An impression of the horrors of the battles in the Volkhov swamps near Leningrad/Northern Russia: the skeletonised body of a Soviet soldier in his ice-filled foxhole. In the Volkhov swamps thousands of casualties from both sides could not be buried due to the frozen ground, the lack of explosives and the total physical and psychical debilitation of the survivors during the 900 days lasting battle.

Volkhov horrors (1)

Italian partisans display the mutilated bodies of Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci

Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci

Another impression of the horrors of the battles in the Volkhov swamps near Leningrad/Northern Russia: German casualties remain unburied in a trench conquered by the Red Army. Both sides used bodies as guideposts, like in this case: &quot;Attention! Area behind the dead Fritz (Soviet nickname for the Germans) under enemy observation&quot;. Oftenly bodies of German soldiers were booby-trapped by Soviet partisans.