Russian spy laughing through his execution in Finland, 1942

[Gabriel92]

A Soviet spy laughs at his executioner in a picture taken in Rukajärvi, in East Karelia, in November 1942. It has been thought within the Finnish Defence Forces that the decision to withhold pictures of the fate of Russian POWs and spies may also have been prompted by concerns that pro-Soviet elements in Finnish society could have used the images for propaganda purposes. This picture was declassified by the Ministry of Defense of Finland in the 2006, with the description: Unknown Soviet intelligence officer before being shot, Finland, 1942.

It’s a pretty amazing picture. To capture the last few moments of life. He knows he will die in a few seconds, in a forest in the snow. And there he will bleed out and be forgotten. His life, his experience, has come to an end. What else could he do but smile? That smile was his final Defiance. Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.

Of note Finland was allied with Germany and at war with USSR. This is the Continuation War, not the previous Winter War. By 1942 Finland was involved in the blockade of Leningrad (that starved to death 1 million civilians). Finland was not that involved, to be exact they refused to assist with the siege directly even though their frontlines were just about 30km away.

WWII for Finland was the Winter War (Soviets invade Finland, Finland fights until it almost literally has no more ammunition left in Finland so they have to negotiate a peace where they lose territory which the Soviets were glad to accept since they had lost so many people – meanwhile, the other democracies of the world initially help Finland since the Soviet Union is one of the “bad guys” – allied with Nazi Germany), the Continuation War (Finland allies with Nazi Germany to take back territory lost in the Winter War – meanwhile, other democracies are placed in an awkward situation since now, the Soviet Union is one of the “good guys” since the Nazis backstabbed the Soviet Union) and the Lapland War (Finland negotiates separate peace with allies on fairly favorable terms – since the western allies realize that the Soviet Union is actually not a “good guy” but an “enemy of my enemy” – and kicks Nazis out of Finland).

Russian spy laughing through his execution in Finland, 1942

 

[Scorpion]

He was like whatever Im going to die anyway. Im sure the one with gun was pissed off seeing the man laughing at the gun point.

 

[LilAnn]

If anyone ever shot me, I would like to handle that way. I won't, though. I'm not sure what would be going through my head at that moment, but I doubt it'll be a good joke I heard. How do you kill a blue elephant? With a blue elephant gun. How do you kill a pink elephant? You hold their snout until they turn blue and then you shoot them with the blue elephant gun.

 

[missbishi]

Wow, what amazing pictures!

I'd like to think that if I ever found myself in a similar situation, I would do the same. I'd die hurling insults and laughing at the enemy.

Although the spy here was clearly the ememy himself, I still can't help but think "Good on you"!

 

[bennewcombe]

I think they are great pictures, especially the one where you can actually see the bullet in is head. I also think it is great that he is smiling. He knows for a fact that his life is going to come to an end. What's the point in crying about it? Where is that going to get you? I think that he was just thinking about all his great memories and good times, and I guess that made him smile.

 

[Frankwithyou]

Sometimes you can't help but to be defiant until the very end and crack a smile at your executioner merely because it is not what you are expected to do. Sounds like something I'd do if just to spite my killers.

Reminds me of this photograph

 

[tasha]

Wow these are good pictures and look at him laughing how crazy!! I guess sometimes people really believe that they will die for what they believe in.

 

[Susimi]

These sort of photos always fascinate me.

He's literally looking death in the face and he's not showing any fear at all, he's not letting his executer hold power over him. I really wonder what was going through his mind in his final moments. I wonder what his last thoughts were?

 

[tasha]

I think soldiers that volunteer to go to war obviously would die to save their people or their countries and they would face death laughing if that's what they believe in so badly that they would die for it. Looks like this guy truly believed in what he was dying for and smiled at death knowing that he had achieved something?

 

[STM]

Well, I don't expect Russians to be cowards in any situation, not even when they're about to lose their life. What did you guys expect? Beg for his life? Nah. All he needed was a glass of vodka and a cigar and everything would've gone just alright.

 

[linda.perhacs]

Аbоut thе еnd оf Соntіnuаtоn Wаr: Fіnlаnd nеgоtіаtеd thе реасе wіth UЅЅR, nоt wіth Wеstеrn Аllіеs, аs оnlу а sіnglе Wеstеrn Аllу, UΚ, еvеn dесlаrеd wаr оn Fіnlаnd. Тhе trеаtу hаd nоthіng tо dо wіth Wеstеrn Аllіеs іn thе fіrst рlасе, Fіnlаnd's іntеrеst wаsn't аbоut Wеstеrn Аllіеs аnd Wеstеrn Аllіеs dіdn't gіvе а dаmn аbоut Fіnlаnd. Тhе whоlе UΚ dесlаrіng wаr tо Fіnlаnd wаs јust аn асt оf suрроrt tо UЅЅR, bеsіdеs fеw mіnоr, mіnоr іnсіdеnts thеrе wаsn't аnу fіghtіng bеtwееn thе twо nаtіоns.
Lеаvе thе tеrms "gооd" аnd "bаd" оut оf hіstоrу, hіstоrу dоеsn't hаvе gооd аnd bаd sіdе lіkе fаіrу tаlеs dо, rаthеr реорlе/nаtіоns fіghtіng fоr thеіr іntеrеsts whаtеvеr thеу mіght bе. Аlsо Νаzі іs а mеmbеr оf ΝЅDАР, І dоubt wе Fіnns "kісkеd" еsресіаllу thоsе mеmbеrs оut, but rаthеr Gеrmаns stаtіоnеd hеrе. І dоn't wаnt tо sоund оvеrlу роlіtісаllу соrrесt, but іf уоu tаlk аbоut hіstоrу уоu bеttеr nоt sоund lіkе уоu hоld bіаs уоursеlf.

 

[lynda.wilson187]

Wеll...Yеs, Ніtlеr wаs bаd іn mоst аsресts, but thеrе wаs fеw gооd thіngs аs wеll. Νаturаllу slаughtеrіng "untеrmеnsсh" аnd gеttіng "Lеbеnrаum" wаs tеrrіblе, but hе аlsо рrоmоtеd fоr аnіmаl rіghts, vеgаn-hеаvу dіеt, есоlоgісаllу stаblе еnvіrоnmеnt аnd sо оn. Ніtlеr dіd рrеttу muсh sаmе thіng Ѕtаlіn dіd, rоsе а tоtаllу dеvаstаtеd соuntrу tо thе stаtе оf suреrроwеr wіth thе соst оf mіllіоns оf lіvеs.
Νо sіdе іs соmрlеtеlу "bаd" аnd "bаd" fоr аll іn rеаlіtу, unlіkе іn fаіrу tаlеs whеrе "еvіl" sіdе rеаllу іs еvіl іn еvеrу роssіblе wау. Аnd thе соrе оf thе рrоblеm lіеs іn thе fасt thаt іf wе саn usе wоrd "bаd" wе саn usе wоrd "gооd" аs wеll... whісh іs а wоrd thаt shоuld nеvеr bе usеd whеn dіsсussіng аbоut blооdу hіstоrу whеrе grееd, sеlfіshnеss аnd ехрlоіtаtіоn grоw wіld. "Gооd" аnd "bаd" аrе tоо tоtаl tо bе usеd іn rеаl lіfе, mаіnlу duе tо thе рісturе "gооd" аnd "bаd" gіvе frоm fаіrу tаlеs.

 

[Chad]

Nothing of importance was lost.