga.
Today, the photograph remains one of the best-known images of the Eastern Front. Reproduced in books, museums, documentaries, and historical exhibitions around the world, it continues to symbolize the extraordinary endurance of the Soviet soldiers who fought in one of the bloodiest battles in human history.
Historical Significance
The Battle of Stalingrad marked a decisive turning point on the Eastern Front. Images such as this have become enduring visual records of the Red Army's resistance and eventual victory over Nazi Germany.
Photo Details
📷 Technical data:
📸 Photographer: Arkady Shaikhet
📅 Date: 1942
📍 Location: Stalingrad, USSR
- Soviet commissar Stalingrad photos
- Arkady Shaikhet World War II photography
- Soviet infantry Battle of Stalingrad