Dmitri Shostakovich: Part-time Fireman

Dmitri Shostakovich is my number one Russian. He is, in my opinion, a Russian of unquestionably supreme quality. His genius was as fecund as his face heavily bespectacled. Here is his grill adorning Time Magazine, 20 July 1942, encased unconventionally in a brass fireman's helmet. Generally, Shostakovich went helmetless. I understand the earnest desire to protect that precious peanut. Brass helmet might be a little excessive, though. The helmet has something to do with Russians not relaxing in comfort while the German army tries to burn their country to ash.

I'm not goofing when call DS my number one Russian. If I had a ranked list of Russians tucked away in a secret notebook somewhere he'd be number one. I'm not writing this only because I couldn't find a picture of Rimsky-Korsakov in a cowboy outfit or Sergei Eisenstein wearing ninja pajamas.