70 years ago, on May 8, 1949, the Military Memorial dedicated to the Red Army soldiers who fell in the battles for Berlin at the end of World War II was opened in Treptow Park. About seven thousand soldiers are buried in this park.

The memorial in Treptow Park is the largest of its kind outside the former Soviet Union and one of the most famous in the world, alongside the Mamaev Kurgan. Atop the burial mound stands a statue of a young soldier holding a German girl in his arms and a sword that is cutting through a swastika.

In front of the bronze soldier lies a memorial field with mass graves, sarcophagi, eternal flame bowls, two granite flags, and sculptures of soldiers. The granite flags are engraved with inscriptions in two languages: "Eternal glory to the soldiers of the Soviet Army who gave their lives in the struggle for the liberation of humanity." The soldiers are buried in the ground along the edges of the honor alley.

At the entrance, adorned with granite portals, visitors are greeted by Motherland, mourning for her sons. She and the liberating soldier symbolize the drama of the entire memorial, surrounded by weeping birches that remind one of Russian nature.

There are several versions of who became the prototype of the soldier who saved the German girl in April 1945. Sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich emphasized that his soldier has a symbolic meaning. The most common version is about soldier Nikolai Masalov, who saved the girl at the risk of his life.

In 2003, a memorial plaque was installed on the Potsdam Bridge in Berlin in memory of Masalov's feat. The story is based on the memories of Marshal Vasily Chuikov, and although the fact of the feat is confirmed, testimonies of other similar cases were collected in the GDR.

The names of the soldiers who posed for Vuchetich are known: Ivan Odarchenko and Viktor Gunaz. Odarchenko served in the Berlin commandant's office and was noticed by the sculptor at a sports competition. After the memorial was opened, he sometimes stood guard at the monument, surprising visitors with his resemblance to the soldier.

The sword cutting through the swastika is a copy of the sword of Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel. Vuchetich was offered to replace the sword with a machine gun, but he insisted on his version. It was also suggested to install a figure of Stalin, but this idea was not supported.

Quotes from Stalin are carved on the sarcophagi. After the reunification of Germany, some politicians demanded their removal, but the memorial is under state protection, and changes without the consent of Russia are unacceptable.

The memorial was built from 1947 to 1949. The remains of the warriors were transferred from temporary burials. The site was chosen by the Soviet command. Granite from Hitler's Reich Chancellery was used for construction.

The artistic competition included various projects, with the sketches of architect Yakov Belopolsky and sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich winning. German sculptors and stonecutters participated in the construction, and the main statue was cast in Leningrad.

During the GDR era, the memorial served as a venue for official events. On August 31, 1994, a ceremony was held here in memory of the fallen and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Germany. The status of the memorial is enshrined in a treaty that guarantees its eternal preservation and funding by the German authorities.