Soviet War Memorial, Tiergarten, Berlin
This is the Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten, Berlin. The inscription on the side of the memorial reads:
Eternal glory to heroes who fell in the struggle against the German fascist invaders for the freedom and independence of the Soviet Union
The memorial consists of a semi-circular set of arches and is topped with a bronze Russian soldier. It’s also flanked by what are supposedly the first two Red Army tanks to enter the city in 1945 (you can just make them out at either side of the bottom of our thumbnail).
This memorial is just one of the many reminders of Berlin’s liberation from Nazism by the Red Army, and the presence of Russian troops in East Berlin until 1994.
Here’s a site dedicated to war memorials which has some good ground-level shots and some atrocious spelling.
Thanks to Adam Parker, Thomas, Heath, Thomas Ãœbermeier, Michael von Klitzing, Paul, Jim Rittenhouse, Michael and Matthias.
Speaking of Berlin war memorials, the really BIG one is the one in Berlin-Treptow, which is a small park in itself and can be seen here:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
In the southeastern part you can note the shadow of the main monument, i.e. of a Soviet soldier protecting a small child. The memorial was finished in 1949, I think, when Stalin was still alive.
Best wishes Ralf Buelow
How well does this memorial go over with the locals?
I mean, can you imagine a Civil War memorial in Montgomery, Alabama that read, “Eternal glory to heroes who fell in the struggle against the Confederate fascist secessionists for the freedom and independence of the Union”?
This memorial was quite unusual because it was in the American sector. Soviet soldiers had to travel there in convoys into the west and in periods of tension between east and west protestors trew stones at passing military viechles. I actually don’t think that the berliners are particularly disturbed, on the contrary, it is really an important part of their history, especially for the “ossies” from the east. A lot of russians still live in berlin and they use to arrange special veteran ceremonies on may 8 every year at these memorials.
When are they going to demolish this thing? The next time I go to Berlin I will have to remember to take a piss on it.
Do something more productive-turn it on yourselve!
“This memorial was quite unusual because it was in the American sector.” Actually it’s in (what was) the British Sector.
“When are they going to demolish this thing?” Why? Thousands of Soviet soldiers died in the battle of Berlin (this is a cemetery as well as a monument). By the same logic we should demolish the Commonwealth (British) cemetery near Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and the Americal Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy.