The final battle in the Great Patriotic War was the battle for Berlin, or the Berlin strategic offensive operation, which was carried out from April 16 to May 8, 1945.

On April 16, at 03:00 local time, aviation and artillery preparation began on the sector of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts. After its completion, 143 searchlights were turned on to blind the enemy, and the infantry, supported by tanks, went on the attack. Encountering no strong resistance, she advanced 1.5-2 kilometers. However, the further our troops advanced, the stronger the resistance of the enemy grew.

The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front carried out a swift maneuver to reach Berlin from the south and west. On April 25, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian fronts joined up west of Berlin, completing the encirclement of the entire enemy Berlin grouping.

The liquidation of the Berlin enemy grouping directly in the city continued until May 2. The assault had to take every street and house. On April 29, fighting began for the Reichstag, the possession of which was entrusted to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front.

Before the assault on the Reichstag, the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army handed over to its divisions nine Red Banners, specially made according to the type of the State Flag of the USSR. One of these Red Banners, known under No. 5 as the Banner of Victory, was transferred to the 150th Rifle Division. Similar self-made red banners, flags and flags were in all advanced units, formations and subunits. They, as a rule, were handed over to assault groups, which were recruited from among volunteers and went into battle with the main task - to break into the Reichstag and install the Banner of Victory on it. The first - at 22:30 Moscow time on April 30, 1945, hoisted an assault red banner on the roof of the Reichstag on the sculptural figure "Goddess of Victory" - reconnaissance artillerymen of the 136th Army Cannon Artillery Brigade, senior sergeants G.K. Zagitov, A.F. Lisimenko, A.P. Bobrov and Sergeant A.P. Minin from the assault group of the 79th Rifle Corps, commanded by Captain V.N. Makov, the assault group of artillerymen acted jointly with the battalion of captain S.A. Neustroeva. Two or three hours later, also on the roof of the Reichstag, on the sculpture of an equestrian knight - Kaiser Wilhelm - by order of the commander of the 756th Infantry Regiment of the 150th Infantry Division, Colonel F.M. Zinchenko, the Red Banner No. 5 was installed, which then became famous as the Banner of Victory. Red Banner No. 5 was hoisted by scouts Sergeant M.A. Egorov and junior sergeant M.V. Kantaria, who were accompanied by Lieutenant A.P. Berest and machine gunners from the company of senior sergeant I.Ya. Syanov.

The fighting for the Reichstag continued until the morning of May 1. At 6:30 am on May 2, the head of the defense of Berlin, General of Artillery G. Weidling, surrendered and ordered the remnants of the troops of the Berlin garrison to cease resistance. In the middle of the day, the resistance of the Nazis in the city ceased. On the same day, the encircled groupings of German troops southeast of Berlin were liquidated.

On May 9, at 0:43 Moscow time, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, as well as representatives of the German Navy, who had the appropriate authority from Doenitz, in the presence of Marshal G.K. Zhukov from the Soviet side signed the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany. A brilliant operation, coupled with the courage of Soviet soldiers and officers who fought to end the four-year nightmare of war, led to a logical outcome: Victory.

Capture of Berlin. 1945 Documentary

PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE

The Berlin operation of the Soviet troops began. Goal: complete the defeat of Germany, capture Berlin, connect with the allies

The infantry and tanks of the 1st Belorussian Front launched an attack before dawn under the illumination of anti-aircraft searchlights and advanced 1.5-2 km

With the onset of dawn on the Seelow Heights, the Germans came to their senses and fight with bitterness. Zhukov introduces tank armies into battle

16 Apr. 45g. The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front of Konev meet less resistance on the way of their offensive and immediately force the Neisse

Commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front Konev orders the commanders of his tank armies Rybalko and Lelyushenko to advance on Berlin

Konev demands from Rybalko and Lelyushenko not to get involved in protracted and head-on battles, to boldly move forward towards Berlin

In the battles for Berlin, twice a Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of a tank battalion of Guards. Mr. S.Khokhryakov

The 2nd Belorussian Front of Rokossovsky joined the Berlin operation, covering the right flank.

By the end of the day, Konev's front had completed the breakthrough of the Neissen line of defense, crossed the river. Spree and provided the conditions for the encirclement of Berlin from the south

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front Zhukov break the 3rd enemy defense line on the Oderen-on the Seelow Heights all day

By the end of the day, Zhukov's troops completed the breakthrough of the 3rd lane of the Oder line at the Seelow Heights

On the left wing of Zhukov's front, conditions were created for cutting off the Frankfurt-Guben group of the enemy from the area on Berlin

Directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command to the commanders of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts: "It is better to treat the Germans." , Antonov

Another directive of the Headquarters: on identification marks and signals at the meeting of Soviet armies and allied forces

At 13.50, long-range artillery of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army was the first to open fire on Berlin - the beginning of the assault on the city itself

20 Apr. 45g. Konev and Zhukov send almost identical orders to the troops of their fronts: “Be the first to break into Berlin!”

By evening, formations of the 2nd Guards Tank, 3rd and 5th Shock Armies of the 1st Belorussian Front reached the northeastern outskirts of Berlin

The 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Armies wedged into the city defensive bypass of Berlin in the districts of Petershagen and Erkner

Hitler ordered the 12th Army, previously targeted against the Americans, to be turned against the 1st Ukrainian Front. She now has the goal of linking up with the remnants of the 9th and 4th Panzer Armies, making their way south of Berlin to the west.

Rybalko's 3rd Guards Tank Army broke into the southern part of Berlin and is fighting for Teltow by 17.30 - Konev's telegram to Stalin

Hitler refused to leave Berlin for the last time while there was such an opportunity. Goebbels and his family moved to a bunker under the Reich Chancellery ("Fuhrer's bunker")

Assault flags were presented by the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army to the divisions storming Berlin. Among them is the flag that became the banner of victory - the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division.

In the district of Spremberg, Soviet troops liquidated the encircled group of Germans. Among the destroyed units is the tank division "Protection of the Fuhrer"

Troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front are fighting in the south of Berlin. At the same time, they reached the Elbe River northwest of Dresden

Goering, who had left Berlin, turned to Hitler on the radio, asking him to approve him at the head of the government. Received an order from Hitler removing him from the government. Bormann ordered Goering's arrest for treason

Himmler unsuccessfully tries through the Swedish diplomat Bernadotte to offer the allies surrender on the Western Front

Shock formations of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts in the Brandenburg region closed the encirclement ring of German troops in Berlin

Forces of the German 9th and 4th tanks. armies are surrounded in the forests southeast of Berlin. Parts of the 1st Ukrainian Front reflect the counterattack of the 12th German Army

Report: “In the suburbs of Berlin, Ransdorf, there are restaurants where they “willingly sell” beer to our fighters for occupation marks.” The head of the political department of the 28th Guards Rifle Regiment, Borodin, ordered the owners of Ransdorf's restaurants to close them for a while until the battle was over.

In the area of ​​Torgau on the Elbe, Soviet troops of the 1st Ukrainian fr. met with the troops of the 12th American Army Group General Bradley

Having crossed the Spree, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front of Konev and the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front of Zhukov are rushing towards the center of Berlin. The rush of Soviet soldiers in Berlin can no longer be stopped

The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front in Berlin occupied Gartenstadt and Gerlitsky Station, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front - the district of Dahlem

Konev turned to Zhukov with a proposal to change the demarcation line between their fronts in Berlin - the city center to transfer it to the front

Zhukov asks Stalin to salute the capture of the center of Berlin to the troops of his front, replacing Konev's troops in the south of the city

The General Staff orders Konev's troops, who have already reached the Tiergarten, to transfer their offensive zone to Zhukov's troops

Order No. 1 of the military commandant of Berlin, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel-General Berzarin, on the transfer of all power in Berlin into the hands of the Soviet military commandant's office. It was announced to the population of the city that the National Socialist Party of Germany and its organizations were disbanding and their activities were prohibited. The order established the order of behavior of the population and determined the main provisions necessary for the normalization of life in the city.

The battles for the Reichstag began, the mastery of which was entrusted to the 79th rifle corps of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front

When breaking through the barriers on the Berlin Kaiserallee, the tank of N. Shendrikov received 2 holes, caught fire, the crew failed. The mortally wounded commander, having gathered his last strength, sat down at the controls and threw the flaming tank at the enemy cannon

Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun in a bunker under the Reich Chancellery. Witness - Goebbels. In his political testament, Hitler expelled Goering from the NSDAP and officially named Grand Admiral Dönitz as his successor.

Soviet units are fighting for the Berlin metro

The Soviet command rejected attempts by the German command to start negotiations on the time. ceasefire. There is only one demand - surrender!

The assault on the Reichstag building itself began, which was defended by more than 1000 Germans and SS men from different countries

In different places of the Reichstag, several red banners were fixed - from regimental and divisional to self-made

Scouts of the 150th division Egorov and Kantaria were ordered to hoist the Red Banner over the Reichstag around midnight

Lieutenant Berest from the Neustroev battalion led the combat mission of installing the Banner over the Reichstag. Established around 3.00, May 1

Hitler committed suicide in the Reich Chancellery bunker by taking poison and shooting him in the temple with a pistol. Hitler's corpse is burned in the courtyard of the Reich Chancellery

At the post of Chancellor, Hitler leaves Goebbels, who will commit suicide the next day. Before his death, Hitler appointed Bormann Reich Minister for Party Affairs (previously such a post did not exist)

The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front captured Bandenburg, cleared the areas of Charlottenburg, Schöneberg and 100 quarters in Berlin

In Berlin, Goebbels and his wife Magda committed suicide, after killing their 6 children

Beg. German General Staff Krebs, announced the suicide of Hitler, offered to conclude a truce. Stalin confirmed the categorical demand for unconditional surrender in Berlin. At 18 o'clock the Germans rejected him

At 18.30, in connection with the rejection of the surrender, the Berlin garrison received a fire attack. The mass surrender of the Germans began

At 01.00, the radios of the 1st Belorussian Front received a message in Russian: “Please cease fire. We are sending parliamentarians to the Potsdam Bridge"

A German officer, on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin Weidling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance

At 0600, General Weidling surrendered and an hour later signed the surrender order for the Berlin garrison.

Enemy resistance in Berlin has completely ceased. The remnants of the garrison surrender en masse

In Berlin, Goebbels's deputy for propaganda and press, Dr. Fritsche, was taken prisoner. Fritsche testified during interrogation that Hitler, Goebbels and Chief of the General Staff General Krebs committed suicide

Stalin's order on the contribution of the Zhukov and Konev fronts to the defeat of the Berlin group. By 21.00, 70 thousand Germans had already surrendered

The irretrievable losses of the Red Army in the Berlin operation - 78 thousand people. Enemy losses - 1 million, incl. 150 thousand killed

Everywhere in Berlin, Soviet field kitchens are deployed, where "wild barbarians" feed hungry Berliners.

Defense of Berlin

Berlin was one of the largest cities in the world, yielding in Europe in terms of area (88 thousand hectares) only to Greater London. From east to west it stretches for 45 km, from north to south - more than 38 km. Most of its territory was occupied by gardens and parks. Berlin was the largest industrial center (2/3 of the country's electrical engineering industry, 1/6 of mechanical engineering, many military enterprises), a junction of German highways and railways, and a major inland shipping port. 15 railway lines converged to Berlin, all the tracks were connected by a ring road within the city. In Berlin, there were up to 30 railway stations, more than 120 railway stations and other railway infrastructure facilities. Berlin had a large network of underground communications, including the metro (80 km of tracks).

The districts of the city were divided by large parks (Tiergarten, Treptow Park, etc.), which occupied most of Berlin. Greater Berlin was divided into 20 districts, 14 of them were external. The inner regions (within the circumferential railway) are the most densely built up. The layout of the city was distinguished by straight lines, with a large number of squares. The average height of buildings is 4-5 floors, but by the beginning of the Berlin operation, most of the houses were destroyed by Allied bombing. The city has many natural and artificial obstacles. Among them are the Spree River, up to 100 meters wide, a large number of canals, especially in the southern and northwestern parts of the capital. There are many bridges in the city. City roads ran along steel overpasses and embankments.

The city began to prepare for defense from the beginning of 1945. In March, a special headquarters for the defense of Berlin was formed. The command of the city's defense was headed by General Reiman, on April 24 he was replaced by the commander of the 56th Panzer Corps, Helmut Weidling. Joseph Goebbels was the Imperial Commissar for the Defense of Berlin. The Minister of Propaganda was the Gauleiter of Berlin, responsible for the civil authorities and the preparation of the population for defense. The general leadership of the defense was carried out by Hitler himself, he was assisted by Goebbels, Bormann, Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces General Hans Krebs, Chiefs of Staff of the German Army Wilhelm Burgdorf and Secretary of State Werner Naumann.

Defense commander and last commandant of Berlin Helmut Weidling

Weidling was ordered by Hitler to defend himself to the last soldier. He decided that the division of the Berlin region into 9 defense sectors was unsuitable and concentrated on the defense of the eastern and southeastern outskirts, where the most combat-ready units of the garrison were located. The Münchenberg Panzer Division was sent to reinforce the 1st and 2nd sectors (eastern part of Berlin). The 3rd defensive sector (southeastern part of the city) was reinforced by the Nordland Panzer Division. The 7th and 8th sectors (northern part) were reinforced by the 9th parachute division, and the 5th sector (southwestern) - by units of the 20th tank division. The best-preserved and combat-ready 18th motorized division was left in reserve. The remaining sections were defended by less combat-ready troops, militias, various units and subunits.

In addition, Hitler had high hopes for outside help. Steiner's army group was to break through from the north, the 12th Army of Wenck was to approach from the west, and the 9th Army to break through from the southeast. Grand Admiral Dönitz was supposed to bring naval troops to the rescue of Berlin. On April 25, Hitler ordered Dönitz to suspend, if necessary, all other tasks of the fleet, surrender strongholds to the enemy and transfer all available forces to Berlin: by air - to the city itself, by sea and by land to the fronts fighting in the capital area. The commander of the Air Force, Colonel-General Hans Jurgen Stumpf, received an order to deploy all available aviation forces for the defense of the Reich capital. The directive of the German High Command of April 25, 1945, called on all forces to abandon "against Bolshevism", to forget about the Western Front, not paying attention to the fact that the Anglo-American troops would capture a significant territory of the country. The main task of the army was to unblock Berlin. Widespread propaganda was carried out among the troops and among the population, people were intimidated by the "horrors of Bolshevism" and called to fight to the last opportunity, to the last bullet.

Berlin was prepared for a long defense. The most powerful part of the Berlin defensive area was the city center, where the largest government buildings, main stations and the most massive city buildings were located. Most of the government, military bunkers, the most developed metro network and other underground communications were located here. Buildings, including those destroyed by bombardments, were prepared for defense and became strongholds. Roads and intersections were closed with powerful barricades, some of which were difficult to destroy even with the fire of large-caliber guns. Streets, lanes, intersections and squares were under oblique and flanking fire.

Stone buildings were turned into strong strongholds. In the buildings, especially in the corners, they housed submachine gunners, machine gunners, faustnikov, cannons with a caliber of 20 to 75 mm. Most of the windows and doorways were closed up, left only for embrasures. The composition and number of garrisons of such strongholds was different, and depended on the tactical significance of the object. The most serious points were defended by garrisons up to a battalion. Approaches to such a strong point were covered by firepower, which were located in neighboring buildings. The upper floors usually housed observers, spotters, machine gunners and submachine gunners. The main fire weapons were placed on the ground floors, in the basement and basement rooms. In the same place, under the protection of thick ceilings, most of the garrison was located. Several of these fortified buildings, usually uniting an entire block, formed a knot of resistance.

Most of the fire weapons were located in the corner buildings, the flanks were covered by powerful barricades (3-4 meters thick), which were built from concrete blocks, bricks, trees, tram cars and other vehicles. The barricades were mined, covered by infantry and artillery fire, and trenches were prepared for the Faustniks. Sometimes they dug in behind the barricade, then they made a loophole in the barricade, and under the lower hatch they prepared a trench for storing ammunition, connected to the nearest basement or entrance. As a result, a greater survivability of the tank was achieved; in order to get to it, it was necessary to destroy the barricade. On the other hand, the tank was deprived of maneuver, could fight enemy tanks and artillery only in the lane of its own street.

The intermediate buildings of resistance centers were defended by smaller forces, but the approaches to them were covered by firepower. In the rear part of the resistance center, heavy tanks and self-propelled guns were often dug into the ground in order to fire on Soviet troops and stop our infantry from infiltrating into their rear. Underground communications were widely used - the metro, bomb shelters, sewers, drain channels, etc. Many strongholds were connected by underground passages, when our troops broke into one object, the German garrisons could go through them to another. The exits from the underground structures that went towards our troops were mined, filled up or set up posts from submachine gunners and grenade launchers. In some places, reinforced concrete caps were installed at the exits. They had machine gun nests. They also had underground passages and, if the reinforced concrete cap was threatened or undermined, its garrison could leave.

In addition, thanks to the developed network of underground communications, the Germans could attack the rear of the Soviet troops. Groups of snipers, submachine gunners, machine gunners and grenade launchers were sent to ours, which, thanks to a good knowledge of the area, could cause serious harm. They set up ambushes, shot armored vehicles, vehicles, gun crews, destroyed single soldiers, officers, messengers, destroyed communication lines, and could quickly curl up and retreat through underground passages. Such groups were very dangerous.

A feature of the city center was the presence of a significant number of reinforced concrete shelters. The largest were reinforced concrete bunkers that could accommodate a garrison of 300-1000 people and several thousand civilians. The Luftwaffe anti-aircraft turrets were large ground-based concrete bunkers that housed about 30 guns up to 150 mm in caliber. The height of the combat tower reached 39 meters, the thickness of the walls was 2-2.5 meters, the thickness of the roof was 3.5 meters (this made it possible to withstand a bomb weighing up to 1000 kg). The tower had 5-6 floors, each combat platform had 4-8 anti-aircraft guns that could also fire at ground targets. There were three such battle towers in Berlin - in the Tiergarten, Friedrichshain and Humboldthain Park. In total, there were about 400 reinforced concrete bunkers in the city. The presence of a developed underground network of cable and telephone communications made it possible to maintain command and control of the troops even during the most difficult battles, when most of the communications equipment was disabled.

The weak point of the Berlin garrison was providing it with ammunition and food. The capital was provided with supplies for one month of siege. However, due to the danger of air strikes, supplies were dispersed throughout the suburbs and outskirts of Berlin. There are almost no warehouses left in the city center. The rapid fall of the outskirts led to the loss of most of the warehouses. As the encirclement narrowed, supplies became scarcer. As a result, in the last days of the battle for Berlin, the situation with the supply of German troops became catastrophic.

Destroyed German 88 mm FlaK 37 anti-aircraft gun at the defeated Reichstag

Tactics of the Soviet troops

The battle in the city required special methods of combat, which differed from field conditions. The front was all around. Soviet and German troops could only be separated by a roadway, a square, a wall of a building, or even a floor. So, on the ground floor there could be our troops, and in the basement and on the upper floors - the Germans. However, the Soviet troops already had rich successful experience in street fighting. The experience of fighting in Stalingrad and Novorossiysk, replenished in Poznan, Breslau, Budapest, Königsberg and other cities, came in handy.

The main form of urban combat, already experienced in other cities, was the practically independent actions of assault groups and detachments reinforced with fire weapons. They could find weaknesses and gaps in the enemy's defenses, storm buildings turned into strongholds. Soviet attack aircraft tried to move not along the main highways, well prepared for defense, in the intervals between them. This reduced the damage from enemy fire. Assault squads moved from building to building, through courtyards, gaps in the walls of buildings or fences. Assault squads cut the enemy defenses into separate parts, paralyzed control. They could independently penetrate deeply into enemy defenses, bypassing the most powerful knots of resistance. Artillery, aviation, additional infantry and tank forces were aimed at them. This allowed the Soviet troops to maintain a high rate of advance, isolate entire urban areas, and then "cleanse" them from the Nazis.

The battle formation of an assault detachment, as a rule, was built as follows: tanks and self-propelled guns supported the infantry; they, in turn, were guarded by riflemen who controlled attics, window and door openings, and basements; tanks and infantry were supported by self-propelled guns and artillery. The infantry fought the enemy garrisons, cleared houses and neighborhoods from the Nazis, carried out close anti-tank defense, primarily from grenade launchers. Tanks and self-propelled guns took on the tasks of destroying enemy fire weapons. Then the infantry completed the cleanup of the area, destroying the surviving enemy soldiers.

Soviet self-propelled guns SU-76M on one of the streets of Berlin

A column of Soviet self-propelled guns ISU-122 on a street in Berlin

Soviet heavy tanks IS-2 on a street in Berlin

The assault detachment consisted of several assault groups, a fire group and a reserve. Assault groups directly stormed the buildings. The fire group included artillery, including large-caliber guns, mortars, tanks and self-propelled guns. The reserve constituted a rifle platoon or company, replaced the active assault groups, consolidated success and repelled enemy counterattacks. When attacking a fortified building, the assault group was usually divided into several parts: one part destroyed the Nazis in the basement and semi-basement rooms with the help of flamethrowers, grenade launchers, grenades and bottles of combustible mixture; another group - led the cleaning of the upper floors from enemy submachine gunners and snipers. Both groups were supported by a fireteam. Sometimes the situation required reconnaissance in battle, when small units - 3-5 of the most courageous and trained soldiers quietly penetrated into the building, which was defended by the Germans and caused a commotion with a sudden attack. Then the main forces of the assault group were connected.

Usually at the beginning of each day, before the attack of assault detachments and groups, artillery preparation took place lasting up to 20-30 minutes. It involved divisional and corps guns. They fired from concealed positions at previously reconnoitered targets, enemy firing positions and possible concentrations of troops. Artillery fire was applied throughout the quarter. Directly during the assault on strongholds, volleys of M-31 and M-13 rocket launchers were used. Katyushas also hit enemy targets in the depths of his defense. In the course of urban battles, rocket launchers for direct fire were widely used. This was done directly from the ground, from the simplest devices, or even from window openings and breaches. So they destroyed barricades or destroyed the defenses of buildings. With a short firing range - 100-150 meters, the M-31 projectile pierced a brick wall up to 80 cm thick and burst inside the building. When several rockets hit the inside of the building, the house was severely destroyed, and the garrison died.

Artillery as part of assault squads fired at enemy buildings with direct fire. Under the cover of artillery and mortar fire, attack aircraft approached enemy strongholds, broke into them, and went into the rear. Artillery played a huge role in street fighting. In addition, tanks and self-propelled guns were used in the assaults on enemy targets, which crushed the enemy’s fire weapons. Heavy self-propelled guns could destroy barricades, create breaches in buildings and walls. An important role was played by sappers, who, under cover of fire, dragged explosives, destroyed obstacles, created gaps, removed mines, etc. During the assault on some objects, they could put up a smoke screen.

When a barricade appeared on the path of the assault detachment, Soviet soldiers first took possession of the buildings that were adjacent to the obstacle, then large-caliber guns, including self-propelled guns, destroyed the blockage. If the artillery failed to do this, then the sappers, under cover of fire and a smoke screen, dragged explosive charges and undermined the obstacle. Tanks broke through the passages made, guns were dragged behind them.

It is also worth noting that flamethrower and incendiary means were widely used in street battles. When storming houses, Soviet soldiers widely used Molotov cocktails. Units of high-explosive flamethrowers were used. Flamethrowers were a very effective means of fighting when it was necessary to “smoke out” the enemy from the basement or set fire to the building and force the Nazis to retreat. Infantry smoke weapons were also widely used to set up small camouflage and blinding smoke screens.

Soviet gunners are preparing a BM-13 Katyusha rocket launcher for a salvo in Berlin

Guards jet mortar BM-31-12 in Berlin

Soviet tanks and other equipment at the bridge over the Spree River in the Reichstag area. On this bridge, Soviet troops, under fire from the defending Germans, stormed the Reichstag. In the photo, tanks IS-2 and T-34-85, self-propelled guns ISU-152, guns

The gun barrel of the Soviet heavy tank IS-2, aimed at the Reichstag building

Fights in other directions. Breakthrough to the city center

The battle for Berlin was fierce. Soviet troops suffered heavy losses, 20-30 fighters remained in rifle companies. Often it was necessary to bring three companies into two in battalions in order to increase their combat effectiveness. In many regiments, three battalions were reduced to two. The advantages in manpower of the Soviet troops during the assault on the German capital were insignificant - about 460 thousand people against 300 thousand German troops, but there was an overwhelming superiority in artillery and armored vehicles (12.7 thousand mortar guns, 2.1 thousand " Katyusha, up to 1.5 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns), which made it possible to smash the enemy defenses. With the support of artillery and tanks, the Red Army marched step by step towards victory.

Before the start of the fighting for the central part of the city, the bombers of the 14th and 16th air armies delivered powerful blows to the complex of government buildings and the main centers of resistance in Berlin. During Operation Salyut on April 25, aircraft of the 16th Air Army made two massive raids on the capital of the Reich, 1486 aircraft participated in them, which dropped 569 tons of bombs. The city was heavily bombarded by artillery: from April 21 to May 2, about 1,800 thousand artillery shots were fired at the German capital. After heavy air and artillery strikes, the assault on the central regions of Berlin began. Our troops crossed water barriers - the Teltow Canal, the Berlin-Spandauer Canal, the Spree and Dahme rivers.

On April 26, the Berlin grouping was divided into two separate parts: in the city itself and a smaller part, in the area of ​​the suburbs of Wannsee and Potsdam. On this day, the last telephone conversation between Hitler and Jodl took place. Hitler still hoped to "save" the situation south of Berlin and ordered the 12th Army, together with the troops of the 9th Army, to sharply turn the offensive front to the north in order to alleviate the position of Berlin.

Soviet 203mm howitzer B-4 firing in Berlin at night

The calculation of the Soviet 100-mm gun BS-3 is firing at the enemy in Berlin

The Germans fought furiously. On the night of April 26, the command of the encircled Frankfurt-Guben grouping, surrounded southeast of the capital, following the order of the Fuhrer, formed a strong grouping of several divisions in order to break through the battle formations of the 1st Ukrainian Front and connect in the Luckenwalde area with the 12th advancing from the west army. On the morning of April 26, the Germans launched a counteroffensive, inflicting a strong blow at the junction of the 28th and 3rd Guards armies. The Germans made a breach and went to the city of Barut. But here the enemy was stopped by the 395th division of the 13th army, and then the Germans were attacked by units of the 28th, 3rd guards and 3rd guards tank armies. Aviation played an important role in defeating the enemy. Bombers and attack aircraft almost non-stop attacked the battle formations of the German group. The Germans suffered great losses in manpower and equipment.

At the same time, our troops repelled the blow of the 12th Army of Wenck, which attacked in the Belitz-Treuenbrizen zone. Parts of the 4th Guards Tank Army and the 13th Army parried all enemy attacks and even advanced to the west. Our troops captured part of Wittenberg, crossed the Elbe south of it and captured the city of Pratau. Intense battles with the 12th Army and the remnants of the 9th Army, trying to break out of the encirclement, continued for several more days. The troops of the 9th Army were able to advance a little more to the west, but only small scattered groups were able to break out of the "cauldron". By the beginning of May, the encircled enemy grouping was completely destroyed.

The Görlitz group did not succeed either. She was unable to overturn the left flank of the 1st Ukrainian Front and break through to Spremberg. By the end of April, all attacks by enemy troops were repulsed. German troops went on the defensive. The left wing of the 1st Ukrainian Front was able to go on the offensive. The offensive of the 2nd Belorussian Front also developed successfully.

On April 27, our troops continued the offensive. The Potsdam enemy group was destroyed and Potsdam was taken. Soviet troops captured the central railway junction, started a battle for the 9th sector of the Berlin defensive region. At 3 o'clock. On the night of April 28, Keitel spoke with Krebs, who said that Hitler demanded immediate assistance to Berlin, according to the Fuhrer, "at most 48 hours of time" remained. At 5 o'clock. morning communication with the Imperial Chancellery was broken. On April 28, the territory occupied by German troops was reduced to 10 km from north to south and to 14 km - east to west.

In Berlin, the Germans especially stubbornly defended the 9th sector (central). From the north, this sector was covered by the Spree River, and the Landwehr Canal was located in the south. Most of the bridges were destroyed by the Germans. The Moltke bridge was covered by anti-tank obstacles and was well defended. The banks of the Spree and the Landwehr Canal were dressed in granite and rose 3 meters, providing additional protection for the German troops. In the central sector there were several powerful defense centers: the Reichstag, the Krol Opera (the building of the imperial theater), the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Gestapo). The walls of the buildings were very powerful, they were not pierced by shells of large-caliber guns. The walls of the lower floors and basements reached a thickness of 2 meters, and were additionally reinforced with earth embankments, reinforced concrete and steel rails. The square in front of the Reichstag (Koenigsplatz) was also prepared for defense. Three trenches with machine-gun nests were located here, they connected with the passages of communication with the Reichstag. The approaches to the square were covered with anti-tank ditches filled with water. The defense system included 15 reinforced concrete pillboxes. Anti-aircraft guns were located on the roofs of buildings, field artillery positions were located on the sites and in the Tiergarten park. Houses on the left bank of the Spree were turned into strongholds that protected the garrisons from platoon to company. The streets leading to the German parliament were blocked by barricades, rubble and mined. A powerful defense was created in the Tiergarten. To the south-west of the central sector adjoined the defense center in the Zoological Garden.

The central region was defended by soldiers from various elite SS units and a Volkssturm battalion. On the night of April 28, three companies of sailors from a naval school in Rostock were dropped from transport aircraft into the central sector. In the Reichstag area, a garrison of 5,000 soldiers and officers defended, supported by three artillery battalions.

The beginning of the assault on the Reichstag

Waging stubborn battles, by April 29, Soviet troops cleared most of the city from the Nazis. In some areas, Soviet troops broke through the defenses of the central sector. Units of the 79th Rifle Corps of S. N. Perevertkin of the 3rd Shock Army advanced from the north. By the evening of April 28, the troops of the 3rd Shock Army, having captured the Moabit area, broke through to the Reichstag area, near the Moltke bridge. Here lay the shortest route to the Reichstag.

At the same time, units of the 5th shock, 8th guards and 1st guards tank armies of the 1st Belorussian Front made their way to the center from the east and southeast. The 5th shock army captured Karlhorst, crossed the Spree, cleared the Anhalt railway station and the state printing house of the Germans. Her troops broke through to Alexanderplatz, Wilhelm's Palace, the town hall and the imperial office. The 8th Guards Army moved along the southern bank of the Landwehr Canal, approaching the southern part of the Tiergarten Park. The 2nd Guards Tank Army, having captured the Charlottenburg region, advanced from the northwest. The troops of the 3rd Guards Tank Army and the 28th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front made their way to the 9th sector from the south. The 47th Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, part of the forces of the 4th Guards Tank and 13th Armies of the 1st Ukrainian Front firmly provided the outer front of Berlin's encirclement from the west.

The position of Berlin became completely hopeless, ammunition was running out. The commander of the defense of the Berlin region, General Weidling, offered to save the troops and gather the remaining forces for a breakthrough to the west. General Krebs supported the idea of ​​a breakthrough. Hitler was also repeatedly asked to leave the city himself. However, Hitler did not agree with this and ordered to continue the defense to the last bullet. He considered that it makes no sense for the troops to break through from one "cauldron" to another.

The troops of the 79th Rifle Corps were unable to take the Moltke bridge on the move. However, on the night of April 29, decisive actions of the forward battalions of the 756th Infantry Regiment of the 150th Infantry Division under the command of Major General Vasily Shatilov (Captain S. Neustroev commanded the battalion) and the 380th Infantry Regiment of the 171st Infantry Division under the command of Colonel Alexei Negody (the battalion was commanded by Senior Lieutenant Konstantin Samsonov) the bridge was occupied. The Germans fired heavily and launched counterattacks. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the right bank of the Spree had not yet been completely cleared of German troops. Soviet soldiers occupied only Alt-Moabit-Straße, which went to the bridge and the surrounding neighborhoods. At night, the Germans launched a counterattack, trying to surround and destroy our troops, who crossed to the left bank of the river and destroy the Moltke bridge. However, enemy attacks were successfully repulsed.

Units of the 380th regiment, the 525th regiment of the 171st division, the 756th regiment of the 150th division, as well as tanks and escort guns, flamethrowers of the 10th separate motorized flamethrower battalion were transferred to the left bank of the Spree. On the morning of April 29, after a short fire attack, our troops continued their offensive. All day long, our soldiers fought stubborn battles for the buildings adjacent to the Spree, it was especially difficult to take the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (our soldiers called it "Himmler's house"). Only after the commissioning of the second echelon of the 150th division - the 674th rifle regiment, did the situation turn in our favor. "Himmler's House" was taken. Several more buildings were captured, and the Soviet soldiers ended up 300-500 meters from the Reichstag. But it was not possible to immediately develop success and take the Reichstag.

Soviet troops carried out preliminary preparations for the assault on the Reichstag. Intelligence studied the approaches to the building and the enemy's fire system. New weapons were brought into the battle area. All new tanks, self-propelled guns and guns were transported to the left bank of the river. At a close distance of 200-300 meters from the building, several dozen guns were brought up, including 152- and 203-mm howitzers. Prepared rocket launchers. They brought ammunition. From the best warriors, assault groups were formed to hoist the banner over the Reichstag.

Early in the morning of April 30, bloody battles resumed. The Nazis repulsed the first attack of our troops. Selected units of the SS fought to the death. At 11 o'clock. 30 min. after artillery preparation, our troops went on a new assault. A particularly stubborn battle took place in the offensive zone of the 380th regiment, which was led by the chief of staff, Major V. D. Shatalin. The Germans repeatedly turned into violent counterattacks, which turned into hand-to-hand combat. Our troops suffered serious losses. Only towards the end of the day did the regiment make its way to the anti-tank ditch at the Reichstag. A heavy battle was also going on in the offensive zone of the 150th Infantry Division. Units of the 756th and 674th Rifle Regiments made their way to the canal in front of the Reichstag and lay there under heavy fire. There was a pause, which was used to prepare a decisive assault on the building.

At 18 o'clock. 30 min. under the cover of artillery fire, our soldiers launched a new attack. The Germans could not stand it, and our soldiers broke through to the building itself. Immediately, red banners of various shapes and sizes appeared on the building. One of the first to appear was the flag of a fighter of the 1st battalion of the 756th regiment, junior sergeant Pyotr Pyatnitsky. An enemy bullet struck down a Soviet soldier on the steps of a building. But his flag was picked up and placed over one of the columns of the main entrance. The flags of Lieutenant R. Koshkarbaev and Private G. Bulatov from the 674th Regiment, Sergeant M. Eremin and Private G. Savenko from the 380th Regiment, Sergeant P. S. Smirnov and Privates N. Belenkov and L. Somov from 525th regiment, etc. Soviet soldiers once again showed mass heroism.

Soviet assault group with a banner moves to the Reichstag

The battle for the interior began. The Germans continued to put up stubborn resistance, defending every room, every corridor, stairwell, floors and cellars. The Germans even launched counterattacks. However, it was no longer possible to stop our fighters. There is very little left before the Victory. In one of the rooms, the headquarters of Captain Neustroev was deployed. The assault group under the command of sergeants G. Zagitov, A. Lisimenko and M. Minin broke through to the roof and fixed the flag there. On the night of May 1, a group of soldiers under the command of Lieutenant A.P. Berest received the task of hoisting a banner on the Reichstag, which was presented by the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army. Early in the morning, Alexei Berest, Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria hoisted the Banner of Victory - the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division. The assault on the Reichstag continued until May 2.

April 30, 1945. The German parliament building was stormed. For any Russian, this phrase looks even shorter - the storming of the Reichstag. It means the end of the war, Victory. And, although the complete victory came a little later, it was this assault that became the apogee of the whole long war ...

The assault on the Reichstag is a military operation of the Red Army units against German troops to seize the building of the German parliament. It was carried out at the final stage of the Berlin offensive operation from April 28 to May 2, 1945 by the forces of the 150th and 171st rifle divisions of the 79th rifle corps of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front.

In preparation for repelling the Soviet offensive, Berlin was divided into 9 defense sectors. The central sector, which included government buildings, including the imperial office, the Gestapo building and the Reichstag, was well fortified and defended by elite SS units.

It was to the central sector that the armies of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts sought to break through. As the Soviet troops approached specific institutions, the command of the front and the armies set the task of mastering these objects.

On the afternoon of April 27, the task of capturing the Reichstag was assigned to the 11th Guards Tank Corps of the 1st Guards Tank Army. However, in the next day, the tankers failed to complete it due to the strong resistance of the German troops.

The 3rd Shock Army under the command of V.I. Kuznetsov, operating as part of the 1st Belorussian Front, was not originally intended to storm the central part of the city. However, as a result of seven days of fierce fighting, it was on April 28 that she was the closest to the Reichstag area.

It should be said about the aspect ratio in this operation:

The Soviet group included:
79th Rifle Corps (Major General S. N. Perevertkin) consisting of:
150th Infantry Division (Major General Shatilov V.M.)
756th Infantry Regiment (Colonel Zinchenko F.M.)
1st Battalion (Captain Neustroev S.A.)
2nd Battalion (Captain Klimenkov)
469th Infantry Regiment (Colonel Mochalov M.A.)
674th Infantry Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Plekhodanov A.D.)
1st Battalion (Captain Davydov V.I.)
2nd Battalion (Major Logvinenko Ya. I.)
328th Artillery Regiment (Major Gladkikh G.G.)
1957th Antitank Regiment
171st Rifle Division (Colonel Negoda A.I.)
380th Infantry Regiment (Major Shatalin V.D.)
1st Battalion (St. Lieutenant Samsonov K. Ya.)
525th Rifle Regiment
713th Rifle Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel M. G. Mukhtarov)
357th Artillery Regiment
207th Rifle Division (Colonel V. M. Asafov)
597th Rifle Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Kovyazin I.D.)
598th Rifle Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Voznesensky A. A.)

Attached parts:

86th Heavy Howitzer Artillery Brigade (Colonel Sazonov N.P.)
104th howitzer brigade of high power (Colonel Solomienko P.M.)
124th howitzer brigade of high power (Colonel Gutin G. L.)
136th Cannon Artillery Brigade (Colonel Pisarev A.P.)
1203rd self-propelled artillery regiment
351st Guards Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment
23rd Tank Brigade (Colonel Kuznetsov S.V.)
tank battalion (major Yartsev I. L.)
tank battalion (Captain Krasovsky S.V.)
88th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Mzhachikh P. G.)
85th Tank Regiment

The Reichstag was defended by:

Part of the forces of the 9th defense sector of Berlin.
Consolidated battalion of cadets of the naval school from the city of Rostock
In total, the Reichstag area was defended by about 5,000 people. Of these, the Reichstag garrison was about 1000 people.

You can talk about the capture of the Reichstag by the minute, since each of them was performed by the fighters and performed a feat! I will try to restore the chronology by day ..

So:

By the evening of April 28, units of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army occupied the Moabit area and from the northwest approached the area where, in addition to the Reichstag, the building of the Ministry of the Interior, the Krol Opera Theater, the Swiss embassy and a number of other structures were located. Well fortified and adapted for long-term defense, together they were a powerful center of resistance.

The task of capturing the Reichstag was set on April 28 at the disposal of the commander of the 79th Rifle Corps, Major General S. N. Perevertkin:

... 3. 150th Infantry Division - one rifle regiment - defense on the river. Spree. With two rifle regiments, continue the offensive with the task of forcing the river. Spree and take possession of the western part of the Reichstag ...

4. The 171st Infantry Division to continue the offensive within its borders with the task of forcing the river. Spree and take possession of the eastern part of the Reichstag ...

Before the advancing troops lay another water barrier - the Spree River. Its three-meter reinforced concrete shores excluded the possibility of crossing on improvised means. The only way to the south coast lay across the Moltke bridge, which, when the Soviet units approached, was blown up by German sappers, but did not collapse, but only deformed.

At both ends, the bridge was covered with reinforced concrete walls a meter thick and about one and a half meters high. It was not possible to capture the bridge on the move, since all approaches to it were shot through by multi-layered machine-gun and artillery fire. It was decided to undertake a second assault on the bridge after careful preparation. Powerful artillery fire destroyed the firing points in the buildings on the Kronprinzen Ufer and Schlieffen Ufer embankments and suppressed the German batteries that were shelling the bridge.

By the morning of April 29, the advanced battalions of the 150th and 171st rifle divisions under the command of Captain S. A. Neustroev and Senior Lieutenant K. Ya. Samsonov crossed to the opposite bank of the Spree. After the crossing, the Soviet units began fighting for the quarter located southeast of the Moltke bridge.

Among other buildings in the quarter was the building of the Swiss embassy, ​​which overlooked the square in front of the Reichstag and was an important element in the overall German defense system. On the same morning, the building of the Swiss embassy was cleared of the enemy by the companies of Senior Lieutenant Pankratov and Lieutenant M.F. Grankin. The next target on the way to the Reichstag was the building

Ministry of the Interior, nicknamed by the Soviet soldiers "Himmler's House". It was a huge six-story building that occupied an entire block. The solid stone building was additionally adapted for defense. To capture Himmler's house at 7 o'clock in the morning, a powerful artillery preparation was carried out, immediately after which Soviet soldiers rushed to storm the building.

For the next day, units of the 150th Infantry Division fought for the building and captured it by dawn on April 30. The way to the Reichstag was open.

The assault on the Reichstag began before dawn on 30 April. The 150th and 171st rifle divisions, commanded by General Shatilov V.M., rushed to the building of the German parliament. and Colonel Negoda A.I. The attackers were met with a sea of ​​fire from various types of weapons, and soon the attack bogged down.

The first attempt to take possession of the building on the move ended in failure. A thorough preparation of the assault began. To support the infantry attack only for direct fire, 135 guns, tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts were concentrated. Dozens more guns, howitzers and rocket launchers fired from closed positions. From the air, the attackers were supported by squadrons of the 283rd Fighter Aviation of the division of Colonel Chirva S.N.

At 12 o'clock artillery preparation began. Half an hour later the infantry went on the assault. She had only 250 m left to reach her intended goal, and it seemed that success had already been ensured.

“Everything roared and rumbled around,” recalled Colonel F.M. Zinchenko, whose regiment was part of the 150th Infantry Division. goals... So the reports flew on command. After all, everyone so wanted to be the first! .. "

General Shatilov V.M. first by telephone, and then in writing, he informed the commander of the 79th rifle corps, General Perevertkin S.N., that at 14:25 the rifle battalions under the command of captains Neustroev S.A. and Davydova V.I. broke into the Reichstag and hoisted a banner on it. At this time, units continue to clear the building from the Germans.

Such long-awaited news rushed further - to the headquarters of the 3rd shock army and the 1st Belorussian Front. This was reported by Soviet radio, followed by foreign radio stations. The Military Council of the 1st Belorussian Front, by order of April 30, already congratulated the soldiers on their victory, expressed gratitude to all soldiers, sergeants, officers of the 171st and 150th rifle divisions and, of course, General Perevertkin S.N. and ordered the Military Council of the Army to present the most distinguished for awards.

After receiving the news about the fall of the Reichstag, military cameramen, photojournalists, journalists rushed to him, among them the famous writer Gorbatov B.L. What they saw was disappointing: the assault battalions were still fighting on the outskirts of the building, where there was not a single Soviet soldier and not a single flag.

The third attack began at 18:00. Together with the attacking battalions of the 674th and 380th rifle regiments, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Plekhanov A.D., Colonel Zinchenko F.M., two groups of volunteers advanced, led by the adjutant of the commander of the 79th rifle corps, Major Bondar M.M. and the commander of the battery of control of the commander of the artillery of the corps, captain Makovetsky V.N. At the initiative of the command and the political department of the corps, these groups were created specifically for hoisting flags made in the corps over the Reistag.

"This attack was a success: the battalions of captains Neustroev S.A., Davydov V.I., senior lieutenant Samsonov K.Ya. and a group of volunteers broke into the building, about which Zinchenko F.M. reported to General Shatilov V.M. in the afternoon, he repeatedly demanded to break into the Reichstag and, which worried him most of all, to hoist a banner on it.

The report pleased the division commander and at the same time upset him: the banner had not yet been installed. The general ordered to clear the building of the enemy and "immediately install the banner of the Military Council of the Army on its dome"! To speed up the task, the division commander appointed Zinchenko F.M. commandant of the Reichstag". (R. Portuguese V. Runov "Boilers of the 45th", M., "Eksmo", 2010, p. 234).

However, Colonel Zinchenko F.M. he understood, as he wrote after the war, "that neither in the evening nor during the night the Reichstag can be completely cleared, but the banner must be installed at any cost! ..". He ordered to recapture as many rooms as possible from the enemy before dark, and then give the personnel a rest.

The banner of the Military Council of the 3rd shock army was instructed to hoist the regiment's scouts - M.V. Kantaria and M.A. Egorov. Together with a group of fighters led by Lieutenant Brest, with the support of Syanov's company, they climbed onto the roof of the building and at 21:50 on April 30, 1945 hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag.

M.V. Kantaria

Two days later, the banner was replaced by a large red banner. The removed flag was sent to Moscow on a special flight with military honors on June 20.

On June 24, 1945, the first parade of troops of the active army, the Navy and the Moscow garrison took place on Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War. After participating in the parade, the Banner of Victory is still kept in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces.

It should also be noted that in addition to the banner of the Military Council of the Army, many other flags were strengthened on the Reichstag building. The first flag was hoisted by a group of Captain Makov V.N., who attacked together with Neustroev's battalion. Volunteers headed by the captain, senior sergeants Bobrov A.P., Zagitov G.K., Lisimenko A.F. and Sergeant Minin M.P. they immediately rushed to the roof of the Reichstag and fixed the flag on one of the sculptures on the right tower of the house. It happened at 22:40, which was two or three hours before the hoisting of the flag, which history was destined to become the Banner of Victory.

For skillful leadership of the battle and heroism, V.I. Davydov, S.A. Neustroev, K.Ya. Samsonov, as well as M.A. Egorov and M.V. Kantaria, who hoisted the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag, were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The battle inside the Reichstag continued with great tension until the morning of May 1, and individual groups of fascists who settled in the cellars of the Reichstag continued to resist until May 2, until the Soviet soldiers finally finished with them. In the battles for the Reichstag, up to 2,500 enemy soldiers were killed and wounded, 2,604 prisoners were captured.

From April 28 to May 2, 1945 by forces The 150th and 171st Rifle Divisions of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front carried out an operation to capture the Reichstag. To this event, my friends, I dedicate this photo collection.
_______________________

1. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.

2. Fireworks in honor of the Victory on the roof of the Reichstag. Soldiers of the battalion under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union S. Neustroev.

3. Soviet trucks and cars on a ruined street in Berlin. Behind the ruins you can see the Reichstag building.

4. Rear Admiral Fotiy Ivanovich Krylov (1896-1948), head of the River Emergency Rescue Directorate of the USSR Navy, awards a diver with an order for clearing mines on the Spree River in Berlin. In the background is the Reichstag building.

6. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.

7. A group of Soviet officers inside the Reichstag.

8. Soviet soldiers with a banner on the roof of the Reichstag.

9. The Soviet assault group with the banner moves to the Reichstag.

10. The Soviet assault group with the banner is moving towards the Reichstag.

11. Commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Division, Major General P.M. Shafarenko in the Reichstag with colleagues.

12. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag

13. Soldiers of the 150th Rifle Idritsko-Berlin, Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree, division on the steps of the Reichstag (among the depicted scouts are M. Kantaria, M. Egorov and the Komsomol organizer of the division, Captain M. Zholudev). In the foreground is the 14-year-old son of the regiment, Zhora Artemenkov.

14. The Reichstag building in July 1945.

15. The interior of the Reichstag building after the defeat of Germany in the war. On the walls and columns there are inscriptions of Soviet soldiers left as a keepsake.

16. The interior of the Reichstag building after the defeat of Germany in the war. On the walls and columns there are inscriptions of Soviet soldiers left as a keepsake. Pictured is the south entrance of the building.

17. Soviet photojournalists and cameramen at the Reichstag building.

18. The wreckage of an inverted German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter against the backdrop of the Reichstag.

19. Autograph of Soviet soldiers on the column of the Reichstag: “We are in Berlin! Nikolay, Peter, Nina and Sasha. May 11, 1945.

20. A group of political workers of the 385th Infantry Division, headed by the head of the political department, Colonel Mikhailov, near the Reichstag.

21. German anti-aircraft guns and a dead German soldier at the Reichstag.

23. Soviet soldiers on the square near the Reichstag.

24. Red Army signalman Mikhail Usachev leaves his autograph on the wall of the Reichstag.

25. A British soldier leaves his autograph among the autographs of Soviet soldiers inside the Reichstag.

26. Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria go with a banner to the roof of the Reichstag.

27. Soviet soldiers hoist a banner over the Reichstag on May 2, 1945. This is one of the banners installed on the Reystag in addition to the official hoisting of the banner by Yegorov and Kantaria.

28. The famous Soviet singer Lidia Ruslanova performs "Katyusha" against the backdrop of the destroyed Reichstag.

29. The son of the regiment Volodya Tarnovsky puts his autograph on the column of the Reichstag.

30. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag.

31. A captured German soldier at the Reichstag. The famous photograph, often published in books and on posters in the USSR under the name "Ende" (German: "The End").

32. Fellow soldiers of the 88th Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment near the wall of the Reichstag, in the assault of which the regiment took part.

33. Banner of Victory over the Reichstag.

34. Two Soviet officers on the steps of the Reichstag.

35. Two Soviet officers on the square in front of the Reichstag building.