Gomel’s Palace and Park Estate has unveiled its Under a First World War Sky exhibition, featuring 164 photos. Most were taken by war veteran Kazimir Poznyak, who was born in Gomel and served with the Karsk Aeronautic Detachment in the Caucasus.
The major mission of WWI pilots was to take photos (as proven by archives). Kazimir’s photos depict the first aviation machinery and military actions, captured Turkish soldiers, the daily routines of the Russian military, picturesque corners of the Caucasus and local architectural sites and people.
Some photos were sent inside Mr. Poznyak’s letters to his family: to his parents (who lived in Gomel), his wife (in the Chernigov District) and brother (who served as a machine gunner with the 117th infantry detachment of Yaroslavl).
The collection survived two world wars in the attic of an old Gomel house — providing historical proof of their time and a true chronicle of the tragedy of war, while illustrating the life of a man who survived that conflict.
