Page 37 - Excerpts from the diary

01.30.1945

To us do not allow to have a rest. Today came here at five o'clock, and in seven rises so it only managed to have
supper was organized, and rest came to an end. To take offense, of course, there is nobody. Each our step has the
largest historical value. That is why it is not necessary to think of rest.
Inhabitants are terribly frightened. When we came, all of them raised hands up, and asked with fear: 'ales kaput,
ales kaput'. At them made a revolution, took away all necessary. The luxury of a situation is indescribable, the
wealth and grace of all property is high. Here when also our Slavs seized!
Nobody forbids to take and destroy to anybody at Germans that they at us stole earlier. I am very satisfied with
the course of events. I do not like only a reckless demeanor of the captain Shitikov and, in particular, Kanonenko.
Yesterday, for example, Rysev broke Schiller's bust and would destroy also Goethe if I did not pull out it from
hands of a screwball and did not bury, having wound with rags. *** geniuses cannot be equated to barbarians and
destroy their memory a great sin and a shame for the cultural person.
Kanonenko the idiot in the most literal sense. Today and every day, perhaps, gets drunk to a unconsciousness and
when becomes drunk begins to shoot from any, the weapon sprained to him, to throw into people that will come
hand. It is in this regard the greatest gets also to me and though he also is very weak, I nevertheless hesitate to
face him because I do not believe in his mind. Today however because of a trifle we swore, and he broke against
a wall, having missed in me, a big clay pot, ware and so forth. I am surprised how to him everything goes he both
beat Rysev, and the company commander, and others.
Money stocked up 70 thousand (!) DM. They will not go from the market, and will be useful later. Among the
German money found also 10 rubles Soviet.

02.07.1945

To the commander 3 sb 1052
to the major Boytsov

from the commander of a mortar platoon
3 mortar companies
lieutenant Gelfanda
Official report

I petition before command of battalion for the direction of the sergeant Ivan Petrovich Beresnev in a penal
company as resistant to correction and decomposing discipline in RKKA.
In a training period, being in the second platoon, the sergeant Beresnev came to the fact that from the commander
of calculation became the third number in calculation, and was removed by a Komsomol meeting
from Komsomol organizers of companies and expelled from ranks of the AllUnion Leninist Young Communist
League for unauthorized leaving of a post at night.
When Beresnev was transferred to me to a platoon, he said to me that in 1 and 2 platoons carped at him and with
him were unfair, and actually he is the executive and disciplined fighter. Let so, I solved. 'I do not know your
past, I do not remember, I have you the new fighter and what you will prove to be, I also will consider you by it
from now on'.
However, at once the very next day after our conversation, Beresnev fell asleep on a post, did not execute order of
the commander of calculation and allowed a number of breaches of discipline. Further the behavior of the Red
Army man Beresnev not only did not improve, but, owing to a number of circumstances, became really intolerant.
In particular on a march, after break of the German defense in the area «Varka» to this day. The commander 2
platoons of the lieutenant Shitikova Beresnev managed to call just by last name, and the order of the
lieutenant Kanonenko to mock and not to execute.