“What does zinc coffins mean? Is that something peculiar to Russian or Soviet culture?”
Zinc resists corrosion - it what makes “Galvanized” metal.
Zinc lined coffins are often specified for transporting bodies Internationally, and often specified for Military use.
During the Soviet Union’s war in Afghanistan, those standard Military zinc coated coffins became emblematic of the human cost of war, captured in the title of a book about it, titled Boys in Zinc, by Svetlana Alexievich.
Thanks, that’s very interesting and informative.
“Boys in Zinc, by Svetlana Alexievich.”
Learn something new every day.