In the wall picture, Private Hellberg is performing in a New Year’s revue in the town of Syväri in 1943. This revue was organized by Swedish volunteers, and all the performers were men. Such frontline drag performances were not unusual but rather a distinct form of entertainment during the Continuation War.

During the period of trench warfare, entertainment tours behind the front lines were common. Actors, dancers, and other performers were brought in to boost soldiers’ morale. In addition, soldiers often organized their own entertainment in dugouts. Male actors playing female roles were a feature of both official entertainment tours and in the soldiers’ self-created performances. Some of the well-known frontline drag performers included Miss Mutarovka, Miss Ohta, Rusina Serrato (Raisin Serrato), Iso-Iita (Big-Iita), and Musta Jaana (Black Jaana). There are also archival photos of women on entertainment tours wearing men’s clothing, such as when performing partner dances, although this was less common.

In the interview material gathered by researcher Kati Mustola, one veteran recalls a man who joined his unit as a reinforcement and was soon nicknamed “Prima Donna.” This man sewed himself a skirt and performed dance routines. He carried a crocodile-patterned briefcase full of makeup and decorated dugouts with curtains and flowers. The Prima Donna was mostly regarded with good-natured humor, as his role was highly exaggerated. When subjected to malicious teasing, he would retort in kind and threaten to expose which of the taunters had been involved with him.

Interpretations of Frontline Cross-Dressing
War provided unexpected opportunities for breaking gender roles: frontline entertainment allowed men to cross gender boundaries and enjoy doing so, both as performers and as spectators. Research has suggested several reasons for the emergence and popularity of the frontline drag phenomenon. It has been interpreted as an expression of men’s longing for love and women, but also as an accepted collective way to relieve and structure sexual tensions and anxieties related to homosexuality that arose from the close male camaraderie. For some, drag performances were simply humorous entertainment. There is no single correct interpretation of the phenomenon.

The photo of Private Hellberg, or similar photos from the SA-kuva archive, does not reveal whether the individuals depicted belonged to gender or sexual minorities. However, when considered alongside other material, these images highlight that gender and sexual diversity are a part of Finnish war history. Frontline drag and cross-dressing have also been recognized as phenomena in the military history of other countries.