Portraits of Soviet Veterans, Today and Yesterday

World War II veteran Boris Runov, 89, is seen in an undated handout picture (L) and posing for a picture in Red Square (Top R), and at home in Moscow.



Runov served in the sapper company of the Soviet Union army from 1943 until 1945. Originally from Russia, the end of World War II found him in Germany.



As part of the commemorations of this event, Reuters photographers traveled the length and breadth of the former Soviet republics capturing portraits of Soviet army veterans, mostly now in their 80s and 90s. They are shown here beside archival photos of themselves as young soldiers.

Valentyna Kucinich, 94, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), posing for a picture in Independence Square in central Kiev (Top R) and at home in Ukraine.



Kucinich served as a nurse in a tank regiment from December 1941 until April 1946. Originally from Ukraine, the end of World War II found her in Germany.

Nikolay Mazanik, 92, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), posing for a picture in Victory square in Minsk (Top R) and at home in Belarus.



Mazanik started the war as a commander of a rifle platoon in an infantry company of the Soviet Union army from June 1941 until May 1945. Originally from Belarus, the end of World War II found him in the city of Koenigsberg, Germany.

Rozalia Abgaryan, 91, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), posing for a picture in front of a cathedral in Echmiadzin (Top R) and at home, in Armenia.



Abgaryan served in an infantry unit of the Soviet Union army from October 1941 until December 1945. Originally from Armenia, the end of World War II found her in Prague.

Guwanch Myratlyev, 89, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), posing in front of the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque in Ashgabat (Top R) and at home in Turkmenistan.



Myratlyev served as a sailor in the Baltic fleet of the Soviet Union forces from February 1944 until 1950. Originally from Turkmenistan, the end of World War II found him in the German town of Koenigsberg.

Giorgi Gozalishvili, 88, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), posing for picture in the historic part of Tbilisi (Top R) and at home in Georgia.



Gozalishvili served in an infantry unit of the Soviet Union army from April 1944 until April 1946. Originally from Georgia, the end of World War II found him in Germany.

Kustavlet Tasybayev, 90, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), posing against the backdrop of mountains on the outskirt of the town of Talgar (Top R) and at home, in Kazakhstan.



Tasybayev served in the infantry of the Soviet Union army from November 1943 until October 1950. Originally from Kazakhstan, the end of World War II found him in the far eastern town of Port Arthur.

Julius Deksnis, 88, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), posing for a picture in central Vilnius (Top R) and at home in Lithuania.



Deksnis served in the infantry of the Soviet Union army from August 1944 until May 1945. Originally from Lithuania the end of World War II found him in Latvia.

Allakhverdi Aliyev, 102, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), posing for a picture in front of the Maiden Tower in Baku (Top R) and at home in Azerbaijan.



Aliyev served in an infantry unit of the Soviet Union army from November 1941 until 1944. Originally from Azerbaijan, the end of World War II found him at the hospital in Warsaw, Poland.

Abla Begaliyev, 91, is seen in an undated handout picture (L), poses for a picture in Arashan (Top R) and at home in Kyrgyzstan.



Begaliyev served in the border guard cavalry from February 1942 until April 1947. Originally from Kyrgyzstan, he fought on the Ukrainian front and relocated to the border with Afghanistan at the end of World War II.