—— Red Army Sniper ——192‘And here’s Izvestiya: it’s got the stuff from the Soviet
Information Bureau, and there’s a letter from Master Bushtyrkov –
from the Kirov works; we were there in May at a celebration. Here
he is writing to Yevgeni... ’
From the people of Leningrad to sniper Nikolaev.
Leningrad Front, 10 August (TASS special
correspondent). Sniper Nikolaev of the... detachment,
who, as has been already reported in the press, wiped
out 104 Nazis in three days, is the recipient of numerous
letters voicing warm greetings and congratulations
from the working people of the city of Leningrad.
Decorated master Bushtyrkov, from one of the
factories, addresses the sniper as follows: ‘I have learned
about your unprecedented feat. It is, my dear soldier,
a great achievement. Greetings to you and thanks.
We remember the winter, dear Comrade Nikolaev, we
remember the whole of this grim year, and we know
that the enemy will pay for it all – for all the destruction
and suffering. Keep hitting them, my dear fellow, keep
hitting the Germans as you have over these three days.
Instruct your comrades in your high level of expertise,
in the art of the sniper. May our Red Army have
thousands, tens and hundreds of thousands of people
like you.‘It’s correct what the man writes,’ said the commissar. ‘Instructing
others – that’s our joint objective!’
And, taking a slender school exercise book from a clipboard,
the commissar held it out to me, adding:
‘If I were you, Nikolaev, I would immediately write a reply to
the greetings of the Army Military Council.’
‘True, Comrade Commissar. Only it’s a difficult task!’
‘Well, let’s sit down and think it all out together. You’ve got
friends here to help you, as always.. .’
This is what we came up with: