A silent sentinel stands before us. The Wounded Soldier Statue embodies the pain of war. It reflects Berlin’s complex past.
This is no ordinary statue. The Wounded Soldier Statue is a reminder. It stands as a testament to resilience. Today, we will explore its story.
The Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten is nearby. It is one of several war memorials in Berlin. The Soviet Union erected it. It commemorates its war dead. Specifically, the 80000 soldiers of the Soviet Armed Forces died. They perished during the Battle of Berlin in April and May 1945.
The memorial stands in the Großer Tiergarten. This is a large public park. It lies west of the city center. You can find it on the north side of Straße des 17. Juni. This street runs east to west. It is located in the Tiergarten locality.
The memorial was erected in 1945. This was a few months after the city’s capture. Early photos show the memorial amidst ruins. Incendiary bombs destroyed the Tiergarten. People stripped it of timber for firewood. This happened during the war’s last months. Today, extensive woodlands surround it. They are part of the reconstituted Tiergarten.
The memorial stood in the British sector of Berlin. All Allied Powers supported its construction. Throughout the Cold War, Soviet honor guards stood watch. They came from East Berlin. This was one of three places where Soviet troops were allowed. They could also access Spandau Prison and the Berlin Air Safety Center.
Stonework from the destroyed Reich Chancellery built the memorial. It resembles other Soviet World War II monuments. These were once common in the Eastern Bloc. The memorial features a curved stoa. Atop it sits a large statue of a Soviet soldier. Landscaped gardens surround it. Two Red Army gun-howitzers flank it. So do two T-34 tanks. An outdoor museum behind the memorial displays photos. These show the memorial’s construction. They guide visitors to other memorials in Berlin.
A large inscription is under the soldier statue. It reads in Russian: “Eternal glory to heroes who fell in battle with the German fascist invaders for the freedom and independence of the Soviet Union”. The statue’s arm stretches over 2000 soldiers’ graves.
Architect Mikhail Gorvits designed the memorial. Sculptors Vladimir Tsigal and Lev Kerbel designed the Soviet soldier monument.
The memorial remains an active site for commemoration. Wreath-laying ceremonies occur on VE Day. This is May 8th. War veterans from former Soviet Union countries visit it. It is a popular tourist site. It is closer to the city center than the Treptower Park memorial. The City of Berlin maintains it.
A sign explains this burial site. More than 2000 fallen Soviet soldiers rest here. It stands in the heart of Berlin. Major roads pass by it. The Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate are clearly visible. Some marble came from nearby destroyed government buildings. Adolf Hitler planned Welthauptstadt Germania here. Columns list names of dead Heroes of the Soviet Union.
The monument was built in West Berlin’s British sector. After the Berlin Wall rose in 1961, it symbolized communist provocation. British soldiers guarded it. In 1970, a neo-Nazi shot and wounded a Soviet honor guard. In 2010, vandals defaced it. They wrote “thieves, murderers, rapists” in red graffiti. The Russian Embassy protested.
The tabloid Bild launched a petition in 2014. It aimed to remove the Soviet tanks. This was a response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The government denied the petition. It honored the 1990 treaty. This treaty requires maintaining Soviet war memorials.
The monument appeared in the 1989 film The Package. It also features in Tom Hanks’ short story “A Junket in the City of Light.”
The Soviet War Memorial stands as a reminder of history. It connects to other memorials. These include those in Vienna and Schönholzer Heide.
The Wounded Soldier Statue is a focal point. It reminds us of war’s cost. It is a symbol of remembrance. Let us reflect on its meaning. Let us honor the past.