Steve Pickthall

The individual captured in the photograph is Evgeny Stepanovich Kobytev. In 1941, as a young artist passionate about painting portraits and landscapes, he had just completed his studies at the Kyiv State Institute in Ukraine and dreamt of launching a career in art. However, those aspirations were put on hold when Germany began its invasion of the Soviet Union, prompting Kobytev to join the war effort. Kobytev participated in multiple intense confrontations in Ukraine, but by September 1941, he was injured and became a POW. He was interned in the "Khorol pit" (Dulag #160), a notorious camp where nearly 90,000 civilians (including Jewish individuals) and POWs met their tragic end. This camp, previously an old brick factory, had a single shelter barrack. Those lucky enough to find space inside were tightly packed, enduring an overwhelming stench. Yet, the suffocating interior was still preferable to the merciless exposure outside. After enduring two harrowing years in captivity, Kobytev staged an escape. Wasting no time, he re-enlisted and continued fighting to reclaim German-occupied cities throughout Ukraine.