Soviet Memorial Treptow

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Located in Berlin’s Treptower Park, the Soviet Memorial was designed by architect Yakov Belopolsky in order to remember the Soviet soldiers who were killed in the 1945 Battle of Berlin.

About Soviet Memorial Treptow

The beautiful Treptower Park just south of Berlin’s city centre is home to Germany’s largest Soviet memorial, a solemn and moving site, which serves to both commemorate those lost in the Battle of Berlin, and house a cemetery for 5,000 of the fallen soldiers.

History of Soviet Memorial Treptow

Near to the river Spree, the park is a popular visiting spot due to its natural beauty and historical importance. The memorial is one of three anti-Fascist structures that were created after World War II and erected throughout Berlin.

Taking place between April and May of 1945, the Battle of Berlin was an especially important time in WWII as it marked the final notable battle of the European offensive on the Eastern Front, which began with the invasion of Poland in 1939.

Due to a number of Soviet advances, Berlin was surrounded by Red Army soldiers and the city was heavily shelled, before soldiers swept through the city and ultimately defeated the city’s defenders. The German soldiers were poorly equipped and the battle was the final tipping point of their demise, as it led to the suicide of Adolf Hitler and many other prominent government officials, as well as the end of Nazi resistance.

Opened four years after the end of the war and constructed primarily from granite, the memorial is made up of a number of frescos depicting the events of WWII. Atop the mausoleum stands a soldier holding a child, standing on top of a broken swastika.

At the forefront of the memorial is a statue of a woman, signifying the ‘motherland’. It stands as a poignant tribute to the soldiers of the Red Army that were killed.