RUSSIANS AND I CAN SEE EACH OTHERS IDYLS, PART II

(Hanko besieged, edited by Pelle Lindholm)

June 1941 - August 1941

- The idyl is perfect. I have swimmed in the sea and I'm sucking my pen in a comfortable chair. Below in the shore, two copper brown gunners are swimming in the sea (infantry now and then maliciously enquires, if the batteries are located in a military views in mind, or with a sea view in mind). A second naked soldier in guiding his horse into the crystal clear water, they both are taking a freshing bath. The battalion priest is standing in the pier and is fishing.

- The opposites, fast shifts in time and place, from war to peace, from the time spend with the family to the comradeship in the ascetic dugouts, from the beautiful islands to the grime and agonizing pain of soul and body in the burned battle field, gives a mark of unreality to the life in Hanko Cape. We can get quickly into a safe place and to get rid off the tension, but then again these fast shifts in time and place, are also quite annoying.

- You will not get a chance to get over of the again woken demands of living, before you're back in the front line. "I should have not gone to home, it is too close", said one Second Lieutenant, after we met from one hour since he had left from his home.

TK - Laurin Zilliacus

- Over sixty years ago, the island of Storön was full of life. The positions were manned with men, who stared to the sea, waiting for a possible attack from the Russians. After the war, these positions have still watched towards the sea, now alone with no one taking care of the collapsing trenches and firing positions.

- A view from the trenches.

- Trench line with firing positions pointing forward from the line.

- Trench line remains.

- Trench line follows the shape of the shoreline.

- The same line seen from the opposite direction.

- The view near of the shoreline of Storön. The trenches are located right in the shore, on the left side of the picture. The view also gives a good view how the ground is rising heavily towards the inland and finally there are the high rocks where structure 50 is located. Retreating from these positions would have been difficult if something would have gone wrong in the defence of the island.

- The forest is still full of small paths, most likely created during the existence of Hanko Front, as no people live here. Silence is a good word of describing the area. Sixty years ago, it was not that silent here...