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Why did the Germans keep the inscriptions of Soviet soldiers on the walls of the Reichstag? Who left their autographs on the walls of the Reichstag

The Berlin building, where the German parliament, the Bundestag, sits after the reunification of Germany (since 1999), has a very interesting fate. The past is tragic, the present is “reconstructive,” and the future, as it should be, is unknown.

The Reichstag was unlucky throughout its rather short history.

The headquarters of the German parliamentarians of the German Empire, which was finally united in 1871, ordered the creation of another Kaiser Wilhelm I . The construction of the building, designed in the high Renaissance style, with a luxurious glass dome, was completed under the next Kaiser - Wilhelm II in 1894. It lasted for almost 12 years: the competition was announced back in 1882, out of 183 projects they chose the one presented by the Frankfurt architect Paul Wallot .

View of the Reichstag in the photo late XIX century:

It is interesting that the inscription on the pediment of the building "Dem Deutsche Volke" (“To the German People”), conceived by the architect, was banned by the Kaiser. It appeared above the central portal of the Reichstag only in 1916.


Further fate The Reichstag was quite sad. Less than 40 years after the opening, having somehow survived the First world war and revolution, it literally burned to the ground. Fire 1933 , which completely destroyed the meeting room, - textbook example provocations: apparently, it was organized by the Nazis, but all the blame was immediately placed on the communists.

After the fire, the Reichstag lay in ruins for a long time, and Hitler's decorative parliament met nearby, in the so-called Opera Kroll (this building did not survive; it was destroyed by Allied aircraft in November 1943, and its ruins were finally demolished in 1951).

Meeting of the Reichstag at the Opera Kroll on October 6, 1939,
in which Hitler announces the end of the campaign against Poland:

In 1942, meetings of the Hitlerite parliament ceased altogether, and the restored Reichstag building was used by the Nazis for various kinds of propaganda meetings.

During the storming of Berlin Soviet troops At the end of April - beginning of May 1945, the Reichstag was significantly damaged during artillery shelling.

For Soviet soldiers The Reichstag was one of the symbols of Hitler's Germany,
although in fact parliament played almost no role in the Third Reich.
But how could Soviet soldiers, motivated by a thirst for revenge for everything that happened, know this?
what did the Nazis do in the occupied territories of the USSR?

The first attempts to reconstruct the Reichstag were made only in 1954. Moreover, they were somewhat peculiar: due to the threat of collapse, the frame of the dome, the “trademark” of the Reichstag, was blown up.

After the construction of the infamous Berlin Wall in 1961, the Reichstag was located in West Berlin. And in the same year, the architect took up the reconstruction of the building Paul Baumgarten , through his efforts the German parliament was expanded and significantly restructured by 1969, however, Finishing work continued until 1973. The departure from the original Renaissance plan was that the building finally lost its dome, and the corner towers were shortened by several meters. As a result, the Reichstag began to resemble a kind of fortified castle.

Reichstag without dome:

Typically, before the unification of Germany, it was not possible to use the Reichstag for its intended purpose: the special status of West Berlin did not allow the Bundestag to be transferred there. This opportunity arose only in 1990, and in 1992 the Reichstag underwent another restructuring.

80 applicants took part in the competition for the reconstruction of the Reichstag, but it was won in 1995 by the famous English architect Norman Foster .

Modern Reichstag building:

In 1999, the Reichstag again acquired a glass dome inside which housed observation galleries. Now anyone can (by appointment, of course) watch the work of German parliamentarians if they are interested.

The new Reichstag dome is a typical example of Norman Foster's work:

Inside the Reichstag dome:

The most heated debates during the reconstruction of the 1990s were over the inscriptions left on the walls of the Reichstag by Soviet soldiers in May 1945 and the name of the new seat of the German parliament.

As a result, the inscriptions were preserved, preserved using a special technology - "as an example for posterity" .

Inscriptions of Soviet soldiers on (and in) the Reichstag:

And the name of the Reichstag remained the same.
Although there were many options - from the "Bundeshaus" to the "Plenary Sessions Building".
But the German authorities decided that the word “Reichstag” did not carry any negative connotations.
Perhaps they were right, because one should not forget one’s history, although I would argue about the “negative connotation.”

Thank you for attention.
Sergey Vorobiev.

However, it is inside the Reichstag that some inscriptions of Soviet soldiers still remain. Today, May 9, I propose to honor the memory of the victims and see what the main government building of modern Germany has now become

In 2008, when I first came to Berlin for half a day, I encountered a kilometer-long queue at the Reichstag, and even in the rain, we left with nothing. When I returned there in 2011, it turned out that you can only get inside the building by pre-registration via the Internet. In 2012, I supposedly signed up, but it turned out that the registration was only for a tour of the dome of the building. It turns out that you can visit the corridors of the Reichstag only by signing up for a tour, which is conducted only in German.
Late in the evening, March 4, we arrived on the excursion as part of a small group of Germans; we waited a very long time for the guide, who turned out to be terribly boring and even spoke rather incomprehensible (to me) German.
The excursion itself lasts one hour, and about half of this time you will stay in the meeting room, where they will talk for a long time about the procedure of these very meetings, the composition of the parties, the activities of the government... The lonely grandfather from the excursion will show political activity and ask the guide a lot of questions

And the guide spent only 5 minutes on the inscriptions of Soviet soldiers. During the total reconstruction of the building, it was planned to completely remove all the inscriptions, since the building was completely covered in them. But the Russian embassy demanded that the memory be left at least partially. As a result, the inscriptions fit quite harmoniously into the updated interior of the Reichstag

If someone says that the Germans are great and honor the memory so much, then I would not say that this is actually the case. The guide (by the way, a real employee of the Bundestag) expressed the general opinion that they should have been removed from the walls a long time ago, that no one needed them, and that in general there were Russian obscenities written there. People generally approve. I corrected him, kindly translating some of the inscriptions, which made Monsieur a little embarrassed, obviously not expecting to see a descendant of a Soviet soldier among the excursion group. My great-grandfather took part in the storming of Berlin as part of the 216th Infantry Regiment of the 47th Army. And although he did not take part in the battles for the Reichstag buildings, he left his autograph there afterwards, if only I knew where...

Apparently, sometimes Russians also come on the excursion, since some “fighter” tried not so long ago to leave his autograph there with a felt-tip pen, now there are surveillance cameras there

In fact, there are not many inscriptions left

By the way, I found some inscriptions from Anglo-American soldiers, apparently they managed to sign before they divided Berlin into sectors

There were bullet marks in some places, and there were bloody battles inside the building.

Unfortunately, you can’t walk freely everywhere; the excursion route is directed in a slightly different direction

We cross the underground bridge to the new Bundestag building

This part reminds me of the Senate from Star Wars. In fact, these are separate rooms where party members hold their closed meetings

By the way, these green men (not to be confused with the Crimean ones) on the stairs symbolize the laundering of these very inscriptions as a symbol of the rebirth of the new Germany. Well that's what we were told

We walk past the dome, a good night shot without a tripod

Conference room. I'm giving an interview


  1. The Reichstag building or Reichstag (Reichstagsgebäude (inf.) - “state assembly building”) - famous Historical building in Berlin, where the German state body of the same name, the Reichstag of the German Empire and the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic, met in 1894-1933, and since 1999 the Bundestag has been located.

    Story

    The building was designed by Frankfurt architect Paul Wallot in the Italian High Renaissance style.
    The foundation stone of the German parliament building was laid on June 9, 1884 by Kaiser Wilhelm I.
    Construction lasted ten years and was completed under Kaiser Wilhelm II.

  2. Inscriptions on the walls of the Reichstag. May, 1945.

    "The heart was still beating with the heat of battle,
    And silence had already entered the world,
    It's as if time has stopped here
    Suddenly not believing who the war was over.
    Under the arches of the charred vault,
    In some pristine silence,
    Soldiers of the greatest campaign
    They signed it right on the wall.
    The Reichstag ruin was breathing
    To all the fumes of the world battle,
    And it is more sonorous than any chorale
    A choir of names sang, growing like the surf.
    He sang, flying over fire and blood,
    Before the war, a defeated face,
    As if overshadowing the headboard
    The last dying soldiers.
    Everyone wrote their name openly,
    So that people of future times know,
    So that this feat, accomplished by all of them,
    Done in the name of humanity!"

    Nikolai Tikhonov.

  3. Reichstagsgebäude

    The Reichstag building in Berlin is a most interesting monument in every sense.
    Its walls remember as much as other houses and buildings do not “make money” for centuries.
    But he is only a century and a half old!

    History of construction

    The “Iron Chancellor” of Prussia and then Germany, Otto Bismarck, united the scattered German duchies and principalities into one, and, naturally, the question arose about where the government of the newly born state would sit. It was decided to build a building that would reflect the greatness and power of the new country.

    The place was quickly chosen: on Republic Square (then Kaiser Square), not far from the river, almost on its bank.
    But suddenly the Prussian diplomat and collector of Polish origin, Count Rachinsky, who owned the land, sharply opposed construction.
    The German government announced a competition for projects in the hope that the unyielding count would change his will: the Kaiser really did not want to take away the land by force.
    But this measure did not have any effect; construction was delayed for several more years, until the son of the now deceased Rachinsky sold the site for development.

    The first stone was laid in 1884 by William I, the first meeting of parliament took place 10 years later, when William II reigned.

    Architectural appearance

    The main idea of ​​the architectural project developed by Paul Wallot was simple: the new Germany, reflected in stone, was supposed to give the impression of strength, sovereignty and statehood.
    This style of architecture is called imperial. The architect deliberately “weighted” the building, making it massive, large, solid.

    The Reichstag is made in the shape of a square, in the corners of which there are four towers topped with the national flags of Germany. They symbolize the 4 German states, which became the basis for the unification of the country. In the center of the building there is a glass dome (it became such as a result of reconstruction after the Second World War, since the previous one was destroyed). Initially, Emperor Wilhelm did not like the dome very much, because it was taller than all the other domes in the city, and the Kaiser perceived this fact as an attack on the symbols of his power, but still gave in to the author of the project. Today the height of the dome is 75 meters; at the top there is an observation deck from which great view to the surrounding area.

    The central entrance is designed in the form of a solemn ancient Roman portal with 6 pairs of columns, above which there is a portico with a bas-relief depicting the triumph of a united Germany. On both sides of the portico there are carillon turrets - mechanical musical instrument, but today there are no bells on it, the instrument does not work.

    On the towers there are allegorical statues, symbolizing all aspects of life in the state: industry, Agriculture, army, art and so on. There are 16 of them in total. It is curious that among the statues there is an allegory of the brewing industry as the basis for the well-being of Germany and its people.

    On the portico, in addition to the bas-relief, there is the inscription “Dem deutsche Volke” (“To the German people”). The letters are cast from the tools of times Napoleonic wars. It appeared on the pediment in 1916.

    The interiors, also designed by Vallot, included the meeting rooms made of wood (mainly to increase acoustic effects), a lot of stucco, designed to copy the style of city decorations. administrative buildings XVI-XVII centuries: garlands, rosettes, bas-reliefs.

    The most unusual thing in the Reichstag building today is the dome. During the Second World War it was completely destroyed, and the building itself was severely damaged. After the war, it ended up in West Berlin (the parliament met in Bonn). Restoration of the historical monument began in the 60s, and work on the dome began in the 90s. The construction of the dome, designed by architect Foster, included its installation on the roof of the building, which was made of glass and concrete. It was a grandiose idea to implement: weighing 1200 tons, 23.5 m high and 38 m in diameter, the dome was not only a decoration, an observation deck, but also ventilation device, as well as a dimmer.

    There are two paths along the dome: one for ascending to the observation deck, the second for descending. In the center there is a structure of mirrors controlled by a computer. This is a giant funnel that provides ventilation to the plenary hall and regulates the flow of daylight depending on its brightness: the mirrors rotate at a certain angle and thus increase or decrease the illumination.

    Practical Germans provided environmentally friendly energy supply for the building. Part of it is supplied by thermal springs, part - solar panels. This is how the current owners of the building combined history and modern technology.

    History of the Reichstag

    At the beginning of its existence it was the building of the parliament, then of the Weimar Republic. The Nazis (they came to power legally through elections) did not move the work of parliament to another place.

    On the night of February 28, 1933, the Reichstag was damaged by fire. The symbol of the state was burning. The arson was blamed on the communists, and this served as the pretext for a large-scale wave of repression and terror unleashed by the Nazis. Dark times were beginning in Germany.

    They ended in 1945, when Berlin was captured by Soviet troops.

    One of the main characters in the film “Only Old Men Go to Battle” dreamed of leaving his painting on the Reichstag. The whole world has seen photographs of a dilapidated building with inscriptions on the walls left by such ordinary wars. It was like a victory over Nazi Germany: we signed the main building of the country, we won, fascism was destroyed.

    And the red banner of the Great Victory was also hoisted on the Reichstag, on the right turret of the carillon.
    What happened to these inscriptions after the war? It would seem that it would be natural for the defeated side to destroy even a hint of violated statehood.
    But no. Honor and praise to the Germans: they do not want to forget what their compatriots have done, they do not want the world to forget about the danger that fascism poses.
    And they left inscriptions. They are in the large meeting room, in some rooms, on the roof.
    From the steps of the destroyed Reichstag, Berliners addressed humanity: “Peoples of the world! Look at this city..." And don’t repeat our mistakes - I really want to continue this emotional appeal.
    Today you can come to the Reichstag on a tour by pre-registering on the website. This excursion will remain in the memory for a long time, because the Reichstag is not just a building, it is a living history.

    In the first weeks after the capture of the Reichstag, thousands of Soviet soldiers signed there.

    Story

    On the Reichstag the word "Vasya"
    (Right above the swastika-cross)
    All glowing with soldier's happiness,
    Knocked out the soldier with a bayonet.
    Well, you are clever, little soldier,
    Winner and hero!
    At the Reichstag taken by storm,
    Well, he included his autograph!
    Look, read, Europe,
    And America - dare
    Whose infantry took the Reichstag!?
    Who destroyed the "spider paradise"!?
    She walked here from the Volga in battles,
    She died, and again...
    She continued her long journey,
    To take the damned Reichstag!
    Here, read, Berlin, and remember,
    Remember in your heart - forever!
    In the conquered Reichstag
    Painting of a Russian bayonet!
    Name Vasya for all Vasya,
    What lies in the damp ground,
    On the wall of the Reichstag imperiously,
    Painted a soldier with a bayonet!

    (Masasin Mikhail Vasilievich)

    He signed on the wall

    He signed on the wall
    I, Ivanov N.N. from Penza
    And above, the lines, in the depths...
    Victory! Alive! And here is my monogram...

    I sat down by the wall and took out my pouch
    There was a smell of smoke above the soldier
    Hands were shaking... for so many years
    He went to Berlin for this date

    And how many roads there were
    And pain, and blood, and fear, and troubles
    Oh, how hard the threshold of war is
    How high is the price of Victory...

    All the snows of Moscow remember you
    The walls of Stalingrad remember you
    Where there is a backbone, you broke
    The enemy, in the crucible of terrible hell

    Odessa remembers you, and Kerch
    And Brest, and Kursk, and Rzhev and Prague
    War bloody creepy tornado
    Brought you to the lair of the Reichstag

    And the Volga cries, the Don cries
    Both the Dnieper and the Vistula echo
    And the bells are ringing
    And life is noisy with cheerful laughter...

    Soviet soldiers left many inscriptions on the walls of the Reichstag, some of which (including in the meeting room) were preserved and left during the restoration of the building.

    In 1947, by order of the Soviet commandant’s office, the inscriptions were “censored”, that is, inscriptions of an obscene nature were removed and several “ideologically consistent” ones were added.

    The issue of preserving the inscriptions on the Reichstag was raised in the 1990s during its reconstruction (with the initial stages of renovation revealing many inscriptions hidden by the previous restoration in the 1960s). By agreement of the President of the Bundestag R. Süssmuth (English) Russian. and ambassador Russian Federation in Germany in 1996, statements with obscene and racist content were removed and only 159 graffiti were left. In 2002, the question of removing the inscriptions was raised in the Bundestag, but the proposal was rejected by a majority vote. Most of surviving inscriptions of Soviet soldiers are in interior spaces Reichstag, now only accessible with a guided tour by appointment. At the top, on the right pediment on the inside, the inscription: “Astrakhan Makarov” is preserved.

    There are also traces of bullets on inside left pediment


    One of the walls with inscriptions left during the restoration of the Reichstag

    On September 9, 1948, during the blockade of Berlin, a rally was held in front of the Reichstag building, attracting over 350 thousand Berliners. Against the backdrop of the destroyed Reichstag with the now famous call to the world community “Peoples of the world... Look at this city!” Mayor Ernst Reiter addressed.

    The Berlin Wall, erected on August 13, 1961, was located in close proximity to the Reichstag building. It ended up in West Berlin. Subsequently, the building was restored and since 1973 it has been used for the exhibition of a historical exhibition and as a meeting room for the bodies and factions of the Bundestag.

    After the reunification of Germany on October 4, 1990, the day after the actual date of German unification, the first meeting of the first all-German Bundestag took place in the Reichstag. On June 20, 1991, the Bundestag in Bonn decided by 338 votes to 320 to move to Berlin to the Reichstag building. After a competition, the reconstruction of the Reichstag was entrusted to the English architect Lord Norman Foster. In May 1995, the Council of Elders of the Bundestag, after lengthy debate, decided to build a modern glass dome, inside which people can walk.

    Norman Foster managed to preserve the historical appearance of the Reichstag building and at the same time create premises for a modern parliament, open to to the outside world. The building is divided into levels based on the principle of transparency and expediency. The structures of the parliamentary secretariat are located in the basement and on the ground floor, as well as technical devices and life support systems. Above is the plenary level with big hall meetings, above which there is a level for visitors. Even higher is the presidium level, above it is the faction level and, finally, the roof terrace and the impressive dome of the building. The transparency of the building is ensured by modern building materials: lungs steel structures and large glass areas, decorative concrete, matte white or beige natural stone give the massive building a silvery tint. For orientation, the color concept of the Danish artist Per Arnoldi is used: the doors of each level are painted a certain color.

    Today the Reichstag building is one of Berlin's tourist attractions. Until November 2010, free access to the building's dome and the observation deck on the roof of the Bundestag was open, but tourists must first register on the Bundestag website. The German Bundestag is the most visited parliament in the world. Since the Bundestag moved to Berlin in 1999, over 13 million people from all over the world have visited the Reichstag building. For comparison: during the stay of the German Bundestag in Bonn in 1949-1997, about 11.5 million people visited it. After Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière declared an increased terrorist threat on November 17 due to the possibility of Islamists infiltrating Germany to carry out attacks on Christmas Day, the building was surrounded by temporary metal barriers and the dome was closed to tourists. Currently
    At this time, the dome is open to tourists by appointment on the Bundestag website.

How often it happens in life that you don’t know something, don’t notice something, don’t attach importance to something, and suddenly the moment comes when you seem to see the light.

Several years ago, my good friend, the German Ruth Walter, told me what an indelible impression a tour of the Reichstag building in Berlin made on her. No, it was not the building itself with its unusual architectural structures, not its scale, but just a few walls and niches of corridors with numerous inscriptions of Soviet soldiers, left there by them at the end of the war, in May 1945. When she showed me photographs of the Reichstag walls with inscriptions in Russian, there were tears in her eyes: “They fought not only for their Motherland, but for us too. By risking their lives, they gave us peace.” And I, in turn, was shocked not so much by the fact of the inscriptions left, but by the way a German woman who survived the war spoke about it.



Then I forgot about it, there were things to do, work and many other things that seemed more important at that time. But a few years later, a series of events brought me back to this topic, and I met Karin Felix, an employee of the Reichstag.

Karin is an amazing person. She knows by heart almost everything that is written on the walls of the Reichstag. He can tell with accuracy where this or that surname is located. For her, these are not just inscriptions. Behind every name, behind every phrase, she sees a soldier, a man who had to endure God knows what in those terrible years of the war. She told me and provided materials about several veterans who, after the war, visited Berlin, visited the Reichstag building and found their names there.

The first Soviet soldier to find his signature was Boris Sapunov in 2001. The then President of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Thierse, ordered this case, the first at that time, to be documented in the Reichstag archives.
Today Boris Sapunov, Karin Felix’s “Russian dad” as she calls him, is eighty-eight years old. He is a doctor historical sciences, chief researcher at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

On April 2, 2004, Boris Zolotarevsky found his signature. At the age of 15 he went to the front, at 17 he reached the Reichstag, became an engineer and now lives in Israel. In his letter to Karin Felix he wrote:

“My recent visit to the Bundestag made such a strong impression on me that I did not find the right words to express my feelings and thoughts.
I am very touched by the tact and aesthetic taste with which Germany preserved the autographs of Soviet soldiers on the walls of the Reichstag in memory of the war, which became a tragedy for many peoples...
... It was a very exciting surprise for me to be able to see my autograph and the autographs of my friends Matyash, Shpakov, Fortel and Kvasha, lovingly preserved on the former smoky walls of the Reichstag.
With deep gratitude and respect
B. Zolotarevsky"

Lyudmila Nosova visited Berlin in April 2005, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the liberation from concentration camp. She came with a group of women from Ukraine who had survived Ravensbrück. She is over eighty, she is disabled, and uses a wheelchair.

During a visit to the Reichstag, she found herself near the wall of the northern wing of the building on the first floor and told Karin Felix that her husband had also signed there. During the storming of the Reichstag, he, Alexei Nosov, was barely nineteen. After some searching, Karin Felix was able to show the widow his name. In capital letters, “Nosov” was written on the wall in Cyrillic.

In December 2008, when I visited the Bundestag myself and saw these inscriptions, they made a huge impression on me. But I was even more impressed by Karin Felix’s attitude towards these inscriptions and towards our veterans who visit there. With tenderness and words of gratitude, she shakes hands with each of them.

“Thank you for what you did for us. Thank you that we can live peacefully", she tells them in Russian.

Communication with Ruth Walter and Karin Felix, their attitude towards autographs on the walls of the Reichstag, could not leave me indifferent. Having taken photographs of the walls on which the inscriptions were preserved, I compiled a list of all readable names and phrases. There are more than 300 of them.


This is a historically unique memory of the soldiers and officers of the Soviet army who reached Berlin itself. Unfortunately, many of these soldiers may never have known that their names on the Reichstag were preserved and still read 65 years later. Others do not know about it simply due to lack of information. After all, you can see these autographs only by visiting the Reichstag building itself.

Now I am compiling a catalog with the names of soldiers in Russian and German. I am collecting materials about those who have already found their last names or the last names of their relatives.
Perhaps one of the readers will recognize someone's name and respond. Then the catalog of victorious soldiers who reached Berlin and endorsed the Victory with their autographs on the walls of the Reichstag will be replenished with new stories.

So, here is a list of inscriptions.

Kasyanov
Boris T.
Stalingrad

May 9, 1945 Stalingraders in Berlin!!!
Captain Chistyakov
captain Rubtsov P.A.
l-t. Cherk(a) (G)
l-t. Gabidulin
l-t. Less(in)
serge. Popov
serge. Serk(p)ov
serge. Mukhin

Chekanov Ivan
......................
Stalingrad

Stalingraders
Shpakov P.
Matyash
Zolotarevsky

Stalingrad-Berlin
captain
Shahray

Was here
Leonov Ivan Borisovich
Stalingrad
.............
...................
Write


Stalingraders Popov, Dushkova,
9.5.45

Moscow - Berlin
Z.N. P.S. Sokolov

Yufa from Moscow

Romashkov
Moscow

Schumann N.K.
Moscow

Moscow - Smolensk - Berlin gvr. Mukhin A. A. born 1923
9/V 45

Moscow - Kaluga
Erokhin V. Kalinin S.P.

Moscow Kantselyarsky 30.5.45

Moscow
Pokhodaev
Remanchikov
Modzhitov
Kesey...
10-06-45

Pavlov P(?) N.
Moscow-Berlin and back Berlin-Moscow

There was a guy from Kuskov - Mezentsev D.A. (?)

Moscow-Berlin passed way l-t(K?)avid.....in

Was here on 9/V 45.
from Leningrad Chi(e)(a)lkov, Valens
Alex

They paid in full for Leningrad
Sapozhkov I.
...yechishin

Panfilov (Tikhvin)
2-5-45 Leningrad 2-5-45
Koso(u)rov Yudichev Beskrovny

Leningrad-Berlin
Pogrosyan Ivan.....
13.5.45

Glory to the Stormtroopers

2 -ml- sergeant. Nadtafov Baku

4 Sgt. Tatarkin Kursk

The Slav brothers paid in full for Leningrad Maksimov I.G.

There was a guard here - .............
Ba(o)la(o)banov
Leningrad - Berlin

Vyborg - Berlin
Prilutsky

Glory to Stalin
to his officers and soldiers
Romashenko(?) Boyko
Kyiv.... 45

Kyiv May 13
Dvorn... V.T.

Tula - Bochkov
Kyiv - Fedorov

Donbass
Todorov V. A.(?)

Donbass-Koshik
Gradina.. in Poltava region
G.K. Pereverzev Kursk

Demin
from Kharkov

Kharkov Nosik

Zaitsev Grigory is here
Kharkov - Berlin

Saratov-Berlin Faki.. 9/5

Berlin May 31, 1945
Odessa resident Pechkin G.
Leningradets Zhitmarev
visited the ruins of Berlin and were very pleased

Odessa - Berlin Greenberg

Varvarov V.A.
Radiation beam

(N)ebchenko from Ukraine

Dnepropetrovsk
Sher(e)(s)tyukov A(?)

Dnepropetrovsk
Pototsky

Chkalov
Timokhin
24.5.45 Krivoy Rog-Ordzhinikidze-Berlin
Girol M.L(?)

Levi
Michael)
Kerch

Lida Antonova, Yalta

Constipated...
Musya


Shutyaev V.V.F. from Kursk


Brest-Lutsk-Lvov-Berlin 5/V
Serge Popov A.V.

Belarusian Vankevets K.L. was here.

Tokin Vasil Gomel

Nersesyan N.G.
3.5.45
Yerevan

I'm also from Yerevan
Komsomol member

Grozny
Khrustalev

Caucasus-Berlin
Torasenko Konstantin Fedotovich

There were.....
Akhvetsiani - Caucasus

Andreev
Caucasus+Berlin

Sokolov Yalda
Caucasus

Caucasus Berlin Reistakh Malchenko
Ivan

Burrs. Grozny-Berlin

Caucasus - Chityan

Major Likhnenko's signalmen were here
Caucasus - Sochi - Warsaw - Berlin - Elbe

Came from the Caucasus

Mago Aliev from Kislovodsk

N.T.
Dolzhenko.Vladimir
Nalchik

Tbilisi - Berlin
Kolesnikov

Margirut
Tehran-Baku-Berlin

Glory to the Stormtroopers
1- ml - Lieutenant Ivanov E. Leningrad
2 -ml- sergeant. Nadtafov Baku
3 - ......Mar(she)inenko.... Priluk.
4 Sgt. Tatarkin Kursk

Dzhilinbaev A.
Almaty - Berlin
Savelyev

Simono(?) from Tataria

G. Mary Kobee

Masharipov(?) from Turkmenistan 6/5 45

Salsk
Berlin
Taek...
Fedor...
Rostov
Rosino...

From the Artyom Mine to Berlin
Vinokurova T.V.

More
Klimenko
Rostov

There were Siberians
Borisenko P.F.
Fidoseev S.N.

Sidor(?)enko(?)
g. ..... Siberia

Kvashnin
Siberia

T.A. was here. Zhuko....
from Altai

Chita
Radishevsky
9/v 45

Novosibirsk-Kharkov-Odessa
Lieutenant Colonel Cool...
22/V 45

Military railway workers from Khabarovsk to Berlin
1. Stuzhnev
2. Additional(n)ov
3. Ermolenko
4. Sounds
(1)6.5.45

We were here from Orel
Gaponov
Kanichev
Savoy

Toropov
from Orel to Berlin

Golubev A.A. - Kalinin

Streltsova - Ural
Burobina - (?)Kazan(?)

Mordovia
Abramov(?)

Tuapse-Berlin
Kod(l)onsky B.Yu.

1949 (painted)

Omsk
Berlin
Shvets

Taraburin Gorky

Satarov was here
Gorky

Astrakhan
Shevele(v) P.A.(?) May 20

Zaitsev Grigory is here
Kharkov - Berlin
Saratov-Berlin Faki... 9/5

Today, 21-5-48, we were here again: Laptev Yu.A. from Sverdlovsk
Shutyaev V.V.F. from Kursk

Reports about the Reichstag. PartIII

Parliament belongs to the people. “Dem deutschen Volke” - “To the German people,” is written above the entrance to the Reichstag in Berlin. Architect Paul Wallot wanted to place this kind of dedicatory inscription back in 1894, for the opening of the imperial parliament building on its facade, but encountered resistance from the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. He did not like the mention of “the people” in this context.

The site designated for the dedication remained empty for more than ten years. Only at the height of the First World War, when in 1916 the deputies from the Social Democratic Party agreed to vote for war loans, and Germany was already pretty tired of the war, did the Kaiser decide to respond with a broad gesture. The letters were cast in a calligraphic font that was fashionable at the time, a unical from bronze of two French cannons taken during the liberation wars of 1813-1815.

From 1894 to 1918, the Imperial Parliament of Kaiser Germany worked in the Reichstag building in Berlin, and then, until the fire of 1933, the parliament of the Weimar Republic, from whose window it was once proclaimed. The building was destined to become the seat of parliament again only in 1999.

The original letters are still on the façade of the Reichstag - silent witnesses to the arson of 1933, the rise of the National Socialists to power, and the holding of anti-Semitic and anti-communist exhibitions in the damaged building such as “The Eternal Jew” (“Der ewige Jude”) or “Bolshevism without a mask” ( "Bolschewismus ohne Maske"). Later, models of “Germany” (“Welthauptstadt Germania”) were demonstrated here - the new “capital of the world”, which his court architect Albert Speer was going to build on the site of Berlin, by order of Adolf Hitler.

The Reichstag arson served as a formal pretext for the reprisal against the opposition and the seizure of power by the National Socialists, and its circumstances have not yet been fully investigated. Hitler blamed the arson on the communists, and the communists blamed Hitler. During the fire, the Reichstag meeting hall was almost completely burned out. The next one-party “parliament” (we need to put quotation marks here), which included exclusively deputies from the NSDAP, held its meetings in the Krolloper near the Brandenburg Gate. Berliners sarcastically called this operetta “parliament” “the highest paid male choir in the world” (“höchstbezahlter Männergesangsverein”).

Interesting fact. During the search for a site for the construction of the Reichstag, which took more than ten years after the corresponding decision was made in 1871 (we talked about this in the previous part of the report), deputies were offered to purchase the Kroll Opera and build a building in its place. They put the issue to a vote several times, but invariably rejected this option. The deputies did not want the Kaiser's parliament building to stand on the site of a former entertainment venue...

From 1933 to 1942, the Nazi Reichstag met for its propaganda and demonstrative meetings only 19 times - including on September 15, 1935 for a visiting session in the “city of NSDAP party congresses” Nuremberg to vote on the “racial laws” that marked the beginning of mass destruction European Jews.

Video: Inscriptions of Soviet soldiers

During the Second World War, the windows of the Reichstag, which did not play any role in the system of architectural and ideological symbols of the National Socialist dictatorship, were walled up. In some of its premises, AEG established the production of radio tubes, in others they housed a military hospital and the obstetric department of the Berlin Charité clinic.

During the first post-war decade, the building, located in the western part of Berlin, was in a dilapidated state. In 1954, due to the threat of collapse, the remains of the dome were blown up, although, according to some architects, without much need. Soon they decided to carry out renovations, but in the conditions of divided Germany it was not clear for what purpose the Reichstag building would be used.

Repair work dragged on until 1973. The West German architect Paul Baumgarten, who won the competition, refused to restore the dome, and also, in keeping with the pragmatic spirit of the 60s, removed many carved and plaster decorations in the neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque styles, citing the fact that they were already suffered greatly during the war and gradually collapsed after it.

Inscriptions in Russian

The walls inside were lined with white panels, under which traces of battles were hidden, as well as the autographs of Soviet soldiers, thus - willingly or unwillingly - preserving them for the future. The former conference hall, which burned down in 1933, was restored, with the expectation of German reunification, so that there was enough space for all deputies. In some rooms there was a historical exhibition telling about the history of the building.

In 1971, the victorious powers adopted a new Quadrilateral Agreement on West Berlin (Viermächteabkommen über Berlin) on the status of this part of the divided city. During the period of detente Soviet Union, the US, UK and France agreed that West Berlin is not integral part Germany, but the Federal Republic of Germany received the right to represent its interests in the international arena if they did not affect strategic and security issues.

This agreement prevented plans to hold some plenary sessions of the Bundestag in West Berlin. True, faction meetings and commission hearings were sometimes held in the renovated Reichstag building, to which deputies flew from Bonn. But these events were rather symbolic in nature: they demonstrated Germany’s desire to unite the country.

German reunification

One of the most significant events in modern times German history happened near the Reichstag building on October 3, 1990. At midnight, the black, red and gold flag of a united Germany was raised on the flagpole in front of the western portal. It was on this day, less than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, that the formal legal reunification of the country took place. Newsreel footage shows the steps of the Reichstag illuminated by floodlights. Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his wife surrounded by German politicians. A mass of thousands of people in the dark sings the national anthem about unity, justice and freedom: “Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit...”

During the renovation of the building in 1995-1999, before the German capital moved from Bonn to Berlin, almost all of the changes made by Baumgarten were corrected, focusing on Wallot's original plans. But the reconstruction, of course, did not pursue the goal of restoring the Reichstag to its previous form. Preserving traces of history was one of the conditions of an open international competition, which was won by British architect Norman Foster.

Visitors and deputies are reminded of the capture of the Reichstag in 1945 by inscriptions made by Red Army soldiers. Now, thanks to special restoration technology, they look as if they appeared just yesterday. All the soldiers' autographs found on the walls after the "Baumgarten" cladding was removed were first recorded in photographs and then transferred to German.

Some of the inscriptions were left for viewing, some had to be removed under plaster, but in such a way as to preserve them, that is, preserve them. The inscriptions containing obscene words and obscenities were removed, having previously agreed with Russian diplomats.

During tours of the building, guides like to repeat the story about the first deputies who entered the Reichstag after the parliament moved from Bonn to Berlin. One of them, seeing the autographs of Soviet soldiers, thought that these were fresh traces left by some hooligans in the newly renovated premises. The deputy called the parliamentary affairs office to tell him about this blatant disgrace, but they explained to him the origin and meaning of these inscriptions. Let us note that not all deputies liked the idea of ​​preserving historical reminders, but they did not receive support.

See also:
History of the Brandenburg Gate

    Symbol of unity

    Until the mid-19th century, Berlin was surrounded by a city customs wall. It was possible to enter its territory through eighteen gates, which were later dismantled, with the exception of one and only one. Today they are the most popular landmark of the German capital and an architectural symbol of a united Germany.

    "Athens on the Spree"

    This is what the place looked like in 1764. About a quarter of a century later, the Prussian king Frederick William II ordered the construction of a new gate here. Architect Karl Gotthard Langhans prepared a project in the style of classicism, taking as a role model the antique gate that formed the entrance to the Acropolis. Berlin at that time was the center cultural life Europe and it was even called “Athens on the Spree”.

    Gate of Peace

    Construction of the gate was completed in August 1791. In 1793, a quadriga was installed on them, which is now ruled by the goddess of victory Victoria. But initially this place on the Gate of Peace (Friedenstor), as they were then called, was occupied by Eirene, the daughter of Zeus, the goddess of peace in ancient Greek mythology. The design of a triumphal chariot drawn by four horses was developed by the sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow.

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    Triumphant return

    In 1814, after the defeat of Napoleon's troops by a coalition led by Russia and Prussia, the quadriga was solemnly returned from Paris to Berlin. Gate purchased new look. They became the Prussian triumphal arch. The author of the project was the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Quadriga was now ruled not by the goddess of peace, but by the goddess of victory Victoria, who received an iron cross and a wreath of oak leaves as a reward.

    Nazi propaganda

    During the Third Reich, the National Socialists used the Brandenburg Gate for their propaganda. Immediately after Hitler seized power in January 1933, they staged a torchlight procession here. Berlin was to become the "Capital of the World". Plans for the creation of "Germany" included the construction of a new gigantic triumphal arch, the demolition of entire neighborhoods, but not the Brandenburg Gate.

    After the war

    During the bombing of World War II and the capture of Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate was seriously damaged. In a divided city, they found themselves in the Soviet occupation zone. Until 1957, the flag of the USSR flew over them, and then the GDR. The Quadriga was completely destroyed. All that was left was the head of one of the horses. Now it is in the museum.

    Reconstruction

    The sculpture had to be restored. IN this issue East and West Berlin, despite the political confrontation, agreed to cooperate. For this purpose, they used casts made during the war shortly before the start of the massive bombing of Berlin. An exact copy of the quadriga was installed in 1957. However, soon the GDR authorities made adjustments: they removed the cross and the Prussian eagle.

    No Man's Land

    On August 13, 1961, construction of the wall began. As a result, the Brandenburg Gate found itself in a restricted area between East and West Berlin. The wall passed right in front of them. Only East German border guards now had access here, and these historical gates themselves became a symbol of the division of Germany.

    "Tear down this Wall!"

    The speech that US President Ronald Reagan delivered here on June 12, 1987 went down in history. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!” he called on the Soviet leader. “Open these gates!” Reagan's words, amplified by powerful speakers, were heard throughout East Berlin. Back then no one knew what would happen in just two years.

    Fall of the Belin Wall

    Immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, thousands of people went to the Brandenburg Gate to celebrate the event. The symbol of the division of Germany became a symbol of the reunification of the country.

    Meeting point

    Today, the Brandenburg Gate is not only a popular attraction, but also a place for concerts, celebrations, and demonstrations. In 2006, during the world football championship in Germany, the so-called mile for fans was held for the first time - a multi-day celebration of fans with live broadcasts of matches on giant screens.

    Solidarity

    Every autumn, Berlin hosts the Festival of Lights, which includes the Brandenburg Gate. They also become a place of expression of solidarity after terrorist attacks and other emergencies. This photo was taken in June 2016 after an attack on a gay club in the American city of Orlando.

    Hanukkah

    The 10-meter Hanukkah was installed in front of the Brandenburg Gate in December 2015. According to the traditions of Judaism, the candles of this lamp are lit during the eight days of Hanukkah. The ceremony was attended by the German Government Commissioner for Culture and Media Monika Grutters. Currently, about 12 thousand Jews live in the German capital.

    Symbol

    The Brandenburg Gate is a monument to European and German history, witnesses to numerous wars and a symbol of hope. "Frieden" - "Peace". This light installation could be seen on the Brandenburg Gate in 2014 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.