Red Army soldiers have boots of thick leather, or of greenish-yellow felt, known as Valenkis. Last winter those boots saved them from the fate of thousands of German soldiers who froze to death or were crippled by the cold. This winter Russian boots will walk on the faces of thousands of dead Germans.
In Moscow and in the village precincts, Russian civilians do not have boots. During autumn cold snaps, girls in Moscow still wore summer sandals. Scarcely any civilians have rubbers or overshoes. Millions wear homemade quilted shoes.
Russia has learned the...
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