Perfection exists rarely, and where there are imperfections, there are reasons to satirize them. One of the forms is a caricature, whose creators mark the professional day on May 5th.
The subtle cartoonists’ eyes don’t make an exception for the National Army. I discovered the most varied collection in the field at Alex Dimitrov. Although he is more concerned with the corruption phenomenon and often criticizes the politicians’ behavior, he also focused on some elements of the military structure: „More actively, I approached military themes during 1990. My subjects were my colleagues, with whom I attended military lessons and exercises at the institution where I studied. I also came across cases of nonsense from the officers. But a few officer-teachers served as an example of parental courage, decency, and wisdom for me. I will never forget the real professionals.”
By the way, Lieutenant (r) Dimitrov was an excellent shooter. He took all the shooting tests with the grade „exemplary”, adds the reservist: „The military department wasn’t one of my favorites. Moreover, due to an exam, I didn’t pass, I lost the scholarship I needed. The exam was more theoretical, related to the ballistic flight of the projectile that I wasn’t very good at because I had problems with physics. But let’s not forget that I was a student-philologist, far from physical and mathematical formulas and flight trajectories. I wasn’t a „milkman” either in military training or in training camp for the lieutenants, but by nature, I am a peaceful man, and I prefer to hold a pencil or camera in my hand instead of a weapon. „
The completed caricatures, including the military ones, the artist keeps in his archive. If necessary, he publishes them in the press: „I don’t know if any military-professionals saw them, but I think they know more problems army. In any case, I want to express my special consideration and respect for the engineers – these brave boys, who risk their lives to neutralize the explosive projectiles left over from the Second World War and the Transnistrian conflict. They are real, modest and irreplaceable heroes.”
The title of military cartoonist also appears in the informal CV of Colonel Leonid Cazacov, head of the J1 Personnel and Mobilization Department, MSM: Every week, I prepared materials and created new characters, a kind of irony about student life. Colleagues found themselves in them, and we laughed together. They were all made for a good mood. We omitted our superiors of attention, maybe only the company commander, and we didn’t publish any work. „Some of his creations can still be admired in the 1993 military student graduation album.
The first steps towards the military caricature the Military Academy of the Armed Forces, Valerian Achiruș, does. His works are a combination of his passion for the army and cartoon characters.
After talking to the three of them, we seem to miss satire images, don’t we? .. Let’s allow ourselves the pleasure of laughing as often as possible, including our flaws and thus become better and wiser.
Arma-ta DV 