This fascinating collection of photographs gives a rareinsight into a Soviet tank unit in the 1960s and 1970s
I was recently given a most interesting personal album of photographs taken by a former Soviet soldier during his military service in the Soviet far east.
The taking of photographs in service is generally discouraged in all armies worldwide, and in some cases prohibited, especially around military equipment. But all armies are for the most part staffed by humans who like to record things from time to time for posterity.
The photographs belonged to Gennady Malyshev who served in the tank forces of the Soviet Army in the very late 1960s and early 1970s and show the typical events of service life, training, maintenance, and field exercises. They are a snapshot of the typical life of a Soviet tank unit in service - in this case a unit with a mix of early production variants of the T-54 tank - under maintenance and then being returned to strategic storage. And also, as it transpires, preparing for combat operations.
The tanks in the accompanying photographs are particularly interesting when considered in context. The original photo album mentions the region where they were based, and the nearest vil…
