Soviet Memorial Berlin

[Posh Pete]

Just got back from a few days in Berlin via Easyjet. Thought some might be interested in this.

The memorial is in Treptower Park on the south eastern outskirts of the city. Easily reached by u bahn and s bahn from the centre.

The memorial commemorates the achievements of the Red Army in smashing Fascism. The 40 ton bronze statue shows a Red Army soldier with a child in his arms, using a sword to destroy a swastika. The central avenue of the memorial also contains mass graves which contain 20 thousand dead. Worth remembering that these were only those whom died in the last month of the fighting to capture Berlin.

Ok, he memorial is classic Stalinist propaganda but very impressive even so. The display case near the entrance shows Putin laying a wreath in the mid 90s. It certainly put his Crimean adventure into context. Putin is a Russian nationalist who resents the way the west has treated Russia in recent years and that includes our tendency to forget about the Red Army's feats in WW2.

Will post some pics later but a google image search will give you a good idea.

 

[Posh Pete]

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[Posh Pete]

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I'm told that the red marble represents a lowered red banner and that the marble was taken from uncle Adolph's back yard in Berchtesgaden.

 

[Posh Pete]

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[Posh Pete]

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[Posh Pete]

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[Posh Pete]

Thought I'd end on an appropriate note!

 

[paddy]

Berlin

I last was there in 1979 when I guess the Cold War was in its peak.

Something I will never forget was how bleak and monotone east berlin was compared to the west, especially I felt at this memorial.

I will be back next year I hope for a 50th birthday visit to the BMW plant at Spandau.

 

[wessie]

We stumbled on this monument on a recent trip to Berlin.

It was our last day with a 6pm flight home so we decided to work our way south towards the airport armed with a 1 day rail pass, with a visit to the East Side Gallery the only planned destination. After a visit to the gallery, a walk across the river to have lunch in the Bohemian Kreuzberg we got back on the S-bahn and hopped off at Treptower Park where we had an ice cream and sat watching the boats on the river.

Needing a toilet, we interrogated the excellent Android offline map and walked across the park towards a robotic toilet whence we stumbled upon the monument as we emerged from a wooded area.

As stated, it's a typical Soviet statement but the meaning is quite powerful. I couldn't help thinking that it looks a little like a set from an Eddie Kidd stunt, though.

Berlin is that sort of place. So much history for so many centuries that you can stumble on all sorts of stuff when you are looking for something else.