BBC Crossing Continents episode on "the Diggers" who find unburied war dead in Russia. Podcast: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/cc/cc_20140109-1115a.mp3
See also Lucy Ash, 'Digging for their lives: Russia's volunteer body hunters', BBC 13 January 2014, with some moving stories and pictures:
"Exploration is one of 600 groups of diggers from all over Russia who have found and reburied a total of 500,000 soldiers so far. These teams are known as the "white diggers", but there are also those dubbed "black diggers" who search for medals, guns, coins or even gold teeth which they sell online or to specialist dealers. They are not interested in identifying the soldiers - they just leave the bones in the ground."Here too there are those who dig with ethics and morals and those who dig with none.
Vignette: War Relics Forum: "What is your latest militaria purchase?" ("Many thanks D for the fantastic relic helmet, the Picture of Rusian soldiers in Leningrad 11/39 on their Way to the Russo Finnish "Winter war" picture I bought today! Rgds Jan ")
2 comments:
Quite a moving story especially given the dangers. Can't begin to imagine the horror of so many dead so quickly.
A shame about the thieves but I guess robing the dead is nothing new sadly.
You have too be very strong minded to be able to do what they do. I can imagine it's very haunting what they have seen. Very deserving of some kind off appreciation for their work and it's good that the soldiers who died have been given a proper burial
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