Military memorial in,; Europe's largest monument to a Soviet soldier. More than 7,000 Soviet soldiers are buried in it. The height of the structure is 12 m, and the weight is approximately 70 tons. This monumental monument is included in the version of our site.
Geographically, it is located in one of the largest parks in the German capital, in Treptow Park. You can get to it from the center by S-Bahn city train. Get off at the Treptower Park stop. After exiting the metro, you need to walk a little towards Pushkinskaya Alley.
The memorial to the warrior-liberator was erected in 1947-49. as a symbol of the victory of the Soviet people over fascism. The central element of the complex is a massive figure of a soldier with a child in his arms. It is known that the prototype of the sculpture was a soldier named Masalov, who saved a German girl during the storming of Berlin.
Outstanding Soviet masters worked on the creation of the sculpture. Another emphasis in the composition is placed on the huge sword in the other hand of the soldier. It is believed that this is the same sword that the Motherland raises above itself in Volgograd. In front of the bronze sculpture of a soldier there is a memorial field with mass graves.
At the very entrance to the memorial hall, the Motherland rises, grieving for her dead sons. On the sides of the monument are surrounded by Russian birch trees. In 2003, the sculpture of a warrior was completely restored, and now it meets its visitors with an updated look.
Attraction photo: Monument to the Soldier-Liberator
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, in Russian and German, it is written: “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 in Berlin for a year and a half. 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.
The second largest park in Berlin is a witness to many events that took place in Germany and Europe over the course of a century. Spread out on the river bank of the Spree, it remembers both calm and serene times, and exciting anti-fascist rallies, inspired speeches by Clara Zetkin, cruel episodes of the Second World War and the collapse of Hitler's plans. Now Treptow Park in the imagination of the whole world is associated with the Memorial to Soviet soldiers who liberated Europe from the fascist plague.
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Even F. I. Tyutchev, while in the diplomatic service in Germany, noted how much attention the Germans pay to gardens and other green spaces, how they carefully preserve the flora and increase it. Such was Gustav Meyer, according to whose project Treptow Park was created on the site of the former Boucher apple orchard. A talented designer who cares about the prosperity of the city, planned the unique territory of the future park and put a lot of effort into bringing the project to life. He did not live to see the opening of the park in 1888, taking part only in laying it out, but Mayer's landscape design was completely preserved. Already in the 50s of the 20th century, a magnificent garden of roses (25 thousand bushes) and sunflowers was laid.
Treptow Park - a favorite place for leisure
Beautiful alleys, ponds, fountains, a rose garden, sports grounds are located here in accordance with the design of a landscape engineer. As a sign of grateful memory, his bust, with a raised head, as if peering into a park perspective, is installed under the canopy of trees, in a cozy corner of one of the alleys. After the opening, the townspeople immediately fell in love with the park, where you can walk under the shade of sprawling lindens and oaks, ride boats along the Spree, eat ice cream in a cafe, and feed the fish in the pond. Various competitions were organized on the sports grounds, competitions were organized. Revolutionary-minded fighters for freedom and justice gathered here, speeches by German Marxists were heard, and the feminist-minded Clara Zetkin proclaimed the idea of holding Women's Day.
It is no coincidence that this place was chosen to perpetuate the grateful memory of the Soviet soldiers-liberators, who cleansed Europe from the vices of fascism.
Soldiers Memorial
Created by the joint efforts of architects, sculptors and designers, the memorial complex to the glory of the Russian soldier is the largest and most majestic military monument outside of Russia. In terms of worldwide fame and scale, it is not inferior to the Mamaev Kurgan memorial in Volgograd (former Stalingrad). Treptow Park is a sacred place for both Russians and Europeans, because almost 7,000 Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for Berlin are buried in its land. Where, if not here, over the sacrificial ashes of the saviors of a foreign country, is a grandiose structure destined to stand, embodying in granite the ideas of humanism and the victory of good over evil?!
A Brief History of the Creation of the Treptower Park Memorial
When the site of the complex was approved, the government of the USSR issued a decree on the competitive creation of the best project, as a result, the works of the architect Yakov Belopoltsev and the young sculptor Evgeny Vuchetich turned out to be such. Large-scale work began on the selected site of the park and on the sculptural creations of the memorial. 60 German sculptors, 200 stonemasons, 1200 ordinary workers were mobilized. Granite from the former Nazi Reich Chancellery was widely used in the construction of the memorial. For the main sculpture of a Soviet warrior, with a sword in one hand and a little girl in the other, among the SA soldiers, Vuchetich chose a prototype of a warrior in the person of Sergeant Nikolai Masalov, who actually saved a German girl who found herself in a tragic situation during the shelling.
The history of the monument to the Liberator Soldier
A three-year-old child was crying over her murdered mother, and this mournful cry, coming from the destroyed house, was heard by the soldiers in the intervals between artillery salvos. Masalov, according to the memoirs of Marshal Chuikov, at the risk of being killed, rushed into the ruins and pulled out the trembling girl. During the rescue operation, he was injured. In the memoirs of the fighters who liberated Berlin, such cases were mentioned more than once, so the impressive monument to the warrior-savior of children is fully justified. Two more men of athletic build served as a sculptor in kind: Ivan Odarchenko and Viktor Gunaz, a German girl and the daughter of the commandant of Berlin, Sveta Kotikova, who later replaced her.
Sculptural symbols of the main monument
The Memorial to the Soldier-Liberator is a symbol of a courageous soldier, a generalized image of a humane defender, ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of a child's life. The gesture of a soldier who nailed a fascist swastika with a sword is also symbolic, like St. George, who pierced the insidious Serpent with a spear. Moreover, the sculptor sculpted the sword by analogy with the authentic sword of Prince Vsevolod of Pskov, who won many victories over his enemies. On his sword, which has survived to this day, the inscription is squeezed out: "I will not yield my honor to anyone." Vuchetich chose the prince's sword, despite objections, as a symbol of Russian weapons, reliable protection of his native land, remembering the catchphrase: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword." The defenseless figure of a girl is also symbolic, trustingly clinging to the broad chest of a mighty warrior, designed to ensure the cloudless happiness of all children, regardless of nationality.
The monument is installed on a grave hill, on a high white pedestal, with the Room of Memory and Sorrow located inside, in which there is a parchment tome in a scarlet velvet binding with the names and surnames of all those buried in a mass grave.
Unique interiors of the Memorial Room
The walls of the memorial room are covered with mosaic paintings depicting representatives of the fraternal republics laying commemorative wreaths at the graves of fallen soldiers of different nationalities. But the room is always full of natural wreaths and flowers brought by Russian tourists and emigrants. The ceiling is decorated with a real work of applied art - a symbolic chandelier - the Order of Victory, made of magnificent rubies and rock crystals sparkling with diamond shine.
Sculptures-monuments of the memorial complex
A memorial field with 5 mass graves, marble sarcophagi opens up to the gaze of a granite warrior; with Eternal Flame burning in granite bowls. The sad sarcophagi are engraved with excerpts from the statements of Stalin, the commander of the great Victory, which later aroused the objection of German officials. But their demand was considered unfounded and, according to the framework of the agreement, the words of the “father of nations” forever remained a spiritual particle of the memorial.
At the entrance there are symbolic gates in the form of 2 half-mast banners made of red granite, under which there are sculptural images of a young and old soldier, frozen in a mournful kneeling pose.
An expressive sculpture “Grieving Mother” is installed in front of the entrance, when you look at it, tears well up in your eyes: so much hopeless grief and maternal love is captured in a stunningly lively figure of a woman with a mournfully bowed head. She "sits", pressing one hand to her heart, and the other leans on the pedestal, as if looking for support in order to adequately survive the sad loss of her sons. The disturbing soul "granite mother" symbolizes all the mothers of the world, whose sons died in wars. An alley of Russian birch trees stretches on both sides of the memorial to the Liberator Soldier as a symbolic connection between mother and son-soldier.
The sculpture of a grieving Soviet soldier is located on a pedestal of white granite slabs against the backdrop of a red granite obelisk. In the bronze figure of a warrior kneeling; in the lowered head, the removed helmet, one feels sadness for the dead comrades and a mournful protest against the cruel senselessness of the war. But in the firm gesture of his hand, squeezing the lowered machine gun, in the whole courageous figure and inner restraint, one senses the potential of a force that can be reborn if necessary.
Memorial Status
The grand opening of the grandiose Memorial complex took place on the eve of Victory Day on May 9, 1949 in the presence of representatives of the official authorities of the Soviet Union and Germany, participants in the liberation of Berlin. Hundreds of Berliners came to Treptow Park that day to bow to the ingenious sculptural sculptures that embodied the tragedy of war and the greatness of the Victory. Soon, an agreement was concluded between the states without a statute of limitations, according to which the memorial was transferred under the jurisdiction of the Berlin authorities.
the treaties oblige them to maintain proper order, to carry out the necessary restoration work and not to change anything on the memorial square without agreement with the representatives of the USSR. Not so long ago, the monument to the warrior-liberator was restored, and the ideal order is maintained around. Now Russians, Jews living in Germany, Russian tourists and anti-fascists from all over the world come here on memorable dates. When visiting the Memorial, the words of Robert Rozhdestvensky are recalled: “People, remember, in years, in centuries, remember that this will never happen again, remember!”
Treptow Park today
He continues to live his measured life: in spring, summer and early autumn, rides are still working here, tourists and the local public are walking along the cozy alleys. Parents come with their children, for whom a playground with dizzying slides, entertaining towers and other attractions is equipped. There are many who want to make boat trips on the water surface of the Spree: boats are rented at the park's boat station.
Archenhold Observatory
and Berliners are happy to visit the local observatory Archenhold, where a powerful telescope with strong lenses is installed. This is the oldest and largest public observatory in Berlin, the opening of which was timed to coincide with the traveling industrial exhibition on May 1, 1896. At first it was a wooden building with a telescope placed in it. In 1908, the dilapidated building was removed and an impressive building of classical architecture was built.
The first report on the theory of relativity made by Einstein took place in it on June 2, 1915. Later, the observatory turned into a whole complex equipped with modern equipment due to the attached planetarium buildings, a lecture hall and educational buildings. Together with the German Technical Museum, the observatory conducts educational and recreational activities, public lectures, and correspondence planetary travel.
The most peaceful monument to a warrior. Sword dropped. A girl clung to the soldier's shoulder. The majestic monument to the Soldier-Liberator rises on a hill in Berlin's Treptow Park. At this place, where today only the rustle of leaves breaks the silence, explosions thundered 70 years ago. On April 30, 1945, a young soldier, risking his life, carried a three-year-old German girl out of the fire. Soldier - Nikolai Masalov. Siberian from a peasant family. When he got to the front, he was barely eighteen.
It was in May, at dawn,
The battle grew near the walls of the Reichstag.
I noticed a German girl
Our soldier on the dusty pavement.
He fought as a mortar gunner on the Bryansk Front, as part of the 62nd Army, he held the defense on Mamaev Kurgan. “I defended Stalingrad from the first to the last day. The city from the bombing turned into ashes, we fought in this ashes. Shells and bombs plowed all around. Our dugout was covered with earth during the bombing. So we were buried alive,” recalls Nikolai Masalov. - Nothing to breathe. We wouldn’t get out on our own - a mountain was poured from above. From the last forces we shout: “Combat, dig it out!”
They were dug out twice. For the battles in Stalingrad, the 220th regiment received the Guards banner. And Nikolai Masalov carried this battle flag to Berlin. Along the front roads and forcing almost all the rivers of Europe. The Don, the Northern Donets, the Dnieper, the Dniester, the Vistula and the Oder were left behind ... two of the first regiment reached Berlin: Captain Stefanenko and the regiment's denominator Sergeant Masalov.
“Mutter, mutter...” – the soldier heard a weak voice just before the artillery preparation near the Landwehr Canal. Through mines and machine-gun bursts, the sergeant crawled to the children's cry.
“Under the bridge, I saw a three-year-old girl sitting next to her murdered mother. The baby had blond hair, slightly curled at the forehead. She kept fiddling with her mother's belt and calling: "Mutter, mutter!" No time to think here. I am a girl in an armful - and back. And how she sounds! I'm on the go and so and so I persuade: shut up, they say, otherwise you will open me. Here, indeed, the Nazis began to shoot. Thanks to our people - they helped us out, opened fire from all trunks.
No one counts the number of lives saved in the war. And you can't immortalize every feat in bronze. But a soldier with a little girl in his arms has become a symbol of humanity...
But now, in Berlin, under fire,
A fighter crawled and, shielding his body,
Girl in a short white dress
Carefully removed from the fire.
It stands as a symbol of our glory,
Like a beacon glowing in the dark.
It is he, the soldier of my state,
Protects peace throughout the earth.
(Poem by Georgy Rublev, 1916–1955)
The figure of the Liberator Warrior, standing with a sword on the fragments of a swastika, is the work of Evgeny Vuchetich. His Soldier was selected from 33 projects. More than three years of the sculptor's work on the monument. A whole army of specialists - 7 thousand people built a memorial in Treptow Park. And the granite used for the pedestal is trophy. On the banks of the Oder there was a warehouse of stone prepared by order of Hitler for the construction of a monument to the victory over ... the Soviet Union.
Now it is part of the memorial of Soviet military glory and the liberation of Europe from fascism. The monument rises on the mound. At the foot, in mass graves, about seven thousand Soviet soldiers are buried. In total, during the storming of Berlin, more than 75 thousand fighters were killed. Memorial, according to the agreement of the countries - winners in
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!
