Timeline

1912

Born in Warsaw, Poland. Baltermant's father, an officer in the Russian Imperial Army, died in the First World War. Soon after, Baltermnats moved to Moscow with his mother and grew up during the perilous days of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Civil War.

1930

With the intention of becoming a teacher, Baldermants studied mathematics at the Moscow State University in the early 1930s. During this time he became increasingly enamoured with photojournalism and began working on small photographic assignments.

1939

Whilst teaching at an artillery school in Moscow, Baltermants was called upon by the Russian newspaper, Izvestia, to document the Soviet occupation of eastern Poland. He continued to work for Izvestia, as well as reporting for the Red Army newspaper, Na Razgromvraga, until the end of World War II.

1945

After the war and until his death in 1990, Baltermants worked as Staff Photographer, Photo Editor and Editorial Board Member for the publication Ogonyok.