Initially, I wanted to draw a sketch based on a photograph I liked, but as the work progressed, I decided to bring it to a more complete state. The photo was taken by Soviet photographer Nikolai Handogin in Leningrad in July 1945. The photo shows demobilized Soviet soldiers who arrived in Leningrad after the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. In the foreground is a veteran of three wars (World War I, the Russian Civil War, and World War II), a medical instructor of the 65th Guards Rifle Regiment, Guards Private Filipp Grigorievich Vadyukhin (born 1897). On his chest are visible Soviet awards and the St. George Cross award from World War I.