The portrait is in excellent condition, although the borders were irregularly trimmed by a previous owner. A good framer could probably mat the print in such a way to disguise the fact that the laurel border on the right hand side is now completely missing.

Litvinov was commander of a "Duglas" crew who flew over 100 missions. "He has been awarded with 3 orders." Many hundreds of American Douglas DC-3 Aircraft were provided to the Soviet Air Force during WW2 either through Lend Lease or by having them constructed in Soviet plants. (The Soviet designation for them was the Lisunov Li-2.)

The density and the weight of the paper used here is testament to how important the Soviet government felt this series to be: it cannot have been easy to source it, much less to send artists all over the front to locate the men to be honored and draw their portraits!