Soviet Who put the russian flag on the Reichstag?

[Gerd Becker]

Hi everyone,

i heard in a documentary, that Stalin promised, that the first man, who sticks the soviet flag on the Reichstag, will become Hero of the Soviet Union. Did this man really became HSU and who was it?

Thanks in advance

Gerd

[Paul R]

Hi everyone,

i heard in a documentary, that Stalin promised, that the first man, who sticks the soviet flag on the Reichstag, will become Hero of the Soviet Union. Did this man really became HSU and who was it?

Thanks in advance

Gerd

There seems to be some confusion on the matter... This information comes from the Wikipedia site.

"just read the article on the Reichstag and noticed that you wrote the passage on the red flag saying it was staged and stuff. I checked with modern Russian sources and they say that the daytime attack on the Reichstag began on April 30, 1945. Indeed, a couple of them say that the attack was unsuccessful, however, most of them say that it did happen and soldiers V.Provotorov and G.Bulatov attached the flag to the pediment at 2:25 pm on April 30. Bulatov's awarding ceremony has been documented (order No.0121/н from June 8, 1945). The sources then say that soldiers M.A.Yegorov and M.V.Kantariya placed the flag on the cupola of the Reichstag at 9:50 pm on April 30 (looks like a few hours later). Some sources say that by early morning of May 1, the flag had already been there. I just wanted to know your opinion on all of this. KNewman 16:28, Dec 14, 2004" (UTC)

[Paul R]

Here is another website that gets pretty in depth...

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/su%5Evctry.html

[Alfred]

Hello Gerd,

yes the soviet soldier who put the red flag over the Reichstag got Hero of the Soviet Union.

But the famous movie clip, how they put the red flag over the Reichstag, was filmed a few days later.

The soldier who put the red flag in the film over the Reichstag is not the same, who put the flag in real on

the Reichstag.

So the "film soldier" got quite known, and the real one forgotten.

A short period ago, the Bundestag (parliament) invited the real soldier to Berlin. There was an article about

him in the newspaper. But I was so stupid to throw the article in the dust bin.

best regards

Andreas

[Paul R]

Hello Gerd,

yes the soviet soldier who put the red flag over the Reichstag got Hero of the Soviet Union.

But the famous movie clip, how they put the red flag over the Reichstag, was filmed a few days later.

The soldier who put the red flag in the film over the Reichstag is not the same, who put the flag in real on

the Reichstag.

So the "film soldier" got quite known, and the real one forgotten.

A short period ago, the Bundestag (parliament) invited the real soldier to Berlin. There was an article about

him in the newspaper. But I was so stupid to throw the article in the dust bin.

best regards

Andreas

Did original flag raiser receive the title of Hero, or did the film soldier get the destinction?

Paul

[ehrentitle]

According to Marshal Zhukov's autobiography, Reminiscences and Reflections, Progress Publishers, Moscow, English edition 1985, "At 9:50 a.m on April 30 Sergeant M.A. Yegorov and Junior Sergeant M.V. Kantarina hoisted the victory flag received from the Army Military Council on the main cupola of the Reishtag."

Edited October 30, 2005 by ehrentitle

[Alfred]

Paul,

the original flag raiser receive the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

regards

Andreas

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks guys.

best,

Gerd

Edited October 30, 2005 by Gerd Becker

[Gerd Becker]

According to Marshal Zhukov's autobiography, Reminiscences and Reflections, Progress Publishers, Moscow, English edition 1985, "At 9:50 a.m on April 30 Sergeant M.A. Yegorov and Junior Sergeant M.V. Kantarina hoisted the victory flag received from the Army Military Counsil on the main cupola of the Reishtag."

Thank you. So that comfirmes the story in post # 2.

[ehrentitle]

Thank you. So that comfirmes the story in post # 2.

Yes, It is also interesting to note that Zhukov indicates that the three battalions that assaulted the Reichstag were commanded by a Major, a Captain and a Senior Lieutenant. I guess losses were so great that these were amoung the few remaining officer left alive and not suffering from serious wounds. Kevin

Edited October 30, 2005 by ehrentitle

[Gerd Becker]

Yes, It is also interesting to note that Zhukov indicates that the three battalions that assaulted the Reichstag were commanded by a Major, a Captain and a Senior Lieutenant. I guess losses were so great that these were amoung the few remaining officer left alive and not suffering from serious wounds. Ehrentitle

Thanks again. Great info.

best,

Gerd

[ehrentitle]

Thanks again. Great info.

best,

Gerd

No problem. I had several opportunities to visit the Reichstag in the late 80's when I was stationed in Berlin and it was still a museum. It would be a massive and intemidating building to assault, ideal for urban defense. The building had been painstakingly restored, but you could still see those places where it had been damaged by shellfire and gunfire. In places they also left the graffiti of the Soviet solider which had occupied it. Kevin

Edited October 30, 2005 by ehrentitle

[Paul R]

Gerd,

Thank you for starting this interesting thread!

PAul

[ehrentitle]

The irony is that the Reichstag was more of a Soviet symbolic rather than purely military objective. It had stood unocuppied since the Reichstag fire of 1933. Kevin

[Gerd Becker]

The irony is that the Reichstag was more of a Soviet symbolic rather than purely military objective. It had stood unocuppied since the Reichstag fire of 1933. Kevin

Kevin, i visited the Reichstag in the 80ies as a scholar and unfortunately my interest for the Wars only started much later, so i didn?t see it from that position, but you are right, its a huge and massive building, ideal for defense. There must have been heavy fightings, before they reached the roof to raise the flag.

The documentary says, when the footage for the flagraising was filmed, in and 700m around the Reichstag there were still fights ongoing. On the 30. April 1945 13.00 the storm on the Reichstag started and at 22.50 they raised the "Victory Banner Nr. 5" on the roof. And of course you are right, it was THE symbol at all for the russians.

Paul, you are welcome. I am very thankful for the info myself.

best,

Gerd

[NavyFCO]

Back about 5 years ago, a Soviet awards dealer sold the Glory Cavalier group to one of the flag raisers on the Reichstag. I believe the group sold for something in the vicinity of $5000 - an amazing amount of money for a Soviet group back then!

Dave

[David Gregory]

What a coincidence. I had lunch at Restaurant K?fer on the roof of the Reichstag building on Saturday and enjoyed a very good guided tour of the building in the late afternoon and early evening.

The restoration of the complex amounts to a completely new building by architect Lord Norman Foster within the shell that was left more or less untouched by the post-war refit and exhibition on Germany German history.

In one corridor where a lot of originaly Russian graffiti can be seen there is an information panel showing stills from the flag newsreel film.

If anyone is planning to visit the Reichstag, register for a tour in advance (like we did) and you can skip the queues to save time.

It is an impressive chunk of German history and well worth seeing.

/David

[Christophe]

(...)

In one corridor where a lot of originaly Russian graffiti can be seen there is an information panel showing stills from the flag newsreel film.

(...)

/David

Hi David,

I also visited it... and I agree it is well worth seeing it.

About the graffitis, a very nice book has been published :

"The Reichstag Graffiti / Die Reichstag-Graffiti", by Norman Foster, Frederick Baker and Deborah Lipstadt, published by Jovis in 2003.

A really nice hardback book (now quite difficult to find) with a lot of photographs of 1945, and the exact location of all the Soviet graffiti remaining (all pictured during the renovation of the Reichstag / Bundestag).

I recommand it.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks again everyone.

Dave, i guess, today it would bring easily the double or maybe even the triple amount of that, as there are more wealthy interested parties.

Guys, on my next visit to Berlin, i will definately include the Reichstag. Of course i will make a lot of pictures then.

best,

Gerd

[Bryan]

I ever wonder if this flag is displayed in a museum or it disappeared?

[Christophe]

This flag is now at the Central Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow.

There is a copy of it in the German History Museum in Berlin.

Ch.