Soviet tank T-28 from the 91st tank battalion of the 20th heavy tank brigade, knocked out during the December battles of 1939 on the Karelian Isthmus near the height of 65.5. A convoy of Soviet trucks is moving in the background. February 1940.
A captured Soviet T-28 tank repaired by the Finns is sent to the rear, January 1940.
A vehicle from the 20th Kirov Heavy Tank Brigade. According to information about the losses of T-28 tanks of the 20th heavy tank brigade, 2 T-28 tanks were captured by the enemy during the Soviet-Finnish war. According to the characteristic features in the photo, the T-28 tank with the L-10 cannon, produced in the first half of 1939. 
Finnish tankers take out a captured Soviet T-28 tank to the rear. A vehicle from the 20th Kirov Heavy Tank Brigade, January 1940.
According to information about the losses of T-28 tanks of the 20th heavy tank brigade, 2 T-28 tanks were captured by the enemy during the Soviet-Finnish war. According to the characteristic features in the photo, the T-28 tank with the L-10 cannon, produced in the first half of 1939. 
A Finnish tanker is photographed standing next to a captured Soviet T-28 tank. The vehicle has been numbered R-48. This vehicle is one of two Soviet T-28 tanks captured by Finnish troops in December 1939 from the 20th Kirov Heavy Tank Brigade. According to the characteristic features in the photo, the T-28 tank of the 1939 release with the L-10 cannon and brackets for the handrail antenna. Varkaus, Finland, March 1940.
A burning house after the bombing of the Finnish port city of Turku by Soviet aircraft in southwestern Finland on December 27, 1939. 
Medium tanks T-28 from the 20th heavy tank brigade before entering a combat operation. Karelian Isthmus, February 1940.
In the presence of the 20th heavy tank brigade at the beginning of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, there were 105 T-28 tanks. 
A column of T-28 tanks from the 90th tank battalion of the 20th heavy tank brigade moves to the line of attack. The area of height 65.5 on the Karelian Isthmus, February 1940.
The lead vehicle (produced in the second half of 1939) has a whip antenna, improved armor for the periscopes and a box for smoke outlet devices with inclined sides. 
Prisoners of the Red Army captured by the Finns in the winter of 1940. Finland, January 16, 1940. 
The T-26 tank is dragging a sled with a landing party. 
Soviet commanders near the tent. 
A captured wounded Red Army soldier awaits delivery to the hospital. Sortavala, Finland, December 1939.
A group of captured Red Army soldiers of the 44th Infantry Division. Finland, December 1939.
Red Army soldiers of the 44th rifle division frozen in a trench. Finland, December 1939.
Formation of soldiers and commanders of the 123rd Infantry Division on the march after the battles on the Karelian Isthmus. 1940 year.
The division took part in the Soviet-Finnish war, operating on the Karelian Isthmus as part of the 7th Army. She especially distinguished herself on 02/11/1940 during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line, for which she was awarded the Order of Lenin. 26 soldiers and division commanders received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Finnish gunners of the coastal battery at Cape Mustaniemi (translated from the Finnish "Black Cape") in Lake Ladoga at the 152-mm Kane cannon. The year is 1939.
antiaircraft gun
A Soviet wounded man in the hospital is lying on a plastering table made from improvised means. 1940 year.
Light tank T-26 in the classroom to overcome anti-tank obstacles. Fascines are laid on the wing to overcome the ditches. According to its characteristic features, the car was produced in 1935. Karelian Isthmus, February 1940.
View of the destroyed street in Vyborg. 1940 year.
The building in the foreground is st. Vyborgskaya, 15. 
A Finnish skier is carrying a Schwarzlose machine gun on a sleigh. 
The bodies of Soviet soldiers by the road on the Karelian Isthmus.
Two Finns at a destroyed house in the town of Rovaniemi. 1940 year. 
A Finnish skier accompanies a dog sled. 
Finnish crew of the Schwarzlose machine gun at a position in the vicinity of the town of Salla. The year is 1939. 
Finnish soldier sits at the dog sled. 
Four Finns on the roof of a hospital damaged by a Soviet air raid. 1940 year. 
A sculpture by Finnish writer Aleksis Kivi in Helsinki with an unfinished shrapnel box, February 1940. 
The commander of the Soviet submarine S-1 Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant-Commander Alexander Vladimirovich Tripolsky (1902-1949) at the periscope, February 1940. 
Soviet submarine S-1 at the pier in the port of Libava. 1940 year. 
The commander of the Finnish army of the Karelian Isthmus (Kannaksen Armeija), Lieutenant General Hugo Osterman (Hugo Viktor Österman, 1892-1975, sitting at the table) and the chief of staff, Major General Kustaa Tapola (Kustaa Anders Tapola, 1895 - 1971) at the headquarters. 1939.
The Army of the Karelian Isthmus is a unit of Finnish troops located on the Karelian Isthmus during the Soviet-Finnish war and consisted of the II corps (4 divisions and a cavalry brigade) and the III corps (2 divisions).
Hugo Osterman in the Finnish army served as chief inspector of the infantry (1928-1933) and commander-in-chief (1933-1939). After the Red Army broke through the Mannerheim line, he was removed from his post as commander of the army of the Karelian Isthmus (February 10, 1940) and returned to work as an inspector of the Finnish army. From February 1944 - a representative of the Finnish army at the headquarters of the Wehrmacht. Dismissed in December 1945. From 1946 to 1960 - Managing Director of a Finnish energy company.
Kustaa Anders Tapola later commanded the 5th division of the Finnish army (1942-1944), was the chief of staff of the 6th corps (1944). Retired in 1955. 
President of Finland Kyösti Kallio (1873-1940) at the coaxial 7.62-mm anti-aircraft machine gun ITKK 31 VKT 1939. 
Finnish hospital ward after the Soviet air raid. 1940 year. 
Finnish fire brigade during training in Helsinki, autumn 1939.
Talvisota. 10/28/1939. Palokunnan uusia laitteita Helsingiss 
Finnish pilots and aircraft technicians at the French-made fighter Moran-Saulnier MS.406. Finland, Hollola, 1940.
Soon after the start of the Soviet-Finnish war, the French government handed over 30 Moran-Saulnier MS.406 fighters to the Finns. The photo shows one of these fighters from 1 / LLv-28. The aircraft still has the standard French summer camouflage.
Finnish soldiers are carrying a wounded comrade in a dog sled. 1940 year. 
View of the street in Helsinki after the Soviet air raid. November 30, 1939. 
A house in the center of Helsinki, damaged after a Soviet air raid. November 30, 1939. 
Finnish medics carry a wounded man on a stretcher outside the tent of a field hospital. 1940 year. 
Finnish soldiers dismantle captured Soviet military equipment. 1940 year. 
Two Soviet soldiers with a Maxim machine gun in the woods on the Mannerheim Line. 1940 year. 
The captured Red Army soldiers enter the house under the escort of Finnish soldiers. 
Three Finnish skiers on the march. 1940 year. 
Finnish medics load a stretcher with a wounded man into an AUTOKORI OY ambulance bus (on a Volvo LV83 / 84 chassis). 1940 year.
A Soviet prisoner captured by the Finns sits on a box. The year is 1939. 
Finnish medics treat a wounded knee in a field hospital. 1940 year. 
Soviet bombers SB-2 over Helsinki during one of the air raids on the city on the first day of the Soviet-Finnish war. November 30, 1939. 
Finnish skiers with reindeer and drags at a halt during a retreat. 1940 year. 
A burning house in the Finnish city of Vaasa after a Soviet air raid. The year is 1939. 
Finnish soldiers lift the frozen body of a Soviet officer. 1940 year. 
Park "Three Corners" ("Kolmikulman puisto") in Helsinki with dug open slots to shelter the population in the event of an air raid. On the right side of the park there is a sculpture of the goddess "Diana". In this regard, the second name of the park is "Diana Park" ("Dianapuisto"). October 24, 1939. 
Sandbags covering the windows of a house on Sofiankatu Street (Sofiyskaya Street) in Helsinki. The Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral are visible in the background. Autumn 1939.
Helsinki, lokakuussa 1939. 
Squadron commander of the 7th Fighter Aviation Regiment Fyodor Ivanovich Shinkarenko (1913-1994, third from right) with his comrades at the I-16 (type 10) at the airfield. December 23, 1939.
In the photo from left to right: Junior Lieutenant BS Kulbatsky, Lieutenant P. A. Pokryshev, Captain M. M. Kidalinsky, Senior Lieutenant F. I. Shinkarenko and Junior Lieutenant M. V. Borisov.
Finnish soldiers lead a horse into a railway carriage, October-November 1939. 
According to the characteristic features in the photo, the T-28 tank with the L-10 cannon, produced in the first half of 1939. This vehicle is one of two Soviet T-28 tanks captured by Finnish troops in December 1939 from the 20th Kirov Heavy Tank Brigade. The vehicle is numbered R-48. The insignia in the form of a swastika began to be applied to Finnish tanks in January 1941.
A Finnish soldier looks at disguised Red Army prisoners. 
Prisoners of the Red Army at the door of a Finnish house after changing clothes (in the previous photo). 
Technicians and pilots of the 13th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Baltic Fleet Air Force. Below: aircraft technicians - Fedorovs and B. Lisichkin, second row: pilots - Gennady Dmitrievich Tsokolaev, Anatoly Ivanovich Kuznetsov, D. Sharov. Kingisepp, Kotly airfield, 1939-1940 
The crew of the T-26 light tank before the battle.
Nurses take care of wounded Finnish soldiers.
Three Finnish skiers on vacation in a copse. 
Captured Finnish dugout. ...
Red Army soldiers at the grave of a comrade.
Artillery crew of the 203 mm B-4 gun.
Command staff of the headquarters battery.
An artillery crew at their gun at a firing position near the village of Muola.
Finnish fortification.
Destroyed Finnish bunker with an armored dome.
Destroyed Finnish fortifications of UR Mutoranta.
Red Army soldiers at the GAZ AA trucks.
Finnish soldiers and officers at the captured Soviet HT-26 flamethrower tank.
Finnish soldiers and officers at the captured Soviet chemical (flamethrower) tank HT-26. January 17, 1940.
On December 20, 1939, the advance units of the 44th division, reinforced by the 312th separate tank battalion, entered the Raat road and began to advance in the direction of Suomussalmi to the rescue of the surrounded 163rd rifle division. On a road 3.5 meters wide, the column stretched for 20 km, on January 7, the division's advance was stopped, its main forces were surrounded.
For the defeat of the division, its commander Vinogradov and chief of staff Volkov were brought to trial and shot in front of the line.
A camouflaged Finnish fighter of Dutch production Fokker D.XXI from Lentolaivue-24 (24th squadron) at Utti airfield on the second day of the Soviet-Finnish war. December 1, 1939.
The photo was taken even before all D.XXI squadrons were refitted with ski gear.
A destroyed Soviet truck and a killed horse from the defeated column of the 44th Infantry Division. Finland, January 17, 1940.
On December 20, 1939, the advance units of the 44th rifle division, reinforced by the 312th separate tank battalion, entered the Raat road and began to advance in the direction of Suomussalmi to the rescue of the surrounded 163rd rifle division. On a road 3.5 meters wide, the column stretched for 20 km, on January 7, the division's advance was stopped, its main forces were surrounded.
For the defeat of the division, its commander Vinogradov and chief of staff Volkov were brought to trial and shot in front of the line.
The picture shows a burned-out Soviet truck GAZ-AA.
A Finnish soldier reads a newspaper while standing next to captured Soviet 122-mm howitzers of the 1910/30 model after the defeat of a column of the 44th Infantry Division. January 17, 1940.
On December 20, 1939, the advance units of the 44th Infantry Division, reinforced by the 312th Separate Tank Battalion, entered the Raat road and began to advance in the direction of Suomussalmi to the rescue of the encircled 163rd Infantry Division. On a road 3.5 meters wide, the column stretched for 20 km, on January 7, the division's advance was stopped, its main forces were surrounded.
For the defeat of the division, its commander Vinogradov and chief of staff Volkov were given under
A Finnish soldier is watching from a trench. The year is 1939.
The Soviet light tank T-26 moves to the battlefield. Fascines are laid on the wing to overcome the ditches. According to its characteristic features, the car was produced in 1939. Karelian Isthmus, February 1940.
A Finnish air defense soldier, dressed in winter insulated camouflage, looks at the sky through a rangefinder. December 28, 1939.
A Finnish soldier next to a captured Soviet T-28 medium tank, winter 1939-40.
This is one of the T-28 tanks captured by the Finnish troops, which belonged to the 20th Kirov Heavy Tank Brigade.
The first tank was captured on December 17, 1939 in the area of the Lyakhda road, after it got into a deep Finnish trench and got stuck. Attempts by the crew to pull the tank out were unsuccessful, after which the crew left the tank. Five of the nine tankers were killed by Finnish soldiers, and the rest were captured. The second vehicle was captured on February 6, 1940 in the same area.
According to the characteristic features in the picture, the T-28 tank with the L-10 cannon produced in the first half of 1939.
A Soviet light tank T-26 is being ferried across a bridge built by sappers. Karelian Isthmus, December 1939.
A whip antenna is installed on the roof of the tower, and mounts for a handrail antenna are visible on the sides of the tower. According to its characteristic features, the car was produced in 1936.
A Finnish soldier and a woman outside a building damaged by a Soviet air raid. 1940 year.
A Finnish soldier stands at the entrance to the bunker on the Mannerheim Line. The year is 1939.
Finnish soldiers at the damaged T-26 tank with a mine sweep. 
A Finnish photojournalist examines the film at the remnants of a broken Soviet column. 1940 year.
Finns at the damaged Soviet heavy tank SMK. 
Finnish tank crews next to the Vickers Mk. E, summer 1939.
The picture shows the Vickers Mk. E model B. These modifications of the tanks in service with Finland were armed with 37-mm SA-17 cannons and 8-mm Hotchkiss machine guns removed from Renault FT-17 tanks (Renault FT-17).
At the end of 1939, this weapon was removed and returned to Renault tanks, replaced by 37-mm Bofors cannons, model 1936.
A Finnish soldier walks past Soviet trucks from a defeated column of Soviet troops, January 1940.
Finnish soldiers examine the captured Soviet 7.62-mm anti-aircraft machine gun M4 model 1931 on the chassis of a GAZ-AA truck, January 1940.
Residents of Helsinki inspect a car destroyed during a Soviet air raid. The year is 1939.
Finnish gunners next to the 37 mm Bofors anti-tank gun (37 PstK / 36 Bofors). These artillery pieces were purchased from England for the Finnish army. The year is 1939.
Finnish soldiers inspect Soviet light tanks BT-5 from a broken convoy in the Oulu area. January 1, 1940.
View of a broken Soviet train near the Finnish village of Suomussalmi, January-February 1940.
Hero of the Soviet Union Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Mikhailovich Kurochkin (1913-1941) at the I-16 fighter. 1940 year.
Vladimir Mikhailovich Kurochkin was drafted into the Red Army in 1935, in 1937 he graduated from the 2nd military pilot school in the city of Borisoglebsk. Participant in the battles at Lake Khasan. Since January 1940, he took part in the Soviet-Finnish war, made 60 sorties as part of the 7th Fighter Aviation Regiment, shot down three Finnish aircraft. For exemplary performance of combat missions of the command, courage, courage and heroism shown in the fight against the White Finns, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated March 21, 1940, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
He did not return from a combat mission on July 26, 1941.
Soviet light tank T-26 in a ravine near the Kollaanjoki river. December 17, 1939.
Before the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, the Kollasjoki River was located on Finnish territory. Currently in the Suoyarvsky region of Karelia.
Employees of the Finnish paramilitary organization of the security corps (Suojeluskunta) clearing debris in Helsinki after a Soviet air raid, November 30, 1939.
Correspondent Pekka Tiilikainen interviews Finnish soldiers at the front during the Soviet-Finnish war. 
Finnish war correspondent Pekka Tiilikainen interviews soldiers at the front. 
The Finnish engineering unit is sent to the construction of anti-tank obstacles on the Karelian Isthmus (a section of one of the defense lines of the Mannerheim Line), autumn 1939.
In the foreground on the cart is a granite block, which will be installed as an anti-tank block. 
Rows of Finnish granite anti-tank pillars on the Karelian Isthmus (a section of one of the Mannerheim Line defense lines) in the fall of 1939.
In the foreground, on stands, are two granite blocks prepared for installation. 
Evacuation of Finnish children from the city of Viipuri (currently the city of Vyborg in the Leningrad region) to the central regions of the country. Autumn 1939. 
Red Army commanders examine a captured Finnish Vickers Mk.E tank (model F Vickers Mk.E), March 1940.
A vehicle from the 4th armored company, which was founded on 10/12/1939.
On the turret of the tank there is a blue stripe - the original version of the identification marks of the Finnish armored vehicles.
The crew of the Soviet 203-mm howitzer B-4 shells the Finnish fortifications. December 2, 1939. 
A Finnish tanker next to the captured Soviet artillery tractor A-20 "Komsomolets" in Varkaus, March 1940.
Registration number R-437. An early 1937 machine with a faceted protrusion of a rifle mount. The Central Armored Vehicle Repair Shop (Panssarikeskuskorjaamo) was located in Varkaus.
On captured T-20 tractors (about 200 units were captured), the Finns cut the front end of the fenders at an angle. Probably in order to reduce the possibility of its deformation against obstacles. Two tractors with similar modifications are still in Finland, in the Suomenlinna War Museum in Helsinki and the Armor Museum in Parola.
Hero of the Soviet Union, platoon commander of the 7th pontoon-bridge battalion of the 7th Army, junior lieutenant Pavel Vasilyevich Usov (right) unloads a mine.
Pavel Usov is the first Hero of the Soviet Union from the military personnel of the pontoon units. The title of Hero was awarded for ferrying his troops across the Taipalen-Yoki River on December 6, 1939 - on a pontoon in three voyages, he ferried an infantry landing, which allowed him to seize the bridgehead.
He died on November 25, 1942 near the village of Khlepen, Kalinin Region, while carrying out a mission.
A division of Finnish skiers is moving on the ice of a frozen lake.
Finnish fighter of French production Moran-Saulnier MS.406 takes off from Hollola airfield. The picture was taken on the last day of the Soviet-Finnish war - 03/13/1940.
The fighter is still wearing the standard French camouflage pattern.
On the eve of the war, nine information companies were formed in Finland, subordinate to the main headquarters. During the Second World War, their numbers ranged from eight to twelve; about 150 photographers served on the front lines. The photographs they took were supposed to provide footage of real battles, as well as material that would be relevant from the point of view of military history and ethnography.
Some of the photographs were published in the press, but most of them remained in the closed archives of the photographic department of the main headquarters. This legacy is now in online archive and is available to the general public.
The Finnish Wartime Photographic Archive has published black-and-white and color photographs of both soldiers on the front line and civilians working in the rear. The website of the photo archive reports:
“You are looking at a unique historical collection of Finnish wartime photographs. The digitized archive contains about 160,000 photographs from the Second World War, covering the period from the fall of 1939 to the summer of 1945. The photographs depict life at the front, destruction caused by explosions, the military industry, the evacuation of residents of Finnish Karelia, as well as events and operations at the front. "
All high-resolution images can be viewed, downloaded, edited and published by specifying the source online archive SA-kuva.
The village of Alakurtti, September 1941.
Soldiers shooting back, 1941.
Submarine, city of Hanko, 1943.
Pechenga, 1942.
The Prince on Fire, July 1942.
Fire and street fighting. Povenets, July 1942.
Vuoksenlaakso, June 1943.
Anti-aircraft gun "Bofors". Suulayarvi, August 1943.
Aerial surveillance. Lahdenpohja, July 1942.
The picture shows Olavi Paavolainen. August 1942.
Svir, 1943.
Fishing boats on the steep shore of Lake Onega, August 1942.
A passenger car on the bridge in the eastern part of the Syvarille on September 2, 1942.
Karelian village, 1941.
Taking care of weapons during respite, 1944.
Cleanliness in war. Hamekoski, 1941.
Line for milk, 1944.
Train with the wounded. Vyborg, October 1939.
An injured 13-year-old boy en route to the hospital. Vyborg, 1941.
A kitten in Vyborg, 1941.
Lohaniemi, 1941.
Prisoners' lunch. Vyborg, 1942.
Castle tower, Vyborg 1942.
The word "Talvisota" in Finnish means "Winter War" - an armed conflict between the USSR and Finland in the period November 30, 1939 to March 13, 1940. As a result of the war, the territory of the Karelian Isthmus, with the cities of Vyborg and Sortavala, a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland, part of the Finnish territory with the city of Kuolajärvi, went to the Soviet Union. As a result of territorial changes, the State border of the USSR was established 160 kilometers from Leningrad, which later played an important role in the Great Patriotic War. The war with the Finns turned out to be heavy losses for the USSR, despite the superior forces of the Red Army. The general course of hostilities showed a low level of preparedness of the command staff of the Red Army. This material presents photographic moments of "Talvisota" - the most unpopular war of the Soviet Union and the "Pyrrhic" victory of the Red Army.
1) Soviet soldiers are digging a border post on the border with Finland. 
2) November 30, 1939. Red Army soldiers cross the state border of Finland. 
3)
4) Wire fences on the defensive positions of the Finns. 
5) Having crossed the state border, the Red Army went on the offensive. 
6) Finnish cuckoo arrows. The term "Cuckoos" is found in Soviet military literature (link) in 1941 editions. "Cuckoo" is a sniper or a soldier armed with a submachine gun, who chose tree branches as a combat position. Shooting in trees took place in the Soviet-Finnish war, but was not a mass phenomenon. Often there were cases when a sniper had to change position, and, sitting on branches, he was deprived of maneuver and freedom of movement. Also, the term "cuckoo" was used by Finnish military propaganda to suppress the morale of the Red Army. 
7) Finnish arrows. Immediately striking is the difference in the uniforms of the Finns and Soviet soldiers. If the representatives of the Suomi country were equipped in white camouflage coats, which allowed them to completely dissolve in the local landscapes, then the Red Army men were dressed in greatcoats, earflaps, "budden jackets", which made them vulnerable to Finnish snipers, especially against the background of white snow. 
8) The defeated convoy of the Red Army convoy. 
9) President of Finland Kyyosti Kallio in the position of the machine-gun crew of the 7.62-mm anti-aircraft machine gun ITKK 31 VKT. 
10) Another feature of the organization of the Finnish army formations is mobile units of skiers. In the prevailing weather conditions, ski training played a decisive role in maneuvering and moving troops. 
11)
12) The defensive positions of the Finns. 
13)
14) Finnish soldier with a Lahti-Saloranta M-26 light machine gun. Subsequently, the Finns preferred to use the Soviet Degtyarev machine gun. 
15) Finnish crew of the Austro-Hungarian machine gun Schwarzlose. 
16) Swedish volunteer in the Finnish army in a combat position. Wearing a balaclava was distinguished by a dual phenomenon - on the one hand, it saved from the cold, on the other hand, when it was worn for a long time due to the air exhaled by a soldier in conditions of thirty-degree frost, ice crusts formed on the woolen surface. 
17) The Red Army men are preparing to go on the attack in the Vyborg area. 
18) Finns at the captured Soviet flamethrower tank HT-26. 
19) A Finnish soldier examines a defeated convoy of Red Army vehicles. 
20) Soviet prisoners of war captured at Suomussalmi in December 1939. The 44th and 163rd divisions of the Red Army were surrounded by Finnish units in the area of the Raaten road and the village of Suomussalmi. 
21) Prisoners of the Red Army. 
22) Looking at the photographs of the suppressed Soviet soldiers, you begin to understand why the topic of the Finnish war was unpopular in the USSR. 
23)
24)
25) The numb bodies of the Red Army. In January 1940, temperatures dropped to -35 degrees Celsius. 
26)
27)
28)
29)
30) The Finns put a wounded colleague on a dog sled. 
31) For a long time in the spring of 1940, when the snow began to melt, local residents found the decomposing bodies of Soviet soldiers. 
32) It is difficult to say something in this particular case. In war, there is a priori lack of morality and any values. That’s why it’s war ... The Finns used the frozen corpse of a Soviet serviceman as a road sign. 
33) The Finns inspect the killed Red Army soldiers. 
34) Suomussalmi. The harsh irony of the war ... Finnish soldiers pose next to the body of a frozen Red Army soldier. 
35) The Finns lift the numb body of a Soviet officer. 
36) Finnish propaganda and ideological structures did not miss the opportunity to use moral and psychological pressure on the suppressed Red Army soldiers as a result of the defeat of the two Soviet divisions near Suomussalmi. On the front line, similar leaflets were thrown in the direction of the Soviet positions. 
37)
38) The symbol of the Finnish "cuckoos" Simo "Valkoinen Kuolema" (white death) Häyhä. 
39) Simo Häyhä is one of the most effective snipers - aces. He shot 542 Red Army soldiers from an M / 28 rifle ("pyustukorva"). About 200 more soldiers and officers were shot by Häyhä with a submachine gun. Simo was short (meter fifty-two). This allowed him to camouflage well. A distinctive feature of his sniper tactics was the use of an open sight. He rejected the telescopic sight due to glare in the sun from the glasses, which could give out his whereabouts. In March 1940, Häyhä was wounded by a bullet in the cheekbone and completed his military service. At home, he was a cult historical figure with the status of a national hero. 
40) Simo Häyhä after being wounded. 
41) Nevertheless, despite significant losses, the Red Army broke through the famous "Mannerheim Line" and began an offensive along the entire front on February 11, 1940. 
42) The height taken by parts of the Red Army. 
43) Finnish prisoners of war. 
44) The killed Finns in the area of the Karelian Isthmus. 
45) The Red Army men captured the battle banner of Shutskor, the Finnish guard corps. 
46) Red Army soldiers with a flag on a taken pillbox in the area of the Karelian Isthmus. The war with Finland ended on March 12, 1940. 
________________________________________ ______
In Russian historiography, the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, or, as it is called in the West, the Winter War, was practically consigned to oblivion for many years. This was facilitated by its not very successful results, and a kind of "political correctness" practiced in our country. Official Soviet propaganda was more afraid of offending any of the "friends" than fire, and Finland after the Great Patriotic War was considered an ally of the USSR.
Over the past 15 years, the situation has changed radically. Contrary to the well-known words of AT Tvardovsky about the "unremarkable war" today, this war is very "famous". Books dedicated to her are published one after another, not to mention the many articles in various magazines and collections. But this "celebrity" is very peculiar. The authors, who made denouncing the Soviet "evil empire" their profession, cite in their publications an absolutely fantastic ratio of our and Finnish losses. Any reasonable reasons for the actions of the USSR are completely denied ...
By the end of the 1930s, there was a state that was clearly unfriendly to us near the northwestern borders of the Soviet Union. It is quite indicative that even before the start of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. the identification mark of the Finnish Air Force and tank forces was a blue swastika. Those who claim that it was Stalin who, by his actions, pushed Finland into the Hitlerite camp, prefer not to remember this. As well as why the peace-loving Suomi needed a network of military airfields built by the beginning of 1939 with the help of German specialists, capable of accepting 10 times more aircraft than there were in the Finnish air force. However, in Helsinki they were ready to fight against us both in an alliance with Germany and Japan, and in an alliance with England and France.
Seeing the approach of a new world conflict, the leadership of the USSR sought to secure the border near the country's second largest and most important city. Back in March 1939, Soviet diplomacy probed the issue of transferring or leasing a number of islands in the Gulf of Finland, but in Helsinki they categorically refused.
The denunciators of the "crimes of the Stalinist regime" like to rant about the fact that Finland is a sovereign country, which itself disposes of its territory, and therefore, they say, it was not at all obliged to agree to an exchange. In this regard, one can recall the events that took place two decades later. When Soviet missiles began to be deployed in Cuba in 1962, the Americans had no legal basis to impose a naval blockade on the Island of Liberty, much less to launch a military strike against it. Both Cuba and the USSR are sovereign countries, the deployment of Soviet nuclear weapons concerned only them and fully corresponded to the norms of international law. Nevertheless, the United States was ready to start World War III if the missiles were not removed. There is such a thing as “sphere of vital interests”. For our country, in 1939, a similar sphere included the Gulf of Finland and the Karelian Isthmus. Even the former leader of the Cadet Party PN Milyukov, who did not at all sympathize with the Soviet regime, in a letter to IP Demidov, expressed the following attitude to the outbreak of war with Finland: “I feel sorry for the Finns, but I am for the Vyborg province.”
On November 26, the famous incident occurred near the village of Mainila. According to the official Soviet version, at 15:45 Finnish artillery fired at our territory, as a result of which 4 Soviet servicemen were killed and 9 wounded. Today it is considered good form to interpret this event as the work of the NKVD. The Finnish side's claims that their artillery was stationed at such a distance that its fire could not reach the border are perceived as indisputable. Meanwhile, according to Soviet documentary sources, one of the Finnish batteries was located in the Jappinen area (5 km from Mainila). However, whoever organized the provocation at Mainila, it was used by the Soviet side as a pretext for war. On November 28, the USSR government denounced the Soviet-Finnish non-aggression pact and withdrew its diplomatic representatives from Finland. On November 30, hostilities began.
I will not describe in detail the course of the war, since there are already enough publications on this topic. Its first stage, which lasted until the end of December 1939, was generally unsuccessful for the Red Army. On the Karelian Isthmus, Soviet troops, having overcome the forefront of the Mannerheim Line, reached its main defensive zone on December 4-10. However, attempts to break through it were unsuccessful. After bloody battles, the sides switched to trench warfare.
What are the reasons for the failure of the initial period of the war? First of all, in underestimating the enemy. Finland carried out mobilization in advance, increasing the size of its Armed Forces from 37 to 337 thousand (459). Finnish troops were deployed in the border zone, the main forces occupied the defensive lines on the Karelian Isthmus and even managed to carry out full-scale maneuvers at the end of October 1939.
The Soviet intelligence was not up to par, too, which could not reveal complete and reliable information about the Finnish fortifications.
Finally, the Soviet leadership harbored unfounded hopes for the "class solidarity of the Finnish workers." It was widely believed that the population of the countries that entered the war against the USSR would almost immediately "rise up and go over to the side of the Red Army," that workers and peasants would come out to greet Soviet soldiers with flowers.
As a result, the required number of troops was not allocated for combat operations and, accordingly, the necessary superiority in forces was not ensured. So, on the Karelian Isthmus, which was the most important sector of the front, the Finnish side in December 1939 had 6 infantry divisions, 4 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade and 10 separate battalions - a total of 80 calculation battalions. On the Soviet side, they were opposed by 9 rifle divisions, 1 rifle and machine gun brigade and 6 tank brigades - a total of 84 estimated rifle battalions. If we compare the number of personnel, then the Finnish troops on the Karelian Isthmus numbered 130 thousand, the Soviet - 169 thousand people. On the whole, 425 thousand Red Army fighters acted against 265 thousand Finnish soldiers along the entire front.
Defeat or victory?
So, let's sum up the results of the Soviet-Finnish conflict. As a rule, a war is considered won, as a result of which the winner is in a better position than he was before the war. What do we see from this point of view?
As we have already seen, by the end of the 1930s Finland was a country that was clearly unfriendly towards the USSR and was ready to enter into an alliance with any of our enemies. So the situation has not worsened in this respect. On the other hand, it is known that an unbelted bully understands only the language of brute force and begins to respect the one who managed to beat him. Finland was no exception. On May 22, 1940, the Society for Peace and Friendship with the USSR was established there. Despite the persecution by the Finnish authorities, by the time it was banned in December of the same year, it had 40,000 members. Such a mass character testifies that not only supporters of the communists entered the Society, but also simply sane people who believed that it was better to maintain normal relations with a great neighbor.
According to the Moscow Treaty, the USSR received new territories, as well as a naval base on the Hanko Peninsula. This is a clear plus. After the start of World War II, Finnish troops were able to reach the line of the old state border only by September 1941.
It should be noted that if at the negotiations in October-November 1939 the Soviet Union asked for less than 3 thousand square meters. km, and even in exchange for a twice as large territory, as a result of the war, he acquired about 40 thousand square meters. km without giving anything in return.
It should also be noted that in the pre-war negotiations, the USSR, in addition to territorial compensation, offered to reimburse the value of the property left by the Finns. According to the estimates of the Finnish side, even in the case of a transfer of a small piece of land, which it agreed to cede to us, it was about 800 million marks. If it came to the cession of the entire Karelian Isthmus, the bill would have gone to many billions.
But now, when on March 10, 1940, on the eve of the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty, Paasikivi started talking about compensation for the transferred territory, remembering that Peter I paid Sweden 2 million thalers in the Nystadt Peace Treaty, Molotov could calmly answer: “Write a letter to Peter the Great. If he orders, we will pay compensation ".
Moreover, the USSR demanded an amount of 95 million rubles. as compensation for equipment removed from the seized territory and damage to property. Finland also had to transfer 350 sea and river vehicles, 76 locomotives, 2 thousand cars, a significant number of cars to the USSR.
Of course, in the course of hostilities, the Soviet Armed Forces suffered significantly greater losses than the enemy. According to the personal lists, in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. killed, died and went missing 126 875 soldiers of the Red Army. The losses of the Finnish troops were, according to official figures, 21 396 killed and 1434 missing. However, in the domestic literature, another figure of Finnish losses is often found - 48,243 killed, 43 thousand wounded.
Be that as it may, the Soviet losses are several times greater than the Finnish ones. This ratio is not surprising. Take, for example, the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. If we consider the hostilities in Manchuria, the losses of both sides turn out to be approximately the same. Moreover, the Russians often lost more Japanese. However, during the assault on the fortress of Port Arthur, the losses of the Japanese far exceeded the Russian losses. It would seem that the same Russian and Japanese soldiers fought here and there, why is there such a difference? The answer is obvious: if in Manchuria the parties fought in an open field, then in Port Arthur our troops defended a fortress, even an unfinished one. Quite naturally, the storming forces suffered much higher losses. The same situation developed during the Soviet-Finnish war, when our troops had to storm the Mannerheim Line, and even in winter conditions.
As a result, the Soviet troops gained invaluable combat experience, and the command of the Red Army got an occasion to think about the shortcomings in the training of troops and about urgent measures to increase the combat effectiveness of the army and navy.
Speaking in Parliament on March 19, 1940, Daladier said that for France “The Moscow Peace Treaty is a tragic and shameful event. This is a great victory for Russia "... However, one should not go to extremes, as some authors do. Not very great. But still a victory.
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1. Units of the Red Army are crossing the bridge to the territory of Finland. 1939 g.
2. Soviet soldier guarding a minefield in the area of the former Finnish border outpost. 1939 g.
3. Artillery crew at their gun at a firing position. 1939 g.
4. Major Volin V.S. and boatswain Kapustin I.V., who landed with a landing on the island of Seiskaari, inspecting the coast of the island. Baltic Fleet. 1939 g.
5. Soldiers of the rifle unit are advancing from the forest. Karelian Isthmus. 1939 g.
6. The outfit of border guards on patrol. Karelian Isthmus. 1939 g.
7. Border guard Zolotukhin at the post at the outpost of the Finns of Beloostrov. 1939 g.
8. Sappers at the construction of a bridge near the Finnish border outpost Yapinen. 1939 g.
9. Soldiers deliver ammunition to the front lines. Karelian Isthmus. 1939 g.
10. Soldiers of the 7th Army are firing at the enemy with rifles. Karelian Isthmus. 1939 g.
11. The reconnaissance group of skiers receives the task of the commander before leaving for reconnaissance. 1939 g.
12. Horse artillery on the march. Vyborgsky district. 1939 g.
13. Fighters-skiers on a hike. 1940 g.
14. Red Army soldiers in combat positions in the area of hostilities with the Finns. Vyborgsky district. 1940 g.
15. Soldiers for cooking in the woods at the stake during a break between battles. 1939 g.
16. Cooking lunch in the field at 40 degrees below zero. 1940 g.
17. Anti-aircraft guns in position. 1940 g.
18. Signalers for the restoration of the telegraph line, destroyed by the Finns during the retreat. Karelian Isthmus. 1939 g.
19. Soldiers - signalmen restore the telegraph line destroyed by the Finns in Terijoki. 1939 g.
20. View of the railway bridge blown up by the Finns at the Terijoki station. 1939 g.
21. Soldiers and commanders talk with residents of Terijoki. 1939 g.
22. Signalers on the negotiating front line in the area of the Kemyarya station. 1940 g.
23. Rest of the Red Army after the battle in the Kemyar area. 1940 g.
24. A group of commanders and soldiers of the Red Army listens to a radio broadcast from a radio horn on one of the streets of Terijoki. 1939 g.
25. View of the Suoyarva station, taken by soldiers of the Red Army. 1939 g.
26. Soldiers of the Red Army guard a petrol pump in the town of Raivola. Karelian Isthmus. 1939 g.
27. General view of the destroyed "Mannerheim Fortification Line". 1939 g.
28. General view of the destroyed "Mannerheim Fortification Line". 1939 g.
29. A rally in one of the military units after the breakthrough of the "Mannerheim Line" during the Soviet-Finnish conflict. February 1940
30. General view of the destroyed "Mannerheim Fortification Line". 1939 g.
31. Sappers repairing a bridge in the Boboshino area. 1939 g.
32. A soldier of the Red Army puts a letter into a field mailbox. 1939 g.
33. A group of Soviet commanders and soldiers examines the Shutskor's banner taken from the Finns. 1939 g.
34. Howitzer B-4 on the front line. 1939 g.
35. General view of the Finnish fortifications at a height of 65.5. 1940 g.
36. View of one of the streets of Koivisto, taken by the Red Army. 1939 g.
37. View of the destroyed bridge near the town of Koivisto, taken by the Red Army. 1939 g.
38. A group of captured Finnish soldiers. 1940 g.
39. Red Army soldiers at the captured gun left after fighting with the Finns. Vyborgsky district. 1940 g.
40. Trophy ammunition depot. 1940 g.
41.Telecontrolled tank TT-26 (217th separate tank battalion of the 30th chemical tank brigade), February 1940.
42. Soviet soldiers on the captured pillbox on the Karelian Isthmus. 1940 g.
43. Units of the Red Army enter the liberated city of Vyborg. 1940 g.
44. Soldiers of the Red Army on the fortifications in the city of Vyborg. 1940 g.
45. Ruins of Vyborg after the fighting. 1940 g.
46. Soldiers of the Red Army clear snow from the streets of the liberated city of Vyborg. 1940 g.
47. Icebreaker "Dezhnev" during the transfer of troops from Arkhangelsk to Kandalaksha. 1940 g.
48. Soviet skiers are advancing to the forefront. Winter 1939-1940.
49. Soviet attack aircraft I-15bis taxied for takeoff before a combat mission during the Soviet-Finnish war.
50. Finnish Foreign Minister Vaine Tanner speaks on the radio with a message about the end of the Soviet-Finnish war. 03/13/1940
51. Crossing the Finnish border by Soviet units in the area of the village of Hautavaara. 11/30/1939
52. Finnish prisoners talk with a Soviet political worker. The picture was taken in the Gryazovets NKVD camp. 1939-1940 g.
53. Soviet soldiers talk with one of the first Finnish prisoners of war. 11/30/1939
54. Finnish Fokker C.X. aircraft shot down by Soviet fighters on the Karelian Isthmus. December 1939
55. Hero of the Soviet Union, platoon commander of the 7th pontoon-bridge battalion of the 7th Army, junior lieutenant Pavel Vasilyevich Usov (right) unloads a mine.
56. The crew of the Soviet 203-mm howitzer B-4 shells the Finnish fortifications. 02.12.1939 g.
57. The commanders of the Red Army examine the captured Finnish tank Vickers Mk.E. March 1940
58. Hero of the Soviet Union Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Mikhailovich Kurochkin (1913-1941) at the I-16 fighter. 1940 g.
59. View of the destroyed street in Vyborg. 1940 g.
On November 30, 1939, exactly 78 years ago, the Soviet-Finnish war began, later called the "Winter War". Throughout the autumn of the same year, he negotiated with the Finnish government on the transfer of part of the Finnish territory to the USSR, and after receiving a refusal, he brought in troops, and also created a puppet "Finnish People's Republic", which was supposed to replace the legitimate government of Finland.
To some extent, the "Winter War" also affected my family - after school my grandmother had a young man with whom they were going to get married. In the fall of 1939, he was taken to the Red Army and sent to the war, where he died, freezing to death in a Finnish forest. Later, my grandmother got married, but as I found out later, she remembered all my life about that first (and maybe only true) love.
In today's post - a story about how the USSR attacked Finland.
To begin with, as usual, a little history. In 1917, as a result of the collapse of the Russian Empire, Finland became an independent state. Relations with the USSR remained tense - in the USSR the authorities of Finland were called "White Finns" and continued to perceive Finland as part of the lost territory. By the way, the very term "White Finns" (just like the "White Poles") is a simple propaganda cliche - it is obvious that they meant "opponents of the Reds" by it, i.e. the same as the "White Guards" during the Civil War. But the white movement and the White Guards stood for a single and indivisible Russian Empire and did not recognize any independent Poland or Finland - so calling the Finnish supporters of independence "White Finns" is nonsense.
Throughout almost all of the thirties, the USSR climbed to Finland with initiatives, offering to "move the border" and transfer part of the territory to the USSR, as well as allow Soviet military bases to be located on its territory. The Finns did not agree to the Soviet terms - partly because the USSR demanded that the strategically important Mannerheim Line, which later played a decisive role in the defense of Finland, be surrendered under the pretext of the danger of attack - "Your fences are looking at us somehow unfriendly!" The last negotiations, which took place in Moscow on November 3, 1939, ended in nothing - the Finnish government firmly stood on the principle of the country's territorial indivisibility.
On November 26, after a slight lull, an article appears in the Pravda newspaper "Pea jester at the post of prime minister", with which the anti-Finnish propaganda campaign started - the Finns immediately became "White Finns", "an unbeaten White Guard", in general, the next blood enemies.
On November 26, 1939, the so-called "Mainil incident" took place - the Red Army fired at the Soviet village of Mainila, of which it accused the Finns, and four days later the USSR began a war. In the photo - Soviet tanks in the area of the Mannerheim Line:
02. Interestingly, Soviet propaganda did not particularly advertise the Mainil incident as a reason for starting a war, as in fact, the word "war" was almost never used - Soviet citizens were told that the Soviet Union was committing the great liberation campaign in Finland to help the Finnish workers and peasants overthrow the oppression of the capitalists. A striking example of Soviet propaganda of those years was the song "Take us, Suomi-beauty" with the following words:
"We come to help you straighten out,
Pay more for the shame
Take us, Suomi beauty,
In a necklace of transparent lakes!
Tanks break wide glades,
Airplanes circling in the clouds
Low sun of autumn
Lights the lights on the bayonets.
We used to fraternize with victories
And again we carry in battle
On the roads walked by grandfathers,
Your red-star glory.
Many lies have been made in these years,
To confuse the Finnish people.
Now reveal to us trustingly
Halves of wide gates! "
Grandfathers, tanks, everything, everything is as it should be) By the way, judging by the "low sun of autumn" in the text - the USSR planned to start the war a little earlier, in the midst of autumn, and not on the last day. And this is how the "confused Finnish people" met the great liberators, this is the Finnish border patrol on skis - there were about half the Finnish soldiers than the Soviet ones, but they were better prepared:
03. Further it will be interesting, watch your hands, as they say) On December 1, 1939, the newspaper Pravda published a message stating that "People's Republic of Finland", headed by the "government of the Finnish people." Already on December 2, the government of this "republic" was invited to Moscow, where it immediately signed all agreements on the terms of the USSR, concluded a "treaty of mutual assistance and friendship" and immediately agreed to transfer all the requested territories to the USSR.
That is, in fact, a virtual republic was created on the territory of Finland on behalf of which all agreements were concluded on the conditions necessary for the USSR. In parallel with this, the formation of the "Finnish People's Army" began, this "people's" army was supposed to replace the occupying units of the Red Army and "plant a red flag in Helsinki." Rumors were spreading everywhere that the real army of independent Finland was about to surrender, and the real government was about to flee, if it had not already fled.
The Finns, meanwhile, quite successfully continued to restrain the advance of the Soviet troops, in the photo there is a machine-gun nest on the Mannerheim Line.
04. Mountain rifle units of the Finnish troops - the actual "special forces" of those years, intended for reconnaissance and pinpoint strike operations.
05. Many volunteers were enrolled in the Finnish army to defend Finland - many of them knew how to shoot well, plus they knew all the roundabout paths very well. In the photo - an ordinary civilian bus brings volunteers to the front line, people change into winter camouflage and get up on skis:
06. A civilian vehicle adapted by volunteers for military needs. For a more secretive movement in the winter forest, the car was camouflaged with white paint. On such vehicles people were brought to the front, as well as food and warm clothes.
07. The "People's Republic" issue faded quite quickly, since the Finns quite successfully held back the onslaught of the Soviet troops, and in general the people did not support the government of the "People's Republic". Since January 25, the government of the USSR decided not to mention the "People's Republic" anymore and recognized the government in Helsinki as the legitimate government of Finland - in general, they were ditched and abandoned.
In the photo - Finnish soldiers in positions in forest dugouts:
08. Supply of field units - local Finns bring provisions and warm clothes to combat positions.
09. Supply cart in the forest:
10. Finnish "ghost squads" that appeared out of nowhere:
11.On November 30, 1939, Soviet planes appeared over Helsinki, from which leaflets first fell with the following text - "You know that we have bread - you will starve her. Soviet Russia will not harm the Finnish people. The government is leading you to disaster."... On the same day, after the leaflets, high-explosive and incendiary bombs rained down on the city.
12. The center of Helsinki was on fire, set on fire by "lighters". About 50 bombs hit Frederiksgatan Street, where the huge building of the Institute of Technology and several five-six-story buildings were completely destroyed, cars were burning.
13. Burnt houses on Federiksgatan Street, firefighters are dismantling the smoky rubble:
14. People were hiding from the bombing in the nearby forests:
15. Finnish mother with her son in the woods in the suburbs of Helsinki. In total, about 1000 people died in the city from Soviet bombing.
16. Ruins of Helsinki. Speaking to the international press, then Foreign Minister Molotov said that Soviet planes did not drop bombs, but only leaflets and humanitarian aid.
17. By the end of December, it became clear that the Red Army did not succeed in the "blitzkrieg", the troops got stuck and went over to positional combat operations. The Finns used the tactics of partisan detachments - they attacked in small groups of skiers, after which they disappeared into the forest. Plus, the Soviet troops were all very bad with supplies.
18. Finnish bicycle volunteer:
19. Finnish fortifications on the Mannerheim Line, remnants of "first generation" bunkers (built in the early 1920s).
20. The political instructor cheats the Soviet soldiers against the "White Finns". By the way, pay attention to the helmets - in the photo there are entirely SSh-36 helmets, or in common parlance "Halkingolki". Such helmets were completely used during the war of 1941-45, but they were almost never shown in military films, apparently due to the similarity with German helmets.
21. Finnish soldiers in positions:
22. The dead Soviet soldiers. Many of those who died in that war, by the way, did not die in battles, but died of hypothermia.
23. Captured Soviet soldiers from the Finns. I wonder if there is any statistics on how many of the prisoners wished to stay in Finland?
24. Gustav Mannerheim (left), in charge of the defense of Finland.
As a result of the peace treaty, which put an end to this useless war, the USSR acquired scanty territories, losing 65384 people killed, 248,000 sick, wounded and frostbitten, 15,921 people died in hospitals, 14,043 people were missing.
Write in the comments what you think about this.