Possible russian engraving on a tree from trench area
Article about: Hi everybody, i will start by saying that maybe this isnt exactly a trench art case, so if a moderator will consider a better place for the subject, my apologies in advance for the mistake.
Possible russian engraving on a tree from trench area
Hi everybody,
i will start by saying that maybe this isnt exactly a trench art case, so if a moderator will consider a better place for the subject, my apologies in advance for the mistake.
Long story short: few months ago i was exploring a forrest where heavy battles took place in WW2, between russians, romanian and german troops. At some point, on a hill filled with trenches, i started to observ crosses engraved on the trees from that area. I was able to recognize also some personal informations under some of them (id of the romanian regiment, name of the soldier).
Alongside the trees with crosses, i spotted one tree with different engravings, which to me seemed in russian, so that's the point in which i'm asking for your help, can you recognize something understandable?
I think it is a part of Russian name, maybe Belov Nikolai.
Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately i don't have more pictures of that tree, anyway, there wasn't more letters on it, so in prop of 90% that are all the letters on it. Yes, It Is possible to have a soldier name (that's also what i was thinking, that's why i was hoping for a translation) but it's also possible to have only a part of soldier's name, or the initials. I found several trees with markings in that area, mostly engraved crosses and romanian names or initials, and during my short visit in the area, this was the only tree with different language markings. Considering that the tree is located in an area where the trenches changed sides pretty often, i was hoping to recive the confirmation that a russian name is engraved in the area where i found mostly romanian names and traces.
Actually seems there are 2 names engraved: upper text is : ...janov. It is typical end of Russian family name. The other engraving is: BELO... NIKO... Belov is typical Russian family name and Niko can easily be Nikolai.
These engravings do not have to be grave markers. It is old Russian (and not only Russian!) tradition to engrave names everywhere possible.
I didn't meant that the engraving must be a grave marker. I was more convinced that, when the romanian trenches were occupied by the russians, some soldiers engraved the tree. So the tree becomes a confirmation that the same area was occupied by both sides, in different moments. The trees are located on a forest's hill where very heavy battles took place (romanians+gemrans>russians).
It is quite possible they are that old, the tree has grown around the engraving and doesn't show damage to the inner cork cambium or secondary phloem layers of the tree, so it COULD be that old as it has grown around the damage.
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