Dmitri Baltermants, Russian, 1912–1990
Tchaikovsky
Negative 1945; print 2003
Gelatin silver print
Sheet: 16 x 20 in.
Purchased through a gift from Harley and Stephen C. Osman, Class of 1956, Tuck 1957; PH.2003.56.82
In his poignant photograph Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Baltermants appears to juxtapose creation and destruction. Taken near the end of World War II in Berlin, Germany, the photograph depicts a group of Soviet soldiers gathered around an upright piano in a bombed German home. It is implied that the photographed soldiers are the agents of this destruction, since they seem unaffected by the crumbling ruin around them. Yet, instead of focusing on this act of violence, Baltermants captures a quiet moment of peace and creativity. As one soldier plays the piano—presumably a piece by the renowned Russian composer Tchaikovsky—the others quietly listen, while an armed soldier standing in the background adds tension to the scene. In contrast to the backdrop of debris and crumbling walls, flowers in full bloom atop the piano represent a beacon of hope and humanity. Light streams in through the demolished wall, illuminating the instrument’s keys while keeping the soldiers’ somber faces largely in shadow.