Did you know that the Sowjetischer Ehrenfriedhof Obelisk stands as a silent sentinel? It commemorates the fallen soldiers of the Red Army. These soldiers died during World War II. The Sowjetischer Ehrenfriedhof Obelisk serves as a poignant reminder of a tumultuous past.
After World War II, the Red Army established four Soviet memorials in Berlin. These memorials honored the Soviet soldiers who perished. Around 80000 Soviet soldiers died during the conquest of Berlin. These sites are not only memorials. They are also soldiers’ cemeteries. They mark Soviet war graves in Germany. The central memorial is located in Treptower Park. Other memorials exist in Schönholzer Heide, Tiergarten, and Bucher Schlosspark.
The Sowjetischer Ehrenfriedhof Obelisk is part of a larger complex. It commemorates over 7,000 soldiers. These soldiers fell in the Battle of Berlin. Construction of the Treptower Park memorial finished in May 1949. This construction was under the Soviet Military Administration in Germany.
A competition decided the design of the memorial site in Berlin-Treptow. Thirty-three designs were submitted. A Soviet team’s proposal was chosen in June 1946. The team included architect Jakow B. Belopolski. Also, there was the sculptor Jewgeni Wutschetitsch. The painter Alexander A. Gorpenko contributed. So did the engineer Sarra S. Walerius.
Sculptures and reliefs were part of the design. Flameless bowls were included. The Lauchhammer art foundry made these in 1948. The Sperlich foundry from Birkholzaue assisted with assembling the monumental sculpture. The memorial stands where a large sports field once was. This field was part of the 1896 Berlin Trade Exhibition.
The German federal government renovated the site by 2004. It cost over eleven million euros. Josef Stalin’s gilded quotes were restored. The statue of the Red Army soldier underwent restoration in 2003. It was transported to Rügen for the work. The statue returned to its pedestal on May 4, 2004.
The construction of the Sowjetischer Ehrenfriedhof Obelisk occurred during the Cold War. Despite housing shortages, the Soviets prioritized the memorial’s construction. It symbolized victory. It honored the fallen. It countered Hans Scharoun’s redesign plans for Berlin. The memorial showcased the Soviet Union’s power. East German politicians viewed it as gratitude towards the Soviet Army. They saw them as liberators.
During the GDR era, the Treptower site hosted mass events. These events sometimes overshadowed the memorial’s original purpose. In 1985, the GDR’s youth movement held a torchlight procession here. They pledged allegiance to the GDR.
In 1989, vandals defaced the stone sarcophagi with anti-Soviet slogans. The SED-PDS suspected right-wing extremists. A mass demonstration followed in January 1990. 250,000 citizens participated. Gregor Gysi called for a “Verfassungsschutz” for the GDR.
Soviet war memorials were vital in the Two-plus-Four negotiations. In 1992, Germany pledged to maintain and repair them. Changes to the memorials required Russia’s approval.
On August 31, 1994, a military ceremony marked the Soviet troop withdrawal. This happened at the Sowjetischer Ehrenfriedhof Obelisk in Treptower Park. Helmut Kohl and Boris Yeltsin laid wreaths. This honored the dead.
Annually, on May 9, a commemorative event takes place. It includes laying flowers and wreaths. The “Bund der Antifaschisten Treptow” organizes it. The event marks “Tag der Befreiung.” It acknowledges the end of the war.
In 2015, about 10,000 people visited the memorial. They commemorated the war’s 70th anniversary. Members of the Night Wolves attended.
In 2015, arson damaged a memorial plaque. In 2019, the “Mutter Heimat” statue was doused in dark liquid.
Visitors enter the Sowjetischer Ehrenfriedhof Obelisk through granite arches. An inscription honors soldiers. It says they died “for freedom and independence.” A statue of “Mutter Heimat” stands near the entrance. It symbolizes mourning for fallen sons. A path leads to the main monument.
Red granite flags mark the central area. Sculptures of kneeling soldiers flank the path. Stairs descend to a symbolic graveyard. The real graves lie to the sides. Sixteen white sarcophagi line the field. They feature reliefs of the “Great Patriotic War.” Quotes from Josef Stalin are inscribed in Russian and German.
The statue “The Liberator” dominates the site. It depicts a soldier holding a child. He carries a sword. A swastika lies broken under his boots. The statue stands atop a pavilion. A mosaic inside features a Russian inscription.
The statue, along with monuments in Volgograd and Magnitogorsk, forms a triptych. It symbolizes the forging, raising, and lowering of the sword of victory.
The Sowjetischer Ehrenfriedhof Obelisk serves as a place for reflection. It remembers the sacrifices made during a war. It reshaped the world.