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the day of April 30.<ref name= "Tissier p. 168">{{harvnb|Tissier|1999|p=168}}</ref> These reports were received by [[Georgy Zhukov|Marshal G.K. Zhukov]] who issued an announcement stating that his troops had captured the Reichstag and hoisted a flag. However, when correspondents arrived they found no Soviets in the building but were in fact pinned down outside by Nazi fire. After fierce fighting a flag was raised at 10:40 PM on April 30, 1945 when 23-year old [[Mikhail Minin]] climbed the building and inserted a flag into a mounted statue's, (Germania's), crown. As this happened at night, it was too dark to take a photograph.<ref name= "Lucas p. "/> The next day the flag was taken down by the Germans who were later defeated after a few more days of fighting.<ref name= "Lucas p. ">{{harvnb|Lucas|2010 |p=}}</ref>
the day of April 30.<ref name= "Tissier p. 168">{{harvnb|Tissier|1999|p=168}}</ref> These reports were received by [[Georgy Zhukov|Marshal G.K. Zhukov]] who issued an announcement stating that his troops had captured the Reichstag and hoisted a flag. However, when correspondents arrived they found no Soviets in the building but were in fact pinned down outside by Nazi fire. After fierce fighting a flag was raised at 10:40 PM on April 30, 1945 when 23-year old [[Mikhail Minin]] climbed the building and inserted a flag into a mounted statue's, (Germania's), crown. As this happened at night, it was too dark to take a photograph.<ref name= "Lucas p. "/> The next day the flag was taken down by the Germans who were later defeated after a few more days of fighting.<ref name= "Lucas p. ">{{harvnb|Lucas|2010 |p=}}</ref>


{{Multiple image|direction=vertical|align=right|image1=Red army soldiers raising the soviet flag on the roof of the reichstag with two Watchs.jpg|image2=Red army soldiers raising the soviet flag on the roof of the reichstag with no Watch.jpg|width=200|caption2=The original photo (top) was altered (bottom) by editing the watch on the soldier's right wrist.<ref name= "Sontheimer p. "/> }}
{{Multiple image|direction=vertical|align=right|image1=Red army soldiers raising the soviet flag on the roof of the reichstag with two Watchs.jpg|image2=Red army soldiers raising the soviet flag on the roof of the reichstag with no Watch.jpg|width=200|caption2=The original photo (top) was altered (bottom) by editing the watch on the soldier's right wrist.<ref name= "Sontheimer p. "/> [[Compass]] on the left wrist has been left without changes.}}
Finally on May 2, 1945 Khaldei scaled the now pacified Reichstag to take his picture. The official story was that two hand-picked soldiers: a Georgian, [[Meliton Kantaria]]{{#tag:ref|Alternately spelled:Kantariya, M.V. Kantaria, Meliton Kantaria|group="A"}} (selected to please Stalin who was also [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]n) and a Russian, [[M. A. Yegorov|Mikhail Yegorov]] had raised the flag.{{#tag:ref|Alternately spelled:M.V. Yegorov, M.A. Yegorov, Mikhail Iegorev|group="A"}}<ref name= "Tissier p. 124">{{harvnb|Tissier|1999|p=124}}</ref><ref name= "Dallas p. 3"/><ref name= "Antill-Dennis p. 76 ">[[#refAntillDennis2005|Antill-Dennis 2005]], p. 76 .</ref><ref name= "Adams p. 48 ">{{harvnb|Adams|2008|p=48}}</ref> However, it later emerged that due to political reasons the subjects of the photograph were changed and the actual man to hoist the flag was Alyosha Kovalyov.{{#tag:ref|Alternately spelled:Aleksei Kovalev|group="A"}}<ref name= "Broekmeyer p. 130">{{harvnb|Broekmeyer|2004|p=130}}</ref><ref name= "Walkowitz-Knauer p. 83 ">[[#refWalkowitzKnauer2004|Walkowitz-Knauer 2004]], p. 83.</ref> Accounts would emerge that Kovalyov, a Ukrainian, was told by the NKVD to keep quiet about his flag raising.<ref name= "Broekmeyer p. 130"/> To confuse events further, there were reports that a group of men led by Sergei E. Sorokin also planted a flag on the roof.<ref name= "Dallas p. 3"/>
Finally on May 2, 1945 Khaldei scaled the now pacified Reichstag to take his picture. The official story was that two hand-picked soldiers: a Georgian, [[Meliton Kantaria]]{{#tag:ref|Alternately spelled:Kantariya, M.V. Kantaria, Meliton Kantaria|group="A"}} (selected to please Stalin who was also [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]n) and a Russian, [[M. A. Yegorov|Mikhail Yegorov]] had raised the flag.{{#tag:ref|Alternately spelled:M.V. Yegorov, M.A. Yegorov, Mikhail Iegorev|group="A"}}<ref name= "Tissier p. 124">{{harvnb|Tissier|1999|p=124}}</ref><ref name= "Dallas p. 3"/><ref name= "Antill-Dennis p. 76 ">[[#refAntillDennis2005|Antill-Dennis 2005]], p. 76 .</ref><ref name= "Adams p. 48 ">{{harvnb|Adams|2008|p=48}}</ref> However, it later emerged that due to political reasons the subjects of the photograph were changed and the actual man to hoist the flag was Alyosha Kovalyov.{{#tag:ref|Alternately spelled:Aleksei Kovalev|group="A"}}<ref name= "Broekmeyer p. 130">{{harvnb|Broekmeyer|2004|p=130}}</ref><ref name= "Walkowitz-Knauer p. 83 ">[[#refWalkowitzKnauer2004|Walkowitz-Knauer 2004]], p. 83.</ref> Accounts would emerge that Kovalyov, a Ukrainian, was told by the NKVD to keep quiet about his flag raising.<ref name= "Broekmeyer p. 130"/> To confuse events further, there were reports that a group of men led by Sergei E. Sorokin also planted a flag on the roof.<ref name= "Dallas p. 3"/>


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===Image censored===
===Image censored===
{{Main|Censorship of images in the Soviet Union}}
{{Main|Censorship of images in the Soviet Union}}
After taking the shot with the flag Khaldei rushed back to [[Moscow]] with the photograph. He further edited the image because the man supporting the flag-bearer was wearing two [[watch]]es, implying he had [[Looting|looted]] at least one.<ref name= "Sontheimer p. "/> Using a needle, he was able to remove the watch from the right wrist.<ref name= "Baumann p. "/><ref name= "Sontheimer p. "/> He also copied the smoke in the background from another picture to make the scene more dramatic.<ref name= "Baumann p. ">{{harvnb|Baumann|2010|p=}}</ref>
After taking the shot with the flag Khaldei rushed back to [[Moscow]] with the photograph. He further edited the image because the man supporting the flag-bearer has been wearing watches on one of his wrists and military [[compass|Kompas Adrianova]] on the other, which from distance looked like an extra watches, what could be considered that the officer on the photo had [[looting|looted]] those watches or deprived them in illegal way.<ref name= "Sontheimer p. "/> Despite such practice of wearing both compass and watches was widespread in the [[Red Army]], Khaldei, in order to avoid idle talks and rumors, removed the watch from the officer's right wrist by using a needle.<ref name= "Baumann p. "/><ref name= "Sontheimer p. "/> He also copied the smoke in the background from another picture to make the scene more dramatic.<ref name= "Baumann p. ">{{harvnb|Baumann|2010|p=}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 08:11, 11 April 2011

File:Reichstag flag original.jpg
Raising a flag over the Reichstag, by Yevgeny Khaldei

Raising a flag over the Reichstag is a historic photograph taken on May 2, 1945, by Yevgeny Khaldei. It depicts a number of Soviet troops raising the flag of the Soviet Union atop the German Reichstag building during the Battle of Berlin in World War II. The photograph was extremely popular, being reprinted in thousands of publications. It came to be regarded around the world as one of the most significant and recognizable images of the war.

The true identities of the men in the picture are shrouded in mystery along with the photographer (Khaldei), who was only identified after the Soviet Union fell. The photograph represented a historic moment; the defeat of Germany in a war that had cost the Soviet Union tens of millions of lives. Celebrated as the image is, it was the reconstruction of a moment that had happened earlier but had been missed by the camera.

Background

Raising a flag over the Reichstag, by Yevgeny Khaldei but with smoke enhanced
Main article: Battle of Berlin

The Battle of Berlin was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II and was designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union.[A 1] Starting on January 16 1945, the Red Army breached the German front as a result of the Vistula–Oder Offensive and rapidly advanced westward through Germany, as fast as 30–40 kilometres a day. The Battle in Berlin lasted from late April 20 1945 until the morning of May 2 and was one of the bloodiest battles in history. As Berlin fell Red Army photographer Yevgeny Khaldei gathered some soldiers in the hope of getting a defining photograph like the American Iwo Jima flag picture.

Taking the photo

The events surrounding the flag-raising are murky due to the confusion of the battle to take the number one target in Berlin, the Reichstag. On April 30 there was great pressure to take the building, (seen as symbolic as the heart of the "fascist beast"), before May day.[1] Initially, two planes dropped several large red banners on the roof that appeared to have caught on the bombed-out dome. Additionally a number of reports had reached headquarters that two parties, M.M. Bondar from the 380th Rifle Regiment and Captain V.N. Makov of the 756th might have been able to hoist a flag during the day of April 30.[2] These reports were received by Marshal G.K. Zhukov who issued an announcement stating that his troops had captured the Reichstag and hoisted a flag. However, when correspondents arrived they found no Soviets in the building but were in fact pinned down outside by Nazi fire. After fierce fighting a flag was raised at 10:40 PM on April 30, 1945 when 23-year old Mikhail Minin climbed the building and inserted a flag into a mounted statue's, (Germania's), crown. As this happened at night, it was too dark to take a photograph.[3] The next day the flag was taken down by the Germans who were later defeated after a few more days of fighting.[3]

File:Red army soldiers raising the soviet flag on the roof of the reichstag with two Watchs.jpg
The original photo (top) was altered (bottom) by editing the watch on the soldier's right wrist.[4] Compass on the left wrist has been left without changes.

Finally on May 2, 1945 Khaldei scaled the now pacified Reichstag to take his picture. The official story was that two hand-picked soldiers: a Georgian, Meliton Kantaria[A 2] (selected to please Stalin who was also Georgian) and a Russian, Mikhail Yegorov had raised the flag.[A 3][5][1][6][7] However, it later emerged that due to political reasons the subjects of the photograph were changed and the actual man to hoist the flag was Alyosha Kovalyov.[A 4][8][9] Accounts would emerge that Kovalyov, a Ukrainian, was told by the NKVD to keep quiet about his flag raising.[8] To confuse events further, there were reports that a group of men led by Sergei E. Sorokin also planted a flag on the roof.[1]

Aftermath

The photo was published May 13 1945 in the magazine Ogonyok.[4] While many photographers took pictures of flags on the roof, it was Khaldei's image that stuck.[4]

Image censored

Main article: Censorship of images in the Soviet Union

After taking the shot with the flag Khaldei rushed back to Moscow with the photograph. He further edited the image because the man supporting the flag-bearer has been wearing watches on one of his wrists and military Kompas Adrianova on the other, which from distance looked like an extra watches, what could be considered that the officer on the photo had looted those watches or deprived them in illegal way.[4] Despite such practice of wearing both compass and watches was widespread in the Red Army, Khaldei, in order to avoid idle talks and rumors, removed the watch from the officer's right wrist by using a needle.[10][4] He also copied the smoke in the background from another picture to make the scene more dramatic.[10]

See also

Annotations

  1. ^ The last offensive of the European war was the Prague Offensive on May 6–11 1945, when the Red Army, with the help of Polish, Romanian, and Czechoslovak forces defeated the parts of Army Group Center which continued to resist in Czechoslovakia. There were a number of minor battles and skirmishes involving small bodies of men, but no other large scale fighting that resulted in the death of thousands of people, (see The end of World War II in Europe for details on these final days of the war)
  2. ^ Alternately spelled:Kantariya, M.V. Kantaria, Meliton Kantaria
  3. ^ Alternately spelled:M.V. Yegorov, M.A. Yegorov, Mikhail Iegorev
  4. ^ Alternately spelled:Aleksei Kovalev

Bibliography

Notes
  1. ^ a b c Dallas 2006, p. 3
  2. ^ Tissier 1999, p. 168
  3. ^ a b Lucas 2010
  4. ^ a b c d e Sontheimer 2008
  5. ^ Tissier 1999, p. 124
  6. ^ Antill-Dennis 2005, p. 76 .
  7. ^ Adams 2008, p. 48
  8. ^ a b Broekmeyer 2004, p. 130
  9. ^ Walkowitz-Knauer 2004, p. 83.
  10. ^ a b Baumann 2010
References
  • Adams, Simon (2008). The Eastern Front (2008 ed.). The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 1404218629. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 48
  • Antill, Peter; Dennis, Peter. Berlin 1945: end of the Thousand Year Reich (when ed.). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841769150. - Total pages: 96
  • Template:De icon - Baumann, Von Doc (January 3, 2010). "Dramatische Rauchwolcken". Der Spiegel. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  • Broekmeyer, M. J. (2004). Stalin, the Russians, and their war: 1941-1945 (2004 ed.). University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0299195945. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 315
  • Conquest, Robert (1991). The great terror: a reassessment (1991 ed.). Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0195071328. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 584
  • Dallas, Gregor (2006). 1945: The War That Never Ended (2006 ed.). Yale University Press. ISBN 0300119887. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 792
  • Lenin, Vladimir (1929). Collected Works, Volume XX (1929 ed.). International Publishers. ISBN 1417915773. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Lindemann, Albert S. (2000). Esau's tears: modern anti-semitism and the rise of the Jews (2000 ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521795389. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 568
  • Lucas, Dean (February 28, 2010). "Flag on the Reichstag". famouspictures.org. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  • Sontheimer, Michael (May 7, 2008). "The Art of Soviet Propaganda". Der Spiegel. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  • Tissier, Tony Le (1999). Race for the Reichstag: the 1945 Battle for Berlin (1999 ed.). Routledge. ISBN 0714649295. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 265
  • Walkowitz, Daniel J.; Knauer, Lisa Maya. Memory and the impact of political transformation in public space Radical perspectives (when ed.). Duke University Press. ISBN 0822333643. - Total pages: 326

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