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

About the monument

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

Creators of "Warrior Liberator":

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

This memorial contains the ashes of 7 thousand Soviet soldiers who fell during the storming of Berlin. The names of only 1,000 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 ruins of a fascist swastika with his head held high. With one hand he holds the rescued girl, who trustingly clings 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 liberator warrior holds in his hand is associated with two more monuments. These are “Motherland” in Volgograd and “Rear to Front” in Magnitogorsk. It is implied 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 liberating warrior is an exact copy of the weapon of Prince Gabriel. He fought against the “dog knights” side by side with Alexander Nevsky. The sword in the hand of the Berlin warrior is lowered, which symbolizes peace, but, as I.V. said. 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 for descendants. A photo of the monument to a soldier holding a girl in his 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 memory hall. On the walls there is a mosaic panel depicting representatives different nations, they lay wreaths at the grave of Soviet soldiers. Above them there is an inscription in Russian and German, which reads: “Now everyone recognizes that the Soviet people, with their selfless struggle, saved the civilization of Europe from the fascist pogromists. This is the great merit of the Soviet people to 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 are inscribed there and are buried in the Hall. It is decorated with a large chandelier made of rubies and crystal, which is made in the form

Creation of a monument

May 8, 1949 is the opening date. To gain the right to create a monument to a soldier with a girl saved in his arms, sculptors and architects had to take part in a competition. 33 monument projects 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;
• Puhl & Wagner workshops specializing in mosaics and stained glass;
• gardening associations Späth nursery;
• 1200 German workers.

The monument to a soldier with a girl in his arms was cast in Leningrad at a factory and then sent to Berlin. The Soviet military commandant's office was responsible for caring for the monument. In 2003 it was under restoration, and in 2004 it was returned to its place.

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

Feat of a soldier

The monument to the unknown soldier with a girl in his arms was created based on real events, and the name of this hero has survived to this day. The prototype of the warrior-liberator - Nikolai Masalov from the Kemerovo region, soviet soldier. During one of the assaults on Berlin, namely on April 30, 1945, he heard a child crying. Under the bridge, located on the front line, he found a fair-haired girl of about three years old, who was sitting next to her murdered mother, fiddling with her, crying and calling “mutter.” Without hesitation, the soldier grabbed the baby and ran with her in his arms to his own. The Germans started firing and wounded Nikolai in the leg, but he did not abandon the girl, he carried her out of the battlefield, risking his life. On the Potsdam Bridge, the same 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 his 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 operator. It was hard to study, because the soldiers had to master in one winter what it took 2 years to learn.

N. Masalov received his baptism of fire in 1942 at the front near Bryansk. The fighting was so heavy that out of the entire company where he served, only five soldiers remained alive. After this, Nikolai Ivanovich served under the command of General Chuikov and defended Mamayev 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 in kindergarten caretaker Glory fell on the hero 20 years after the last volleys of guns died down. A documentary was made about him, and all the newspapers wrote about his feat. He managed to visit Berlin. He saw the monument, of which he became the prototype. The Soviet hero was awarded the title of honorary citizen of Berlin in 1969. Nikolai Ivanovich was modest, and he did not like the fact that his action was called a feat. He himself said that he did not consider this heroism. Now Nikolai Ivanovich is no longer alive.

About those who posed for the author

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

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

Sculptor

Monument to Owls The soldier with the girl in his arms was created by a genius. He was not only a sculptor, but also a teacher, and was president of the Academy of Arts for several years. And he knew firsthand what war was. In 1941, he volunteered to go to the front. In 1943, due to a severe concussion, he was discharged, and he returned to Moscow, where he began working as a war artist. At the beginning, Viktorovich Vuchetich was a private. He was already commissioned with the rank of lieutenant colonel. The artist created sculptures of leaders, prominent political figures, heroes of war and labor, and outstanding commanders. All creations of E.V. Vuchetich’s works 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, smaller copies of it, are installed in the cities: Sovetsk (Kaliningrad region), Vereya (Moscow region), Tver, Moscow (at the entrance to the Night Wolves biker club). The model of the monument, whose height is 2.5 meters, has still been preserved. Until 1964, it was in Germany, then it was transported to Serpukhov, where until 2008 it stood near the hospital, and in 2009 it was moved to the territory of the Cathedral Mountain memorial complex.

Warrior-liberator in faleristics and numismatics

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

• 1 ruble, 1965;
• 10 mark coin of the GDR (1985);
• 10-ruble coin dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory (issued in 2015).

On medals:

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

Also, the image of the monument is present on the sign of the GSVG (group Soviet troops 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 flag on the Reichstag became a symbol of victory in the bloodiest clash of the 20th century. Thousands of Soviet soldiers who took part in the battles died during the assault on the city, and after the end of the war, in Berlin, divided into sectors, the victors built memorial graves in honor of the fallen soldiers of their armies. And although the Allied memorials are no less interesting (and we will definitely talk about them later), it is the Soviet monuments that are the most outstanding, both historically and architectural plan. For the 70th anniversary of the Victory, we have prepared a review 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 complexes and monuments located on its territory. Therefore, all memorable places are in excellent condition, many have been restored. Every year on May 8, the day the war ended, flowers are laid at the monuments to Soviet soldiers, where veterans, government officials and simply city residents 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 Tiergarten, on the Charlottenburg Highway (now 17 June Street), with the participation of a 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 an honor guard.

The complex covers 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, was supposed to pass. The monument is a concave colonnade; six branches of the military are symbolized by six columns, the material for which was the destroyed granite supports 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, which took part in the Battle of Berlin.

Behind the soldier is a garden with guard rooms and the graves of about 2,500 fallen soldiers.

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

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

At both entrances to the complex on Pushkinallee and on Am Treptower Park there are granite arches with the inscription “Eternal Glory...”. The alleys departing from them lead to a square with a three-meter sculpture of the grieving Mother Motherland made of light gray stone on a granite pedestal. The road, lined with birch and poplar trees, leads to granite terraces flanked by huge banners at half-staff. At their feet two bronze warriors knelt.

In the central part of the complex, five square terraces rise in steps - symbolic mass graves. On both sides, at equal distances, there are rows of sarcophagi with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from peaceful and military life - 16 according to the number of union republics at that time. The sixteenth republic of the USSR was the Karelo-Finnish SSR from 1940 to 1956. Quotes from Stalin in Russian and German. 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, the central object rises - the “Warrior-Liberator” monument. The 13-meter bronze sculpture, cast in Leningrad, stands on a mausoleum pedestal located on a mound. In his left hand the Soviet soldier holds the German girl he saved, and in his right hand he holds a lowered sword, with which he breaks 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 Tiergarten, saved 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 Vuchetich’s idea, is the same sword that is handed over by the worker in Magnitogorsk (the sculpture “Rear to Front”), raised above himself by the Motherland in Volgograd (“Motherland”), and now , having broken the symbol of fascism, the warrior lowers it, 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 that depict people paying tribute to fallen soldiers.

During the GDR era, celebrations were held here to mark 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, as well as Chancellor Kohl and President Yeltsin took part. In 2003, it was decided to restore the sculpture. It was dismantled into pieces and transported by barge to the island of Rügen to a restoration workshop, and in 2004 it was returned to its place. Now every year people lay flowers in memory of those killed in the war, and the annual festival takes place not far from the entrance to the complex.

Puschkinallee, Treptower Park

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

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

The gates to the complex are two buildings with towers, inside of which, in a room similar to 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 the walls are lined with sayings of Stalin in Russian and German.

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

All along the wall around the complex are plaques with the names of identified fallen soldiers. It was possible to establish the names of only about 3,000 warriors; more than 10,000 remain nameless. Between the plaques 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, Schonholz

Monument in Hohenschönhausen (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Küstriner Straße)

Opened in 1975, the monument on Küstriner Strasse in the Hohenschönhausen district was created by sculptor I.G. Pershudchev, the author of the sculptures of the memorial in Pankov. Between residential buildings a lawn has been laid out, in the middle of which there is a platform laid out with slabs. A white concrete stele with a bronze bas-relief depicting warriors and battle scenes is located 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 Marzahn was opened in 1958 on 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 bowed stone banners, and in the center there is an obelisk made of red granite, crowned with a star.

At the other end of the complex there 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 plaques with the names of fallen soldiers.

Obelisk in Kaulsdorf (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Kaulsdorf)

The monument was built in 1946 at the burial site of fallen soldiers. Their remains were later moved to a newly built memorial in Treptow.

Brodauer Straße 12, Kaulsdorf

Obelisk in Rummelsburg (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Rummelsburg)

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

Nöldner Straße 44, Rummelsburg

Obelisk in Rahnsdorf (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Rahnsdorf)

On the border of the city in the southeast, near 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 stamped on it.

Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 76, Rahnsdorf

Obelisk in Buch (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Buch)

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

Wiltbergstrasse 13, Buch

Obelisk in honor of May 8, 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 killed in the war. At the entrance to the monument, a gate was installed and flower beds were laid out. On the concrete obelisk there is only a relief in the form of the Order of the Red Star - the main military order Soviet army- and a white sign with the inscription "8. May 1945".

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

Memorial stone at Ostseeplatz

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

Ostseestraße 92, M4 Greifswalder Str./Ostseestr.

Commemorative plaque at Schönhauser Allee station

Near the exit from 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 by sculptor Günther Schütz, created in 1985-86. Four bas-reliefs depict the period of the struggle against National Socialism and 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 stellas are located on the square in front of Adlershof station, on one of them there is an inscription in honor of Liberation Day - May 8, 1945.

Platz der Befreiung, Adlershof

The first liberated house in Marzahn

Red stone house at number 563 Landsberger Allee is considered the first house in Berlin to be liberated during the Soviet offensive.

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 banner 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. A 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 site of his death, at the intersection of Schlossstrasse and Wilhelmstrasse (now Am-Tierpark and Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse) in the Friedrichsfelde district, a memorial stone was erected.

Nowadays, institutions are located in the monument house, but the inscription on the wall and the plaque remind that it was from here that the liberation of Berlin began.

Landsberger Allee 563, M6 Brodowiner Ring

German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

A T-34 tank 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 historical building in which the act of unconditional surrender was signed on May 8, 1945 Nazi Germany, and is dedicated to the history of the Second World War, as well as the history of Soviet-German relations for the period 1917 - 1990. The museum also boasts an exhibition military equipment, including the legendary Katyusha and the IS-2 tank.

Zwieseler Straße 4, Karlshorst

It was created in May 1949 by order of the Soviet military administration to perpetuate the memory of the Red Army soldiers who died during the Second World War. About 7,000 Soviet soldiers who fell during the Battle of Berlin are buried here. The Monument to the Soldier-Liberator, also part of the memorial complex, together with the hill and pedestal, has a total height of 30 meters.

After the end of World War II, the Red Army built four Soviet memorial complexes in Berlin. Not only do they serve as a reminder of the 80,000 Soviet soldiers who fell during the Battle of Berlin, but they are also the site of Soviet war graves. The central memorial is the building in. The other three memorial complexes in Berlin are the Soviet war memorial in the Schönholzer Heide park in Pankov, the war memorial in the Buch palace park.

To design the memorial complex in Treptower Park, the Soviet commandant's office organized a competition, which resulted in 33 designs. Since June 1946, the project presented by the Soviet team was approved, namely, sculptor E. V. Vuchetich, architect Ya. B. Belopolsky, artist A. V. Gorpenko, engineer S. S. Valerius.

The complex was built on the site of a former sports and playground and opened in May 1949.

The dominant element of the memorial complex is the monument to the Soldier-Liberator, created by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich. The figure represents a soldier who right hand holds a sword, and in the left - a rescued German girl. A swastika is destroyed under the warrior's boots. The sculpture itself is 12 meters high and weighs 70 tons.

The statue stands above a pavilion built on a hill. A staircase leads to the pavilion. The walls of the pavilion are decorated with mosaics with Russian inscriptions and German translation. The hill with the pavilion is a reproduction of the Kurgan, a medieval Slavic grave.

Address: Treptower Park, Puschkinallee, 12435, Berlin, Germany.

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Berlin's second largest park is a witness to many events that took place in Germany and Europe during the century. Situated on the river bank of the Spree, it remembers the calm, halcyon times, and the exciting rallies of anti-fascists, the inspired speeches of Clara Zetkin, the brutal episodes of the Second World War and the collapse of Hitler’s plans. Now Treptower 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 carefully they preserve flora and multiply it. This was Gustav Mayer, according to whose design Treptower 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 its foundation, but landscape design Mayer was completely preserved. Already in the 50s of the 20th century, a magnificent garden of roses (25 thousand bushes) and sunflowers was laid out.

Treptower Park – a favorite leisure spot

Beautiful alleys, ponds, fountains, a rose garden, and sports grounds are located here in accordance with the design of the landscape engineer. As a sign of grateful memory, his bust, with his head raised, as if peering into the park perspective, was 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 stroll under the shade of spreading linden and oak trees, ride boats along the Spree, eat ice cream in a cafe, and feed the fish in the pond. On sports grounds Various competitions were organized and competitions were organized. Revolutionary 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 liberating soldiers who cleansed Europe of the vices of fascism.

Soldiers' Memorial

Created by the joint efforts of architects, sculptors and designers, the memorial complex in honor 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 Mamayev Kurgan memorial in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). Treptower 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 soil. Where, if not here, above the sacrificial ashes of the saviors of a foreign country, is destined to stand a grandiose structure, personifying 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 promulgated a decree on the competitive creation best project, as a result, the works of the architect Yakov Belopoltsev and the young sculptor Evgeniy Vuchetich turned out to be such. Large-scale work has begun on the selected site of the park and on the sculptural creations of the memorial. 60 German sculptors, 200 stonemasons, and 1,200 ordinary workers were mobilized. Granite from the former Hitler's 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 the prototype of a warrior in the person of Sergeant Nikolai Masalov, who in fact saved a German girl who found herself in a tragic situation during shelling.

History of the monument to the Soldier-Liberator

A three-year-old child cried over his murdered mother, and the soldiers heard this sad cry coming from the destroyed house in the intervals between artillery salvos. Masalov, according to the memoirs of Marshal Chuikov, risking being killed, rushed into the ruins and pulled out the trembling girl. During the rescue operation he was injured. In the memoirs of the soldiers who liberated Berlin, similar incidents were mentioned more than once, so an impressive monument to the warrior-savior of children is fully justified. Two more athletic men served as models for the sculptor: 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 the soldier who nailed the fascist swastika with his sword, like St. George piercing the insidious Serpent with a spear, is also symbolic. 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, is embossed the inscription: “I will not yield my honor to anyone.” Vuchetich chose the prince’s sword, despite objections, as a symbol of Russian weapons, reliable protection native land, remembering 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 burial mound, on a high white pedestal, with a Memory and Grief Room located inside, in which there is a parchment tome in a scarlet velvet binding with the names of all those buried in the 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 memorial 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 crystal crystals sparkling with a diamond shine.

Sculptures-monuments of the memorial complex

A memorial field with 5 mass graves and marble sarcophagi opens up to the gaze of the granite warrior; with the Eternal Flame burning in granite bowls. Excerpts from the statements of Stalin, the commander, are engraved on the sad sarcophagi great Victory, which later caused objections from 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 part of the memorial.

At the entrance there is a symbolic gate in the form of two half-mast banners made of red granite, under which there are sculptural images of a young and an old soldier frozen in a mournful kneeling pose.

In front of the entrance there is an expressive sculpture “Grieving Mother”, when looking at it tears come to your eyes: so much hopeless grief and mother's love captured in the stunningly lively figure of a woman with her head bowed mournfully. She “sits” with one hand pressed to her heart and the other leaning on the pedestal, as if looking for support in order to adequately endure the sad loss of her sons. The soul-disturbing “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 Soldier-Liberator as a symbolic connection between mother and soldier-son.

The sculpture of a mourning Soviet soldier is located on a pedestal of white granite slabs against the background of an obelisk made of red granite. In the bronze figure of a warrior kneeling; in the lowered head and the removed helmet one can feel sadness for the fallen 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 his entire courageous figure and inner restraint, one can feel the potential of a force that can be reborn if necessary.

Status of the Memorial

The grand opening of the grandiose Memorial complex took place on the eve of Victory Day, May 9, 1949, in the presence of representatives of the official authorities Soviet Union and Germany, participants in the liberation of Berlin. Hundreds of Berliners came to Treptow Park on this day to worship the brilliant sculptural sculptures that embodied the tragedy of the 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 to the jurisdiction of the Berlin authorities.

The agreements oblige them to maintain proper order, carry out the necessary restoration work, and not change anything on the memorial square without agreement with representatives of the USSR. Not long ago, the monument to the soldier-liberator was restored and is being maintained perfect order around. Nowadays, mostly 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 come to mind: “People, remember, in years, in centuries, remember, so that this never happens again, remember!”

Treptower Park today

It continues to live its measured life: in spring, summer and early autumn, attractions still operate here, tourists and local audiences stroll along the cozy alleys. Parents come with their children, for whom there is a playground with dizzying slides, entertaining towers and other attractions. There are many people who want to take boat trips on the water surface of the Spree: boats are rented at the park’s boat station.

Archenhold Observatory

and Berliners enjoy visiting the local Archenhold Observatory, 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 wooden building with a telescope placed in it. In 1908, the dilapidated building was removed and an impressively sized, solid building of classical architecture was built.

Einstein gave his first report on the theory of relativity on June 2, 1915. Later, due to the attached buildings of the planetarium, lecture hall and educational buildings, the observatory turned into a whole complex equipped modern equipment. Together with the German Technical Museum, the observatory holds educational and entertainment events, public lectures, and extramural planetary trips.

On May 8, 1949, a monument to the Soldier-Liberator was inaugurated in Berlin in Treptower Park. This memorial was erected in memory of the 20 thousand Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of Berlin, and became one of the most famous symbols of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Few people know that the idea for creating the monument was a real story and the main character of the plot was the soldier Nikolai Masalov, whose feat was undeservedly forgotten for many years.

Monument to the Soldier-Liberator in Berlin and its prototype - Soviet soldier Nikolai Masalov

The memorial was erected at the burial site of 5 thousand Soviet soldiers who died during the capture of the capital of Nazi Germany. Along with Mamayev Kurgan in Russia, it is one of the largest and most famous of such monuments in the world. The decision to build it was made at the Potsdam Conference two months after the end of the war.

The idea for the composition of the monument was a real story: on April 26, 1945, Sergeant Nikolai Masalov carried a German girl out from under fire during the storming of Berlin.

He himself later described these events as follows: “Under the bridge I saw a three-year-old girl sitting next to her murdered mother. The baby had blond hair that was slightly curly at the forehead. She kept tugging at her mother’s belt and calling: “Mutter, mutter!”

There is no time to think here. I grab the girl and back. And how she will scream! As I walk, I persuade her this way and that: shut up, they say, otherwise you will open me. Here the Nazis really started firing. Thanks to our guys - they helped us out and opened fire with all guns.”

The sergeant was wounded in the leg, but he carried the girl to his own. After the Victory, Nikolai Masalov returned to the village of Voznesenka, Kemerovo region, then moved to the city of Tyazhin and worked there as a caretaker in a kindergarten. His feat was remembered only 20 years later.

In 1964, the first publications appeared in the press about Masalov, and in 1969 he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Berlin.

Ivan Odarchenko - a soldier who posed for the sculptor Vuchetich, and a monument to the Soldier-Liberator

Nikolai Masalov became the prototype of the Warrior-Liberator, but another soldier posed for the sculptor - Ivan Odarchenko from Tambov, who served in the Berlin commandant's office. Vuchetich noticed him in 1947 at the celebration of Athlete’s Day.

Ivan posed for the sculptor for six months, and after the monument was installed in Treptow Park, he stood guard next to him several times. They say that people approached him several times, surprised by the similarity, but the private did not admit that this similarity was not at all accidental.

After the war, he returned to Tambov, where he worked at a factory. And 60 years after the opening of the monument in Berlin, Ivan Odarchenko became the prototype of the Veteran’s monument in Tambov.

Monument to the Veteran in Tambov Victory Park and Ivan Odarchenko, who became the prototype of the monument

The model for the statue of the girl in the arms of a soldier was supposed to be a German woman, but in the end, the Russian girl Sveta, the 3-year-old daughter of the commandant of Berlin, General Kotikov, posed for Vuchetich. In the original version of the memorial, the warrior was holding a machine gun in his hands, but they decided to replace it with a sword.

He was an exact copy the sword of the Pskov prince Gabriel, who fought together with Alexander Nevsky, and this was symbolic: Russian warriors defeated the German knights at Lake Peipsi, and several centuries later they defeated them again.

Work on the memorial took three years. Architect J. Belopolsky and sculptor E. Vuchetich sent a model of the monument to Leningrad, and there a 13-meter figure of the Liberator Warrior was made, weighing 72 tons.

The sculpture was transported to Berlin in parts. According to Vuchetich’s story, after it was brought from Leningrad, one of the best German foundries examined it and, finding no flaws, exclaimed: “Yes, this is a Russian miracle!”

Vuchetich prepared two designs for the monument. Initially, it was planned to erect a statue of Stalin holding a globe in Treptower Park as a symbol of the conquest of the world. As a fallback option, Vuchetich proposed a sculpture of a soldier holding a girl in his arms. Both projects were presented to Stalin, but he approved the second one.

The memorial was inaugurated on the eve of the 4th anniversary of the Victory over fascism, May 8, 1949. In 2003, a plaque was installed on the Potsdam Bridge in Berlin in memory of the feat of Nikolai Masalov accomplished in this place.

This fact was documented, although eyewitnesses claimed that there were several dozen such cases during the liberation of Berlin. When they tried to find that same girl, about a hundred German families responded. The rescue of about 45 German children by Soviet soldiers was documented.