In the spring of 1942, a decree on awarding state prizes in the field of Soviet art for 1941 was published. Our group, the Kukryniksy, was awarded the first class prize for political posters and cartoons on anti-fascist themes. Teaming up with the poets Nikolai Tikhonov, Samuil Marshak, Sergey Mikhalkov and Viktor Gusev, who also received State awards, we donated money for the construction of the heavy tank ‘KV’ and called it ‘Merciless’. On its turret we made a caricature of Hitler, flying to pieces from the shot of a Soviet tank, and under the caricature the poets Marshak and Mikhalkov wrote poems:

Fire away,
Our heavy tank,
Get into the Fascists’ rear,
Hit them in the flank.
Your fearless crew,
Always ready and alert,
Carries out our Motherland’s
Order to fight!

In May 1942, our tank was handed over to the Soviet Army. Its crew fought heroically. We began correspondence with them. Pasha Khoroshilov, the commander of the ‘Merciless’ and tankman Alyosha Fateev were killed in heavy battles. They were like brothers to us. One day, after a fierce fight, the tank arrived for repairs near Moscow. Its steel armor had at least forty dents. Enemy shells were stuck in it. Together with the poets we helped with its repairs. Throughout the war, we perceived our ‘Merciless’ tank as some kind of living, very close being. This made us sympathize and care for it.