Replica of Berlin Soviet War memorial erected in Russia's Kemerovo

Record ID: 1695946

  • Title: Replica of Berlin Soviet War memorial erected in Russia's Kemerovo
  • Date: 3rd November 2022
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GOVERNOR OF KEMEROVO REGION, SERGEI TSIVILEV, SAYING: “Today, we're solemnly opening the Memorial to Soldier-Liberator dedicated to the Siberian heroes, who defeated Nazism.” VARIOUS OF VETERANS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GOVERNOR OF KEMEROVO REGION, SERGEI TSIVILEV, SAYING: “Today, at the current conditions of the special military operatio
  • Embargoed: 17th November 2022 13:56
  • Keywords: Kemerovo Russia Ukraine crisis memorial war
  • Location: KEMEROVO, RUSSIA
  • City: KEMEROVO, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA001673603112022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A replica of a famous Soviet War memorial in Berlin was officially opened in the Siberian city of Kemerovo on Thursday (November 3), dedicated to the military prowess of Siberians who fought in World War Two.
    The Soldier-Liberator statue, which depicts a soldier holding a little girl in his arms, is an exact copy of a sculpture in Berlin's Treptower Park, except the copy in Kemerovo is five metres higher than the original.
    The opening ceremony was led by the governor of the Kemerovo region Sergei Tsivilev, who said Siberian soldier Nikolai Masalov, who saved a German girl from shelling in World War Two, was the inspiration for the sculpture.
    Local authorities say that at the base of the monument lies a smalt mosaic featuring elements from Kemerovo's history during what Russia refers to as the "Great Patriotic War", as well as an image of Masalov.
    Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tsivilev said the region and army were united in their support of Russian President Vladimir Putin in what Moscow calls a "special military operation" to eliminate dangerous nationalists and protect Russian speakers.
    Kyiv calls Moscow's military action an unprovoked imperialist land grab.
    The official opening of the memorial at Kemerovo is in stark contrast to actions seen in other countries, where memorials have been dismantled in protest over the conflict with Ukraine.
    Poland last week tore down four monuments to Red Army soldiers who died during World War Two. Latvian authorities brought down a Soviet-era monument in Riga in late August. In Estonia,+ a T-34 Soviet tank was removed from its majority Russian-speaking city of Narva.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register