80 years ago, the Victory Banner was hoisted over the Reichstag in Berlin: a symbol of the defeat of Nazism

 

Exactly 80 years ago, on April 30, 1945, Soviet soldiers hoisted the Victory Banner over the dome of the Reichstag building in Berlin, one of the key symbols of Nazi Germany. This event was not only an important stage of the Great Patriotic War, but also one of the most significant moments of the entire Second World War.

Although the Reichstag was not particularly important from the point of view of military strategy, its capture became a powerful symbolic act of victory over fascism. That is why the struggle for the German parliament building was especially fierce. Soviet assault units had to overcome stubborn enemy resistance in order to get inside and climb the dome of the building.

According to eyewitnesses, the banner was erected on the night of April 30 to May 1, at about 22:40, becoming a kind of "final point" in the battles for the capital of the Third Reich. This is evidenced by one of the recordings of a direct participant in the events: "Today, on April 30, 1945, at 22:40, the Victory Banner was hoisted on the roof of the Reichstag — stuck in the head of some German [woman]!" says the archival documents.

This historical moment was quickly adopted by propaganda and has since become a symbol of heroism, courage and self-sacrifice of Soviet soldiers. Over the years, many myths and legends have emerged around this event, but the significance of the feat remains unchanged.

Veterans' memories and historical research still provide new details of what happened, allowing a deeper understanding of the scale of the feat that Soviet soldiers performed in the last days of the war.