Ruined Berlin in Valery Faminsky’s eyes (II)
February 24, 2019
Second part of the pictures taken by Soviet war photographer Valery Faminsky (1914–1993) during the Fall of Nazi Berlin in May 1945.
[Major S L Rogatchevsky, a Soviet medical officer, poses next to a propaganda slogan painted on a wall by SS members during the battle that reads: ‘Berlin stays German!’. Possibly located at Einbecker Straße.]
[Three ‘Ivans’ smile to camera with the Siegessäule column as a trophy background.]
[Soviet troops with a heavy tank IS-2 with Gen Albrecht Graf von Roon’s statue behind at Großer Stern, Straße des 17. Juni.]
[The new conquerors of the German capital began their domain over the city, here we see the reading of the surrender in the streets, 8 May 1945.]
[A group of Russian officers and soldiers at Oberbaumbrücke.]
[A view of Falckensteinstraße after the war.]
[A Soviet officer posing for a snapshot next to the Siegessäule am Charlottenburger Chaussee, heute Straße des 17. Juni.]
[The same officer stands in front of the ruined structure of Alexanderplatz Bahnhof.]
[Another Soviet officer poses in front of one of the lion statues at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Nationaldenkmals. Notice bullet damage on the lion’s pedestal and the destroyed Dom at extreme left.]
[More Soviet soldiers at the Kaiser-Wilhelm monument.]
[A portrait of two soldiers at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Nationaldenkmals vor dem Stadtschloss near the Spree river. See at center of the image the Zeughaus building; out of picture at far left would be the Bauakademie (Building Academy) (info thanks to Jürgen Raddatz).]
[Three Red Army members stands at Ebertstraße, posing in front of the remains of the destroyed Brandenburger Tor.]
[A German FlaK 37/41 AA gun used as an anti-tank weapon in front of the Reichstag. Note that the barrel gun has been destroyed.]
[Unloading a wounded soldier at the field hospital at Friedrichstraße-Ritterstraße.]
[Soviet troops salutes their Red banner during a victory parade at Scheidemnanstraße, Platz der Republik, outside of the destroyed Reichstag on 20 May 1945.]
[Russian soldiers playing a captured piano in Berlin streets.]
[Berlin, Alexanderplatz, the Georgenkirche can be seen in the background of the photo.]
All photos: © Valery Faminsky, Arthur Bondar’s private collection. Berlin, May 1945.
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