147

Dezhe, Liudmila Afanasevna

Walking stick

1930, Solovki islands

Wood, metal

Length– 92cm Diameter of surface on the ground– 1.5cm Metal plate – 2.8cm x 2.5cm

Walking stick carved out of wood, with a curved handle. The wood is painted dark-brown. At the flat end of the handle, a pale oval metal plate reading: "СЛОН" [~Special Solovetskii camp]. A 2cm diameter ring made of flattened brass is attached with two nails to the end of the stick.

Wood cracked, varnish rubbed off in places.

According to the owner's testimony, the stick was given to her father, Afanasii Antonovich Fedorov on the Solovki islands, where he was working as a civilian pilot on the "Kem-Solovki" line 1929-30. The stick was probably made by a prisoner. Until 1929, A. Fedorov was also a prisoner on the islands.