<P> The typical frontovik during the war was ethnic Russian aged 19--24 whose average height was 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m). Most of the men were shaven bald to prevent lice and the few who did grow their hair kept it very short . The American historian Gordon Rottman described the uniforms as "simple and functional". In combat, the men wore olive - brown helmets or the pilotka (side cap). Officers wore a shlem or furazhka (peaked cap), a round service hat with a black visor and a red star . Rottman described Soviet weapons as being "...known for their simplicity, ruggedness and general reliability". The standard rifle was Mosin - Nagant 7.62 mm M 1891 / 30 rifle, and although heavy, it was an effective weapons that crucially was not affected by the cold . Every rifle section had one or two 7.62 mm Degtyarev DP light machine guns to provide fire support . By 1944, one of every four frontovik was armed with the 7.62 mm PPSh - 41 (Pistolet - Pulemet Shapagina - Pistol Automatic Shpagin), a type of submachine gun known as a "rugged and reliable weapon", if somewhat underpowered . </P> <P> The frontovik usually carried all he had in a simple bag . Most of the frontovik had a perevgzochnii paket (wound dressing packet), a razor, a shovel and would be very lucky to have a towel and toothbrush . Toothpaste, shampoo and soap were extremely rare . Usually sticks with chewed ends were used for brushing teeth . To relieve themselves latrine pits were dug, as portable toilets were rare in the Red Army . Soldiers frequently slept outdoors, even during the winter . Food was usually abysmal and often in short supply, especially in 1941 and 1942 . The frontoviks detested the rear service troops who did not face the dangers of combat as krysa (rats). The frontovik lived on a diet of black rye bread; canned meats like fish and tushonka (stewed pork); shchi (cabbage soup) and kasha (porridge).". Kasha and shchi were so common that a popular slogan in the Red Army was "shchi ee kasha, pisha nasha" ("schchi and kasha, that's our fare ."). Chai (hot sugared tea) was an extremely popular beverage together with beer and vodka . Makhorka, a type of cheap tobacco roiled in handmade cigarettes was the standard cigarette . </P> <P> Rottmann described medical care as "marginal". A shortage of doctors, medical equipment and drugs meant those wounded often died, usually in immense pain . Morphine was unknown in the Red Army . Most Red Army soldiers had not received preventive inoculations and diseases were major problems with malaria, pneumonia, diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhus, dysentery, and meningitis in particular regularly sickening Red Army men . In the winter frostbite often sent soldiers to the medical system while in the spring and fall rains made trench foot a common aliment . The frontovik were paid once every month, but often did not receive their wages . All soldiers were exempt from taxes . In 1943, a private was paid 600 roubles per month, a corporal 1,000 roubles, a junior sergeant 2,000 roubles and a sergeant 3,000 roubles . There was special pay for those serving in guards units, paratroopers, tank, anti-tank and those decorated for bravery in combat . Those units that greatly distinguished in combat had the prefix Guards attached to their unit title, a title of great respect and honor that brought better pay and rations . In the Imperial Russian Army, the elite was always the Imperial Guards Regiments, and the title Guards when applied to a military unit in Russia still has elitist connotations . </P> <P> Discipline was harsh and men could be executed for desertion, treason, cowardice, retreating without orders and ordering a retreat without orders . To maintain morale, the men were often entertained with films shown on outdoor screens together with musical troupes performing music, singing and dancing . The balalaika was often featured as part of the entertainment as it was considered to be a Russian "national instrument". The position of the Soviet regime was that essentially sex did not exist and there were no references to matters sexual in any official publications . When the 16 - year old partisan heroine Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was hanged by the Germans on 29 November 1941, the photo of her corpse hanging from the gallows caused a sensation when published in early 1942 as she was topless, which ensured that the photo attracted much prurient interest . Unlike the German and French armies, the Red Army had no system of field brothels and the frontovik were not issued condoms as men in the British and American armies were . Venereal diseases were a major problem and those soldiers afflicted were harshly punished if discovered . The widespread rapes committed by the Red Army when entering Germany had little to do with sexual desire, but were instead acts of power, in the words of Rottman "the basest form of revenge and humiliation the soldiers could inflict on the Germans". It was a common practice for officers to take "campaign wives" or PPZh (pokhodno - polevy zheny - "field marching wives") as any women serving in the Red Army were told that they were now the mistresses of the officers regardless of what they felt about the matter or for the officers to "adopt" a civilian woman as their "campaign wife", who often entered into the unit rosters so that they could receive pay . The "campaign wives" were often nurses, signallers and clerks who wore a black beret and despite being forced to become the concubines of the officers were widely hated by the frontoviks, who saw the "campaign wives" as trading sex for more favorable positions . The writer Vasily Grossman recorded typical remarks about the "campaign wives" in 1942: "Where's the general?" (someone asks). "Sleeping with his whore ." And these girls had once wanted to be' Tanya', or Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya ." </P>

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