A victory banner was raised today on Mount Akhun in Sochi while commemorative relay races and marathons were held in several regions. On May 1st, 1945, the symbol of victory over fascism was hoisted over the Reichstag's dome. 80,000 Soviet soldiers died in the battle for Berlin's capitol building.
Aleksandr Rudenko reports with details.
Of course, the real Victory Banner isn't brought out during the rehearsals or at the Victory Parade. The original one is stored in a museum; this is just a near identical replica. The soldiers even imitated the bullet holes from when it was hoisted over the Reichstag. But, even the replica is treated reverentially. These soldiers from the Silent Drill Platoon take enormous care of the relic. They practice bringing out the banners for a month on the Alabino training grounds. The honor of carrying the banner was granted to Aleksey, a contract soldier from Tatarstan.
Aleksey Fokeev, Commander of the Silent Drill Platoon: Moscow, Red Square, I could never have imagined it.
- Was this your dream?
- Yes, and dreams really do come true.
The original Victory Banner is now in the Armed Forces Museum. Special temperature and lighting are required for proper storage. The red satin selected by the Soviet Army 73 years ago turned out to be a delicate fabric. In May 1945, they had no time to think about durability. They had to follow Zhukov's orders to hoist the Banner over the Reichstag on May 1st.
This exhibition view on Poklonnaya Hill shows how tense the battles near the Reichstag were, full of dust, dirt, and the explosions of bomb and mines. Over 80,000 Soviet soldiers died before the last house of war was seized, that same house where Yegorov, Berest, and Kantaria had set up the Victory Banner, the symbol of victory over fascist Germany.
There are no pictures of the actual hoisting in the archives. This picture is considered the first one taken after the seizure of the Reichstag. The flag on the dome only appeared a day after, on May 2nd. Before that, it was set up at the gable. The picture was retouched by the artists who had added the Banner. This reenactment was filmed on May 3rd. Kovalyov, Ismailov, and Gorichev, the soldiers of the 8th Guards Army are hoisting the Banner. There were also flags from Provotorov, Bulatov, and Koshkarbayev. By May 2nd, 1945, over 40 flags were waving over the Reichstag.
Tatyana Neustroeva: "This is my grandpa in the front, firing a Mauser".
Tatyana Neustroeva is the daughter of the commander who sent Yegorov, Kantaria, and Berest to hoist the Banner. Stepan Neustroev, just like his subordinates, was only awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title on May 8th, 1946. The Central Board spent a year deciding whom to honor first.
Tatyana Neustroyeva, Stepan Neustroyev's daughter: "They're all heroes to me, even those who had no awards, all of our people, whether they served stateside or fought the battles. One of my dad's friends died on steps to the Reichstag. They went through the whole war together, but he died on the steps to the Reichstag. My father dealt with this loss for a long time".
Streets were named after them, memorials were built, and books were written in their memories. Time didn't erase the names of those who seized the Reichstag. Over 40 banners made history that day, but it was Yegorov's and Kantaria's red flag that had forever become the symbol of victory.
Aleksandr Rudenko, Ivan Ponomarenko, Andrey Grishnev, Oleg Dubinin, Egor Pushuev, Vesti.
