A severely wounded veteran—who lost his legs and used a small wheeled platform and homemade supports to move around—bowing before the flame to remember fallen comrades.
Moloch of War, referencing the ancient Canaanite deity associated with sacrificial offerings. Over time, the name came to symbolize anything that demands terrible human sacrifice.
The Soviet Union suffered the greatest losses of any country in World War II, an estimated 27 million dead, soldiers and civilians combined. Millions more came home wounded, including hundreds of thousands of amputees.
For many disabled veterans, life after the war was hard. Prosthetics were scarce, pensions were small, and some were removed from big cities and sent to remote institutions, out of public view.
Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, honors the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. It became an official day off again in 1965, after nearly two decades as a regular working day, and grew into one of the most important holidays in the country.
Moscow’s best-known Eternal Flame, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin, was lit in 1967, a year after this photo was reportedly taken.