#OTD 1945 Soviet Memorial in #Berlin's #Tiergarten was unveiled. Des. by Nikolai Sergievski, it's crowned with an 8m tall statue of a Soviet soldier by Lev #Kerbel & Vladimir #Ziegal. As the memorial wasn't ready yet, the statue was only added 1946: a plaster cast was used 1945.

The memorial's location in Western Allies' sector was a consequence of Gen. Zhukov's decision to build it before the site was passed onto the Brits. It was raised almost exactly where Hitler's planned East-West- & North-South-Axis were to cross & bang in the middle of the latter.

North-South-Axis was planned as "Siegessallee des III. Reiches" (Victory Av.) & would've replaced Wilhelminian "Victory Avenue of the 2nd Reich". The Soviet Memorial literally & symbolically blocked the passage.

The Memorial with 2 T-34 tanks (said to have been 1st to enter #Berlin 1945) honours fallen #RedArmy soldiers who helped take #Berlin. 2.5k of them are buried directly behind the memorial. Over 21,000 rest in Treptower Park & Schönholzer Heide where 2 other Berlin memorials are.

Photo of the #Tiergarten #SovietMemorial taken in 1946 showing the still unfinished construction (they would continue until Nov that year). Via #Pinterest.