Eternal glory to heroes who fell in battle. This inscription marks the Soviet War Memorial Tiergarten. It stands as a testament to a tumultuous past. More than 2000 Red Army soldiers rest here.
The Denkmal Sowjetsoldaten is located on Stra\u00dfe des 17. Juni. This places it strategically between the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. These are iconic symbols of Berlin.
In 1945, an estimated 80000 Soviet troops perished. They fought to take Berlin. The Denkmal Sowjetsoldaten is one of three memorials in Berlin. They commemorate these fallen soldiers. The others are in Treptower Park and Sch\u00f6nholzer Heide.
The Soviet War Memorial Tiergarten was the first built. It was dedicated on November 11, 1945. Sculptors Lev Kerbel and Vladimir Tsigal designed the site. Architect Nikolai Sergiyevski also contributed.
Entering the Denkmal Sowjetsoldaten, you’ll notice its symmetrical layout. Two Soviet T-34 tanks flank the entrance. These tanks were the first to reach Berlin. Behind them stand two artillery guns. Their salvoes marked victory over the Nazis.
At the memorial’s center are colonnades. The names of fallen soldiers are inscribed here. The large Russian inscription translates to eternal glory. It honors those who fought against the German fascist invaders. They fought for the Soviet Union’s freedom. The war lasted from 1941 to 1945.
A tall pillar rises at the colonnades’ center. It supports an eight-meter statue. The statue depicts a Red Army soldier with a rifle. The rifle is slung over his shoulder. This symbolizes the war’s end. He holds his left hand over the graves. These graves hold more than 2000 soldiers. The cemetery is a green lawn behind the colonnades.
The six-hectare site holds more than just this memorial. Nearby, you will find the Holocaust Memorial. There is also a memorial to homosexuals persecuted by the Nazis. A memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims stands close by. Together, these memorials form a moving reminder. They show Berlin’s dark history.
The Denkmal Sowjetsoldaten was built from Reich Chancellery stonework. It shares a style with other Soviet World War II monuments. These monuments once stood across the Eastern Bloc.
The memorial features a curved stoa. It’s topped by a large Soviet soldier statue. Landscaped gardens surround it. Two Red Army ML-20 152mm gun-howitzer artillery pieces flank the stoa. Two T-34 tanks also stand guard. An outdoor museum sits behind the memorial. It displays construction photos and guides to other Berlin memorials.
The soldier statue stands above the graves. His arm stretches out. It hovers over more than 2000 soldiers. Architect Mikhail Gorvits designed the memorial. Sculptors Vladimir Tsigal and Lev Kerbel created the soldier monument.
Today, the Denkmal Sowjetsoldaten remains a place of active commemoration. Wreath-laying ceremonies occur on VE Day, May 8. 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 the memorial.
A sign explains that more than 2000 Soviet soldiers are buried here. It stands in the heart of Berlin. It is along a major road. The Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate are clearly visible. Some marble came from destroyed government buildings nearby. Adolf Hitler planned Welthauptstadt Germania here. Besides the inscription, columns list dead Heroes of the Soviet Union.
After the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961, the monument was seen as a communist symbol. British Army soldiers protected it from West Berliners. In 1970, a neo-Nazi shot a Soviet honor guard. In 2010, vandals defaced the monument with graffiti. The Russian Embassy protested.
The German government honors its treaty. It maintains Soviet war memorials. The Denkmal Sowjetsoldaten stands as a place of remembrance. It marks a significant chapter in Berlin’s history.