As the Germans withdrew, they often burned the villages behind them, leaving the ground thawed around each house.. The Russians at once dug this ground down to about 5 or 6 feet. It was then roofed over with logs, tarpaulin, or brushwood, and floored with brushwood, or with straw if available. A stove, with a pipe chimney, was installed in the dugout. These stoves were usually improvised from old oil drums.
Where there were no villages, the Russians would dig the snow in the_ forest down to ground level, and build up a thick snow wall around an area of 8 feet by 12 or 15 feet. Evergreen fir branches would be used to line the floor and walls, and the compartment would be roofed with more branches, as well as a tarpaulin, if available. Finally the inevitable stove and chimney were added.
For these winter operations, the Russian soldiers were provided with good thick underclothing, of which they frequently wore two sets. Over this was a thick shirt and pullover. Over the pullover went padded trousers and coat, and then an overcoat or the short sheepskin shuba. Headgear consisted of a fur cap, a winter cap, and, frequently, a scarf belonging to the individual soldier. The Russian soldiers wore two pairs of gloves: an inner pair with the first two fingers and thumbs free; and an outer pair of mittens, worn when the use of the trigger finger was not required. No blankets are carried in a Russian division.
On his feet the individual soldier wore the varlenki or felt boot. Socks were not worn under the varlenki. but a piece of cloth, 2 feet by 1 foot 6 inches, was wrapped about the feet and ankles. In deep snow, trousers were worn outside the varlenki and tied round the bottom to prevent snow getting inside the boot.
Russian opinion is that the vajripmlri is the most satisfactory footwear for snow, and that it has enough wear in it to last through a complete winter. Although it is a felt boot, the wear is less pronounced than might be expected, since the troops can always march on the soft snow by the road. The varlenki has the advantage of drying very quickly in front of a stove, although this is not usually necessary, for in Russia one normally meets a dry type of snow.
Certain specialist ski troops wear a special ski boot, but the ordinary
infantry ski in their varlenki.
