February 1943 — After Stalingrad

~February 1943

"The masters are fussing — soon we'll show them!" The war turns. Wounded soldiers return without arms and legs.

SCAN0103

SCAN0104

Transcription (excerpt)

…хозяева засуетились, скоро мы им покажем!… Германія (проклята)… раненые солдаты возвращаются без рук и ног…

Context

After the German defeat at Stalingrad in February 1943, the mood shifted dramatically. Raisa noticed the German “masters” suddenly becoming nervous and attentive to their workers. Wounded soldiers were returning from the Eastern Front without arms and legs.

For the first time, Raisa writes with open defiance: “Soon we’ll show them!” She even calls Germany “проклята” (cursed) — remarkable for censored correspondence. The power dynamic was shifting, and everyone could feel it.

Source: SCAN0103–SCAN0104