Vittorio Bozzini’s ‘Neve Rossa’ Recalls Alpine War Tragedy in Russia
“Few events have had such widespread coverage and inspired such extensive bibliographies as the epic experienced by our army in Russia during World War II,” writes Alfonso Ercole, president of the ANA section in Verona, in the preface. “We have read touching and dramatic pages, heroic protagonists being our soldiers, among them, the Alpini.”
This is the briefest and most condensed excerpt that encapsulates the preface to Vittorio Bozzini’s book, an Alpino of the Tridentina, one of the few who returned safely into the arms of his mother and his native land. After returning, he decided to write with his own hand a tragedy filled with profound human consequences, contained within 190 pages, under the evocative title Neve Rossa.
Themes and Historical Context
Red obviously refers to the innocent blood of our soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the homeland during the great retreat on the Don and amidst the ice of Nikolajewka. This is the third reprint of this “authentic” collection of tragic wartime events, a project passionately pursued by the Alpini, specifically those from Lazise.
And, as always, the Alpini are serious about it. True to their reputation, they have achieved their goal in three months thanks to the skill and professionalism of the young printers from Stamperia snc in Caprino, who were highly enthusiastic about creating Vittorio Bozzini’s work.
Appendix and Remembrance
The book has been enriched with an appendix, personally requested by the author to remember his friend, Father Claudio Liuti, an Alpini chaplain who recently passed away. It recounts the last return to the Russian steppes of the icy plains, made by Professor Vittorio Bozzini, along with his wife and some friends, including Father Claudio, on September 9, 1990.
“In memory of all the Alpini who remained in the Eastern steppes, who made the snow red with blood and martyrdom, and from there still invoke the embrace of the homeland,” writes the author on the opening page.
Content and Message
Then, page after page, the entire tragedy and the story lived through are conveyed as a piercing nail into the soul, moment by moment, by our “heroes,” whom Bozzini in his final chapter calls the “refuse of death” — those now needing to rebuild “life.”
The presentation of this masterpiece of meticulous memory — to ensure that future generations never forget — will feature a deeply knowledgeable historian of our ancestors’ deeds during the last global conflict: Jean Pierre Jouvet, journalist and historian, former editor-in-chief of L’Arena, writer, and a prominent figure in Verona and its province today.
Event and Conclusion
The appointment for the presentation of the book, the Penne Nere (Black Pen) gathering, and the audience from Lazise is scheduled for next Saturday at 8:30 PM at the Meridiana. The evening will be enhanced by some Alpine songs performed by the ANA choir from Peschiera.
