A Russian soldier is holding a German girl. A simple Soviet soldier with a German girl in his arms

As it turned out, few of the guests of the city know where the monument to the Soviet soldier in Berlin is located. However, this is not tricky, because. in the main it is not always possible to find.

So, the monument to the soldier of the liberator in Berlin is located in Treptow Park in the eastern part of the city. In order to get to the park, you need to get to the S-Bahn train station "Treptow Park". From there, walk for about 5 minutes. I advise you to immediately look at the map in which direction to move, because. despite the fact that the monument stands quite high, it is not visible at all through the trees.

In one of my notes, I already wrote that solemn events are taking place related to the anniversary of the liberation of Germany from fascism.

It is unfortunate that in recent times this topic has received a completely wild coloring. We have all heard various crazy things on this topic, we will not focus our attention on them. Those who are interested in this monument will understand me.

So, on May 8 and 9 there are a lot of people here. People come to bow to the Soviet soldier-liberator and honor the memory of their grandfathers. Every time I am surprised how many Germans come to the monument to lay flowers. Also nearby on the site are various events of anti-fascist organizations. The audience is going, shall we say, motley. People walk late.

The monument is in perfect condition, which requires considerable investment. I am very glad that money is allocated for this. Although in Germany this is the norm.

Few people know...

Very few people know that in Berlin there is another very well-groomed and no less solemn memorial complex - this is the cemetery of Soviet soldiers. This complex is located in the district of Reinickendorf, away from public transport. The memorial is also in perfect condition; a major overhaul was carried out last year.

Here is the place on the map

Who will have half a day of time, I recommend to look into this place. Please note that the monument closes at 6 pm. This is probably due to possible vandalism. I will not approve, but I ask myself the question, why close a large memorial to the castle. This is very unusual for Berlin. Here such places are always open.

And two more places

If I already started talking about our military monuments, then two more places with this theme should be mentioned. This is a monument to the soldiers-liberators behind the Brandenburg Gate ( on the map) and the Russian-German military museum in Karlshorst ( on the map). By the way, it was there that the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was signed. Here you can see the hall in which, in fact, the signing of the document, which meant the end of the war, took place. The museum has many different military exhibits. Highly recommend this place!

I wish you a pleasant stay in Berlin!

A monument to a Russian soldier with a girl in her arms is located in Berlin. The author of this monument is the sculptor E.V. Vuchetich. This is not the only monument in Berlin dedicated to Soviet soldiers-liberators.

About the monument

"Warrior-Liberator" - this is the name of the monument to a soldier with a rescued girl in her arms, which was erected in Berlin's Treptow Park. The monument was erected in honor of the victory of our great people over the fascist invaders. It weighs 70 tons, its height is 12 meters.

Liberator Warrior creators:

• E.V. Vuchetich (sculptor).
• S.S. Valerius (engineer).
• I WOULD. Belopolsky (architect).
• A.V. Gorpenko (artist).

The ashes of 7,000 Soviet soldiers who fell during the storming of Berlin are buried in this memorial. The names of only 1000 of them are known, and in total 75,000 of them died.

The bronze monument "Warrior-Liberator" is made in the form of a figure of a Soviet soldier standing on the fragments of a fascist swastika with his head held high. With one hand he holds the rescued girl, who trustfully clung to his chest, and in his other hand he holds a sword. But the sketch of the monument was somewhat different. Initially, the sculptor planned to put a machine gun in the warrior's hand, but I.V. Stalin insisted that it be a sword. In the end, it was done as the leader wanted. The sword that the warrior-liberator holds in his hand is associated with two more monuments. This is "Motherland" in Volgograd and "Rear Front" in Magnitogorsk. It is understood that all the figures depicted on these three monuments are holding the same sword. All of these monuments are dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.

The sword in the hands of the warrior-liberator is an exact copy of the weapon of Prince Gabriel. He fought against the "knight dogs" side by side with Alexander Nevsky. The sword in the hand of the Berlin warrior is lowered, which symbolizes the world, but, as I.V. Stalin, "woe to the one who forces our hero to raise him again." A Soviet soldier with a German girl in his arms is known throughout the world. The feat, which was immortalized in bronze, will forever serve as an example to posterity. A photo of a monument to a soldier with a girl in her arms is presented in this article.

pedestal

The monument to a soldier with a girl in his arms is installed on a pedestal, inside of which there is a hall of memory. On the walls there is a mosaic panel depicting representatives of different nations, they lay wreaths at the grave of Soviet soldiers. Above them is an inscription in Russian and German, which reads: “Now everyone recognizes that the Soviet people, by their selfless struggle, saved the civilization of Europe from fascist pogromists. This is the great merit of the Soviet people before the history of mankind. This phrase is a quote from the report of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin.

The central part of the hall is a cube-shaped pedestal carved from black stone. On it stands a golden casket, inside of which is stored a parchment book bound in red morocco. The names of all the soldiers who died in the battles for Berlin and are buried are inscribed there. The hall is decorated with a large chandelier made of rubies and crystal, which is made in the form

Creation of a monument

May 8, 1949 - this is the date of opening In order to get the right to create a monument to a soldier with a girl saved in her arms, sculptors and architects had to take part in a competition. 33 projects of the monument were presented. The winners of the competition were E.V. Vuchetich and Ya.B. Belopolsky. Their project was chosen for implementation.

The following people took part in the construction of the memorial complex:

• a German foundry called Noack;
• the workshops of Puhl & Wagner, specialized in mosaics and stained glass;
• horticultural associations Späth nursery;
• 1200 German workers.

A monument to a soldier with a girl in her arms was cast in Leningrad at a factory and then sent to Berlin. The care of the monument was obliged to carry out the Soviet military commandant's office. In 2003, it was under restoration, and in 2004 it was returned to its place.

The monument to a soldier with a girl has become an integral part of Berlin over the years of its existence. An agreement was concluded between the victorious countries and Germany, in a separate chapter of which it is written that the memorial "Warrior-Liberator" was given the status of eternal. The German authorities are obliged to look after it, restore it, and finance its preservation. To this day, Germany fulfills the terms of the agreement, and the monument has been properly maintained. A Soviet soldier with a German girl in his arms is one of the most well-groomed monuments in the country. In 2003, Germany financed the restoration of the monument, which spent almost three million euros.

The feat of a soldier

The monument to the unknown soldier with a girl in her arms was created on the basis of real events, and the name of this hero has survived to this day. The prototype of the warrior-liberator is Nikolai Masalov from the Kemerovo region, a Soviet soldier. During one of the assaults on Berlin, namely on April 30, 45, he heard a child crying. Under the bridge, located on the front line, he found a fair-haired girl of three years old, who was sitting near her murdered mother, tugging at her, crying and calling "mutter". Without hesitation, the soldier grabbed the baby and ran with her in his arms to his own. The Germans began to fire, wounded Nikolai in the leg, but he did not abandon the girl, carried her out of the battlefield, risking his life. On the Potsdam bridge, the very one from under which N. Masalov carried the child, in 2003 a plaque was installed in memory of the feat that the Soviet soldier accomplished.

prototype

The history of the monument to a soldier with a girl in her arms is known to many, but what was the fate of the one whose feat is captured in this bronze statue? Nikolai was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army at the age of 17, took courses and received the specialty of a mortar. It was hard to study, because the soldiers had to master in one winter what was supposed to be 2 years.

N. Masalov received his baptism of fire in 1942 at the front near Bryansk. The fighting was so heavy that of the entire company where he served, only five soldiers survived. After that, Nikolai Ivanovich served under the command of General Chuikov and defended Mamaev Kurgan. Of all his comrades, only one captain Stefanenko reached Berlin with him. N. Masalov himself suffered three wounds and was shell-shocked twice.

After the war, he returned to his native village, and then moved to the city of Tyazhin, where he worked as a supply manager in a kindergarten. Glory fell on the hero 20 years after the last volleys of guns died down. A documentary film was made about him, all the newspapers wrote about his feat. He managed to visit Berlin. He saw the monument, the prototype of which he became. The Soviet hero was awarded the title of honorary citizen of Berlin in 1969. Nikolai Ivanovich was modest, and he did not like that his act was called a feat. He himself said that he did not consider it heroism. Now Nikolai Ivanovich is no longer alive.

About those who posed for the author

Monument to the Soviet soldier with a girl in her arms E.V. Vuchetich created from nature. There are several versions about who posed for the author, and perhaps they are all true, since at different times different people could act as models. The sculptor sculpted a German girl from the three-year-old Sveta, the daughter of General A.G. Kotikov, who was the commandant of the Soviet sector in Berlin.

According to some data, as a model of a soldier, E.V. Vuchetich was posed by Colonel V.M. Gunaz. According to another version, it was Sergeant Ivan Odarchenko. He is depicted on the mosaic panel inside the pedestal twice: as a worker and as a hero-soldier. According to the third version, the cook who served in the Soviet commandant's office in Berlin posed for the sculptor.

Sculptor

Owl monument. a man of genius created a soldier with a girl in his arms. He was not only a sculptor, but also taught, for several years he was president of the Academy of Arts. And what war is, he knew firsthand. In 1941, he volunteered for the front. In 1943, due to a severe concussion, he was discharged, and he returned to Moscow, where he began working as a military artist. At the beginning, Viktorovich Vuchetich was a private. Commissioned already in the rank of lieutenant colonel. The artist created sculptures of leaders, prominent political figures, heroes of war and labor, outstanding generals. All creations of E.V. Vuchetich are life-affirming, they are filled with drama and romanticism. The sculptor died in 1974.

Copies of the monument

A monument to a soldier with a girl in his arms, or rather, its smaller copies, are installed in the cities: Sovetsk (Kaliningrad region), Vereya (Moscow region), Tver, Moscow (at the entrance to the club for bikers "Night Wolves"). Until now, the layout of the monument, the height of which is 2.5 meters, has been preserved. Until 1964, he was in Germany, then he was transferred to Serpukhov, where until 2008 he stood near the hospital, and in 2009 he was transferred to the territory of the Cathedral Mountain memorial complex.

Warrior-liberator in faleristics and numismatics

A monument to a soldier with a girl in her arms was often depicted on coins:

• 1 ruble 1965 issue;
• a coin of 10 marks of the GDR (1985);
• 10-ruble coin dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory (2015 issue).

On medals:

• to the twentieth anniversary of the Victory (1965);
• 20 years of the Berlin Brigade (1982 release);
• medal "Lviv connection" (1984).

Also, the image of the monument is present on the sign of the GSVG (Group of Soviet Forces in Germany).

May 9th, 2015

Berlin, like no other German city, is connected with the history of the Second World War, and especially with that part of it, which in Russia is called the Great Patriotic War. The capture of Berlin was the final victory of the Soviet troops and allies. The legendary photograph - albeit staged - of the hoisting of the red banner on the Reichstag has become a symbol of victory in the bloodiest clash of the 20th century. Thousands of Soviet soldiers who participated in the battles died during the storming of the city, and after the end of the war in Berlin divided into sectors, the victors built memorial burials in honor of the fallen soldiers of their armies. And although the memorials of the allies are no less interesting (and we will definitely tell you more about them), it is the Soviet monuments that are the most outstanding both historically and architecturally. For the 70th anniversary of the Victory, we have prepared an overview of Soviet memorial complexes and monuments.

All of them, except for the Tiergarten memorial, were built in the Soviet sector, which later became East Berlin. According to the agreement on the protection of monuments of military glory, signed by Germany and Russia in 1992, the German state undertakes to monitor and care for the complexes and monuments located on its territory. Therefore, all memorable places are in excellent condition, many have been restored. Every year on May 8, on the day of the end of the war, flowers are laid at the monuments to Soviet soldiers, where veterans, government officials and ordinary residents of the city come.

Memorial complex in Tiergarten (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Tiergarten)

Created by sculptors L. Kerbel and V. Tsigal, the memorial was inaugurated on November 11, 1945 in the Tiergarten, on the Charlottenburg highway (now 17 June Street), with the participation of the parade of allied troops. Until the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Germany in 1994, the territory of the monument was a Soviet enclave in the British sector, where Soviet soldiers carried the guard of honor.

The complex overlaps one of the alleys of the park, on the site of which, according to the plans of the chief architect of the Reich, Albert Speer, the North-South Axis, the main street of the future capital of the world, should have passed. The monument is a concave colonnade, six types of troops symbolize six columns, the material for which was the destroyed granite pillars of the Reich Chancellery. On the central, higher column, there is an eight-meter statue of a soldier with a rifle on his shoulder. On both sides of the colonnade there are two T-34 tanks and two ML-20 howitzers that took part in the battle for Berlin.

Behind the soldier there is a garden with guard rooms and graves of about 2500 fallen soldiers.

Memorial complex in Treptower Park (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal im Treptower Park)

The central memorial to the fallen Soviet soldiers is located in Treptover Park and is a grandiose architectural and sculptural ensemble. The memorial was built according to the project of the sculptors E. Vuchetich and Y. Belopolsky, who won the competition, and opened on May 8, 1949 in the central part of the park.

At both entrances to the territory of the complex on Pushkinallee and on Am Treptower Park street, granite arches with the inscription "Eternal glory ..." are installed. The alleys leading from them lead to a square with a three-meter sculpture of the grieving Motherland made of light gray stone on a granite pedestal. The road lined with birches and poplars leads to granite terraces, on both sides of which huge banners rise at half-mast. At their foot two bronze warriors knelt down.

In the central part of the complex, five square terraces rise in steps - symbolic mass graves. On both sides at an equal distance there are rows of sarcophagi with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from peaceful and military life - 16 by the number of Union republics at that time. The sixteenth republic of the USSR was from 1940 to 1956 the Karelian-Finnish SSR. Stalin's quotes in Russian and German are engraved on the sarcophagi. Despite the critical attitude towards the figure of Stalin, it was later decided to leave the inscriptions as evidence of history.

At the end point of the ensemble rises the central object - the monument "Warrior-Liberator". The 13-meter bronze sculpture, cast in Leningrad, stands on a pedestal-mausoleum located on a mound. In his left hand, a Soviet soldier holds a German girl he saved, in his right hand, a lowered sword, with which he smashes the Nazi swastika lying at his feet. The plot is based on a real event - on April 30, 1945, Sergeant Nikolai Ivanovich Masalov, during an assault near the Tiergarten, rescued and carried out a German girl under machine-gun fire. All elements are symbolic - the warrior personifies the Soviet army, the girl - the liberated new Germany. The sword, which is a copy of the medieval sword of the Pskov prince Vsevolod, according to the idea of ​​Vuchetich, is the same sword that the worker passes in Magnitogorsk (the sculpture "Rear to the Front"), raises the Motherland-Mother in Volgograd ("Motherland"), and now , breaking the symbol of fascism, lowers the warrior, marking the end of the war.

The mausoleum, which serves as the basis for the figure of a warrior, is a round domed hall. The walls are decorated with mosaics depicting people paying tribute to the fallen soldiers.

During the GDR, celebrations were held here on the anniversary of the end of the war, and in 1994, a farewell ceremony was held here before the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Germany, in which Russian and German soldiers took part, as well as Chancellor Kohl and President Yeltsin. In 2003, it was decided to restore the sculpture. It was taken apart and transported by barge to the island of Rügen to a restoration workshop, and in 2004 was returned to its place. Now every year people lay flowers in memory of those who died in the war, and the annual one is held not far from the entrance to the complex.

Puschkinallee, Treptower Park

Memorial complex in Pankow-Schönholz (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Schönholzer Heide)

The cemetery-monument to the soldiers of the Soviet army in the Berlin district of Pankow-Schoenholz is the largest burial place of the fallen Soviet soldiers in Germany, more than 13,000 of the total number of 80,000 who died during the storming of Berlin are buried here. However, unlike the other two memorials in Tiergarten and Treptow, the complex in Pankow is not as well known.

The memorial was erected in 1947-49 according to the plans of architects K. A. Solovyov, M. Belaventsev, V. D. Korolev and sculptor I. G. Pershudchev. At the entrance to the memorial there are granite columns with bronze wreaths and bowls depicting an eternal flame.

The gates to the territory of the complex are two buildings with towers, inside which, in a room like ancient Egyptian tombs, there are one and a half meter bronze urns. The ceiling consists of a stained-glass window depicting the coat of arms of the USSR, and Stalin's sayings in Russian and German are lined on the walls.

In the center of the ensemble, as in Treptow, 16 sarcophagi were installed. They lead to a 33-meter obelisk, in front of which rises a sculpture of the grieving Motherland, in front of which lies a fallen warrior covered with a banner. The names of the dead officers are engraved on the pedestal.

All along the wall around the complex are plaques with the names of the identified fallen soldiers. It was possible to establish the names of only about 3,000 warriors, more than 10,000 remain nameless. Between the tablets are bronze lamps with ruby ​​glass flames.

Until recently, the memorial was not in the best condition, but in 2013 it was completely restored.

Germanenstrasse 43, Schönholz

Monument in Hohenshönhausen (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Küstriner Straße)

Opened in 1975, the monument on Küstriner Strasse in the Hohenschoenhausen district was created by the sculptor I.G. Pershudchev, the author of the memorial sculptures in Pankow. Between the residential buildings there is a lawn, in the middle of which a platform is laid out with slabs. A white concrete stele with a bronze bas-relief depicting warriors and battle scenes is in the background of the ensemble, and in front of it in the center of the square is a red star.

Küstriner Straße 11, M5 Werneuchener Str.

Memorial Cemetery in Marzahn (Sowjetischer Ehrenhain Parkfriedhof Marzahn)

The burial place of about 500 soldiers and 50 officers on the territory of the park cemetery in Marzan was opened in 1958 at the initiative of the GDR and with the consent of the military leadership of the Soviet troops. The architect J. Milenz and the sculptor E. Kobbert created a square square, at the entrance to which there are two stone bowed banners, and in the center there is an obelisk of red granite crowned with a star.

At the other end of the complex is a small paved area on which stands a symbolic urn. On its sides are two stones with carved inscriptions; the same stones are installed at the entrance to the memorial.

On both sides of the road, grass covers the plaques with the names of fallen soldiers.

Obelisk in Kaulsdorf (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Kaulsdorf)

The monument was built in 1946 at the burial place of fallen soldiers. Later, their remains were transferred to a newly built memorial in Treptow.

Brodauer Strasse 12, Kaulsdorf

Obelisk in Rummelsburg (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Rummelsburg)

A simple yellow brick obelisk with a star and a brass tablet in German is located near the Erlöserkirche church in Rummelsburg.

Nöldnerstrasse 44, Rummelsburg

Obelisk in Ransdorf (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Rahnsdorf)

On the border of the city in the southeast, near the Müggelsee, there is an obelisk with a five-pointed star at the top. The names and date of death of Soviet soldiers who died during the assault in this direction are engraved on it.

Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 76, Rahnsdorf

Obelisk in Buch (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Buch)

The monument in the form of a pyramid, standing on a pedestal with columns, is located right next to the station in Bukh, in the former palace park (the palace itself, unfortunately, has not been preserved).

Wiltbergstrasse 13, Buch

Obelisk in honor of 8 May 1945 on Herzbergstraße

In the first months after the end of the war, an obelisk was erected in the park of the city hospital in Herzberg in memory of those who died in the war. At the entrance to the monument there are gates and flowerbeds. On the concrete obelisk there is only a relief in the form of the Order of the Red Star - the main military order of the Soviet army - and a white plate with the inscription "8. Mai 1945".

on the territory of the KEH hospital, Herzbergstr. 79, M8 Evangelisches Krankenhaus KEH

Memorial stone at Ostseeplatz

The stone is located between residential buildings on the Ostseeplatz in Prenzlauer Berg.

Ostseestraße 92, M4 Greifswalder Str./Ostseestr.

Commemorative plaque at Schönhauser Allee station

Near the exit of the Schönhauser Allee metro station, several bronze plaques with reliefs can be found on the wall of the bridge over the railway tracks. This is a work of sculptor Günther Schütz, created in 1985-86. Four bas-reliefs depict the period of the struggle against National Socialism and the time of the war, and the last symbolizes the liberation of Berlin by Soviet soldiers.

corner of Schönhauser Allee and Dänenstraße, + Schönhauser Allee

Stella in Adlershof

Two concrete steles are located on the square in front of the Adlershof station, one of them has an inscription in honor of Liberation Day - May 8, 1945.

Platz der Befreiung, Adlershof

The first vacated house in Martsan

The red stone house at number 563 on Landsberger Allee is considered the first house in Berlin to be liberated during the offensive of the Soviet troops.

On April 21, 1945, soldiers of the 5th shock army under the command of Colonel General N.E. Berzarin reached the border of Berlin and raised a red flag on the roof of this house. Berzarin became the first commandant of Berlin, but two months later, on June 16, 1945, he died in a car accident. The square in Friedrichshain (Bersarinplatz) is named after N.E. Berzarin, and he himself is included in the list of honorary citizens of Berlin. At the place of his death, at the crossroads of Schlossstrasse and Wilhelmstrasse (now Am Tierpark and Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse) in the Friedrichsfelde area, a memorial stone was erected.

Now institutions are located in the memorial house, but the inscription on the wall and the tablet remind that it was from here that the liberation of Berlin began.

Landsberger Allee 563, M6 Brodowiner Ring

German-Russian Museum "Berlin-Karlshorst"

Tank T-34 with the inscription "For the Motherland" is installed on a granite pedestal near the German-Russian Museum in Karlshorst. The museum is located in a historic building where the act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was signed on May 8, 1945, and is dedicated to the history of the Second World War, as well as the history of Soviet-German relations during the period 1917-1990. The museum also boasts an exhibition of military equipment, including the legendary Katyusha and the IS-2 tank.

Zwieseler Strasse 4, Karlshorst

In the most popular Treptower Park, located in East Berlin, stands one of the most famous monuments in the world, keeping the memory of the Second World War. This is a statue of the Liberator Warrior, which is the center of one of the three military memorials in the German capital, reminiscent of the victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War and the liberation of Europe from fascism.

The history of the creation of the monument

The idea of ​​creating a memorial arose immediately after the war. In 1946, the Military Council of the group of Soviet troops in Germany announced a competition for the best project for a monument to the soldiers-liberators. Out of 33 projects, the project designed by the architect Ya. B. Belopolsky and the sculptor E. V. Vuchetich won. Interestingly, Vuchetich presented two sketches of the central monument. The first was supposed to depict Stalin with a globe in his hand, but the Generalissimo himself approved the second option. There is evidence that Stalin made another proposal - to replace the machine gun in the hands of a soldier with a sword. Of course, this amendment was also accepted. At the same time, some historians argue that the idea with the sword belonged to the sculptor himself.

The plot of the monument was inspired by a real event. True, it is not known who exactly served as the prototype. Historians call two names - Nikolai Masalov, who carried a German girl out of the fire, and Trifon Lukyanovich, who repeated the same feat. Different people could pose for the sculptor. So, according to the memoirs of Colonel V.M. Gunaz, it was he who posed for Vuchetich in 1945, when he served in Austria. As V.M. Gunaz, it was he who advised the sculptor to depict a girl in the hands of a soldier, and not a boy, as he had originally planned.

Already while working in Berlin, Vuchetich was posed by Private I.S. Odarchenko, whom the sculptor saw at the celebration of the Day of the Athlete. It is interesting that Odarchenko also posed for a mosaic panel, which is located inside the pedestal of the monument. Author, artist A.A. Gorpenko, depicted him on the panel twice. Subsequently, Odarchenko served in Berlin, including guarding the monument to the Liberator Warrior. People repeatedly approached him and asked if his striking resemblance to the monument was accidental, but he never confessed.

Marlene, the daughter of the German architect Felix Krause, who helped Vuchetich, first acted as a model for the figure of a girl. However, later they decided that she was not suitable for her age, after which they settled on the candidacy of 3-year-old Svetlana, the daughter of the Soviet commandant of Berlin, Major General Kotikov.

Interesting history of the sword. Vuchetich depicted not an abstract sword, but a very specific blade of Prince Vsevolod of Novgorod and Pskov, in the baptism of Gabriel (1095-1138), canonized in 1549.

Work on a huge monument was fraught with great difficulties. First, Vuchetich sculpted a clay sculpture one-fifth of its natural size, then plaster fragments were prepared for casting, which were sent to Leningrad, to the Monument-Sculpture plant. Already here, the statue was embodied in bronze and transported in parts by sea to Berlin.

Initially, it was assumed that the monument would be cast in Germany, but German firms demanded at least six months. The Soviet authorities planned to open the monument for the 4th anniversary of the Victory, so the order was transferred to Leningrad. The Leningrad casters managed in seven weeks. By the indicated date, the monument was ready; its opening took place on May 8, 1949.

Treptow Park Memorial

Currently, the monument to the Liberator Soldier is the central element of the Treptow Park memorial complex, in which more than 7,000 Soviet soldiers who died during the storming of Berlin are buried. The monument represents the figure of a warrior holding a lowered sword in his right hand, and a German girl clinging to him in his left hand. A soldier tramples a chopped Nazi swastika with his feet. The height of the monument is about 13 meters, weight - 72 tons. The work of the creators of the monument was highly appreciated - the creative team was awarded the Stalin Prize of the 1st degree.

The monument is set on a granite pedestal, which, in turn, stands on a high bulk hill. A memorial hall was created inside the pedestal, the walls of which are decorated with mosaics depicting representatives of the peoples of the USSR laying flowers at the graves of the fallen. In the middle of the hall, on a black polished stone cube, stands a golden casket containing a book with the names of all those who died during the capture of Berlin. Very impressive is the chandelier with a diameter of 2.5 m under the dome of the hall, made of rubies and crystal in the form of the Order of Victory.

It is on these mosaics that Ivan Odarchenko is depicted twice, posing for the monument to Vuchetich.

The memorial ensemble of Treptow Park itself covers an area of ​​​​about 200 thousand square meters. m. Several tens of thousands of trees and shrubs were planted in it, 5 kilometers of paths framed by a granite curb were laid. In addition to the central monument, the park has a sculpture “Motherland” carved from a granite monolith, and in front of the Soldier-Liberator there is a memorial field with sarcophagi, mass graves, bowed red granite banners and two bronze statues of kneeling soldiers. And now, decades after the war, the memorial calls for a strong emotional response from numerous visitors.

Interestingly, the granite from which the memorial was built was taken by the Nazis from the occupied Holland and was intended for the construction of a monument after the victory in the war with the USSR. In the end, the stone served exactly this purpose, only the winner turned out to be different. In total, the construction took about 40 thousand square meters. m. granite slabs.

The status of the memorial is secured by an agreement signed by the four victorious powers, the FRG and the GDR. Under the terms of the agreement, the memorial has an eternal status, and its safety is guaranteed by the German government. Repairs are also carried out at the expense of Germany. And the Germans strictly observe their obligations. So, in 2003-2004. the monument to the Liberator was dismantled and taken out for restoration, funded by Germany.

It would be appropriate to mention the fate of the prototype Vuchetich. It was kept in Germany until 1964, when it was moved to Russia. Currently, the sculpture is installed in Serpukhov's memorial complex "Cathedral Hill".

1) I knew about Treptower Park since I was 10 years old, when my relative, a WWII veteran, then gave me a big book about the history of World War 2 to read, in which already in the chapters on the final period of the Great Patriotic War it was about Berlin operation.

2) The park itself is located in the area of ​​​​the S-Bahn station of the same name, from where you can walk along Puschinalle (Pushkin St.) for about 1 km. In this area, Russian-speaking citizens, locals or tourists very often came across, I can’t say. Apparently, the location of the Belarusian embassy nearby is affecting, which the Belarusians themselves are somewhat unhappy with, comparing with the Russian embassy, ​​located almost in the very center of Berlin, 200 meters from the Brandenburg Gate.
The Belarusian citizens themselves immediately blamed Alexander Lukashenko for this because the Belarusian embassy is on the outskirts of the city, and the Russian one is in the center.

3) Apparently, Russian-speaking tourists are often brought to the monument to the Soviet soldier-liberator. Interestingly, the Treptow-Park area is located 3 km from the former border between West and East Berlin, which ran along the Landwehrkanal canal. It was worth crossing one bridge across this canal, so instantly the ethnic picture changed. An interesting point. Before the former border of the GDR and West Berlin, Russian speakers, after immigrants from African countries and Turkey. Great experience of cross-cultural transition.

4) And now to the monument itself. After the end of the existence of the GDR, the Treptow-Park complex was in disrepair. There were proposals to completely demolish all the plates with the statements of I. Stalin, calling the monument itself the last monument in the world to Joseph Vissarionovich.

5) More than 7,000 Soviet soldiers are buried on the territory of the memorial erected to commemorate the defeat of National Socialism. During the Berlin operation and in the battles for Berlin from April 16 to May 2, more than 75,000 Soviet soldiers died. In 1946, the Soviet military administration decided to refurbish the Soviet military graves in Berlin. The place was chosen by the Soviet command and enshrined in order number 134. Along with the already created in 1945 memorial in the Tiergarten, where there was a burial place for more than 2,000 Soviet soldiers, additional mass graves were planned for the dead soldiers of the Red Army.

6) On May 8, 1949, the largest Soviet military memorial outside the Soviet Union was solemnly opened in Treptov. The significance of the memorial goes far beyond Berlin and Germany. In the central part of the park, on a large meadow, there is a figure of a Soviet soldier cutting a swastika with a sword, and with a rescued child on his arm, which is a world-famous symbol of the contribution of the Soviet Union to the defeat of National Socialism (authors: architect Yakov Belopolsky and sculptor Evgeny Vuchetich).

7) For the construction, granite from the Reich Chancellery of Hitler was used. The monument is not an abstract monument, it is a monument to Sergeant Nikolai Masalov, who actually saved a German girl.

8) It should be added that the sculptor Evgeny Vuchetich is one of the creators of one of the highest statues in the world of the sculptural composition "Motherland" on Mamaev Kurgan in Volgograd.

9) Monument "Warrior-Liberator" - Sculptor E. V. Vuchetich, architect Ya. B. Belopolsky, artist A. V. Gorpenko, engineer S. S. Valerius. Opened May 8, 1949. Height - 12 meters. Weight - 70 tons.
Inside the pedestal is a round memorial hall. The walls of the hall are decorated with mosaic panels (artist A. A. Gorpenko). The panel depicts representatives of different nations, including the peoples of the Caucasus and Central Asia, laying wreaths at the grave of Soviet soldiers. Above their heads is written in Russian and German: “Now everyone recognizes that the Soviet people, by their selfless struggle, saved the civilization of Europe from fascist pogromists. This is the great merit of the Soviet people to the history of mankind ”(quote from the report of I.V. Stalin on the 27th anniversary of the October Revolution.

10) There are three versions of who exactly posed for the sculptor E.V. Vuchetich for the soldier’s monument. Nevertheless, they do not contradict each other, since it is possible that different people could pose for the sculptor at different times.
- According to the memoirs of retired colonel Viktor Mikhailovich Gunaza, in 1945, in the Austrian city of Mariazell, where Soviet units were quartered, he posed for young Vuchetich. Initially, according to the memoirs of V. M. Gunaza, Vuchetich planned to sculpt a soldier holding a boy, and it was Gunaza who advised him to replace the boy with a girl.
- According to other sources, a sergeant of the Soviet army Ivan Stepanovich Odarchenko posed for the sculptor for a year and a half in Berlin. Odarchenko also posed for the artist A. A. Gorpenko, who created a mosaic panel inside the pedestal of the monument. On this panel, Odarchenko is depicted twice - as a soldier with the sign of the Hero of the Soviet Union and a helmet in his hands, and also as a worker in blue overalls with his head bowed, holding a wreath. After demobilization, Ivan Odarchenko settled in Tambov, worked at a factory. He died in July 2013 at the age of 86.
- According to an interview with Father Raphael, the son-in-law of the commandant of Berlin A.G. Kotikov, who refers to the unpublished memoirs of his father-in-law, the cook of the Soviet commandant's office in Berlin posed as a soldier. Later, upon returning to Moscow, this cook became the chef of the Prague restaurant.