The Great Patriotic War claimed the lives of more than 8.6 million soldiers of the Soviet army. Of these, about 75 thousand troops died during the storming of Berlin, as a result of which our troops entered the city and forced Hitler to surrender. In memory of the Soviet soldiers who gave their lives in the decisive battle for victory, after the end of the war, 3 large monuments were erected in the German capital. One of them is a memorial to the fallen Soviet soldiers in Tiergarten, a photo of which can be seen in this article.
Location and Brief Description
The second largest park in the German capital Greater Tiergarten was chosen the site of the monument. Its name is translated from German as "zoo". The memorial to Soviet soldiers in Tiergarten is located next to the Brandenburg Gate, on the street on June 17.
It is an architectural and sculptural complex, on whose territory there is not only a monument, but also a large mass grave. The remains of officers and soldiers of the Soviet army who died in Berlin in the last days of World War II are buried in it.
The history of the construction of the monument
The idea of erecting a monument in memory of Soviet soldiers killed during the storming of Berlin was expressed by the commander of the First Belorussian Front, Marshal G. Zhukov. It happened in May 1945 in the defeated capital of Germany. The idea of the famous marshal was supported by the Soviet military leadership, and work began on the construction of the monument. The authors of the project were appointed young and still little-known sculptors Vladimir Tsigal and Lev Kerbel in collaboration with architect Nikolai Sergievsky. The creators traveled all over Berlin in search of a suitable site for the monument and chose the Tiergarten park, located near the Reichstag. They liked this place for two reasons. Firstly, it was ideal from an architectural point of view, and secondly, there were the most fierce battles for Berlin.
The Soviet leadership approved the idea of erecting a memorial in Tiergarten, but one problem arose. Berlin was divided between the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition (USSR, France, Great Britain and the USA) into 4 occupation zones, and the park was located in the English zone of influence. W. Churchill by this time had already left the post of British Prime Minister. Soviet diplomats applied for permission to erect a monument to the fallen Soviet soldiers to the British commandant of Berlin, Major General Layne. Negotiations were successful, and on the territory of the British occupation zone in 1945, the USSR began to build a memorial to the fallen Soviet soldiers in Tiergarten.
The monument was erected as soon as possible. Its grand opening took place on November 11, 1945. In addition to the Soviet side, the ceremony was attended by commandants of the English, French and American sectors of the German capital. In honor of the opening at the foot of the memorial complex, a parade of Allied forces took place.
Monument Description
The memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Soviet Union in Tiergarten is today included in the list of the park's main attractions. It is a monumental composition, in the center of which at a height of 8 meters stands a bronze figure of a Soviet soldier in full uniform. The rifle hanging behind him indicates the end of hostilities and the onset of the long-awaited peace. But the warrior does not sleep: his strenuous posture indicates that, if necessary, he is ready to defend his homeland again.
Around the pedestal with the figure of a soldier are located smaller semicircle columns connected in the upper part of light gray color. There are 6 of them, as well as the years that the Second World War lasted. On the surface of the colonnades are carved lists of Soviet soldiers killed during the storm of Berlin and inscriptions telling about the types of troops that took part in the battle. The monument is framed by ML-20 model howitzers and T-34 tanks. This military equipment is not in vain here, because it went through the whole war and, together with the Red Army, reached Berlin. Behind the colonnades you can see 2 fountains. The water beating from them personifies the tears of Soviet people mourning for the dead.
Burials on the territory of the memorial
As already mentioned above, the memorial to the fallen Soviet soldiers in Tiergarten is not only a monument. On its territory are the graves of servicemen who died on the outskirts of Berlin. The graves of Soviet army officers were lined up in front of the monument, on both sides of the path leading to it. Behind the memorial is a small park in which the remains of the dead soldiers rest. The total number of soldiers of the Soviet army buried in the complex according to various sources is from 2 to 2.5 thousand people. In memory of the fallen soldiers and officers, a ceremonial laying of flowers and wreaths at their graves takes place every year on May 8.
Sentry and care
For decades, remained in the English occupation zone of Tiergarten. The memorial to the soldiers was a kind of island of Soviet presence in West Berlin. Until 1994, troops of the motorized rifle battalion of the Soviet and then Russian army were guard of honor near the monument. After the collapse of the USSR and the withdrawal of our troops from Germany, the monument was transferred to Berlin.
Today, the care of the monument and the graves of fallen soldiers is carried out jointly by Germany and Russia on the basis of a bilateral agreement concluded between them. The last time the memorial complex was restored at the end of April 2008. Today it is in excellent condition.
