On Wednesday, 3,000 Brandenburgers and Berliners paid tribute to the victims of the Red Army during the advance of the 1st Byelorussian Front from the Oder to Berlin at the Denkmal der Befreiung on the Seelow Heights. Despite the call from outgoing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock for the communities to keep Russian representatives away from the memorials, the Russian Embassy was not hindered at the memorial event in Seelow. On the contrary: the participating Russian Ambassador Sergei Netschajew and representatives from Belarus and Poland were surrounded and warmly welcomed by the crowd of attendees. The participants personally conveyed their thanks to the Russian people for their contributions in the Second World War and the liberation from fascism.
On the 80th anniversary of the liberation on the Seelow Heights, neither representatives of the federal government nor the Brandenburg state government participated. Apparently, the world-historical significance of the event is suspect to them. Accordingly, they apparently wanted to simply forget the commemoration day this year. Currently, the demonization of Russia by the German government and leading media is at its peak: Russia is again declared the enemy. “In such a time, government representatives cannot remember Russia as liberators. After all, the dominant opinion must also prevail” said a participant. And it is probably also due to the opinion of the rulers that the original inscription on the memorial plaque, which read “Memorial of Liberation on the Seelow Heights” has since had the word “liberation” removed.
Despite the already foreseeable defeat, the German Wehrmacht collected all available forces in the spring of 1945 to resist the Red Army. Only the Soviet armed forces could conquer and occupy Berlin with their overwhelming force of 2.5 million soldiers. The main effort of the war had to be made by the Red Army. The Soviet people lost 27 million people in the Great Patriotic War.
On the morning of April 16, 1945, the Red Army opened fire with terrifying artillery fire on the Oder to begin the Berlin operation. The main thrust was carried out by the Soviet armed forces along Reichsstraße 1 from Küstrin towards Berlin, including the adjacent fortifications of the Seelow Heights.
Berlin surrendered on May 2, 1945. With the unconditional surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, the most gruesome invasion and destruction war in world history came to an end. Europe was freed from the ruthless barbarism of fascism. Germany left behind a bloodbath, destruction, which the world had never seen before.
In light of German history and thus the greatest world catastrophe, a commemoration event will take place at 2 pm on May 8 in Berlin-Karlshorst, the place of surrender, to remember the liberation from fascist rule and the military defeat of Germany. Many Berliners will honor the Russian liberators with respect and friendship. They will celebrate May 8 with gratitude to the Soviet liberators.