Original photo before being modified by the Soviet propaganda

Context

"Raising a flag over the Reichstag" is the name of this famous photograph taken by the photographer Yevgueni Jaldéi on May 2, 1945 in Berlin, at the time the Soviets said it was made on April 30. In it we see two soldiers of the Red Army, the first is holding his comrade and the second is raising the flag of the Soviet Union over the Reichstag (German parliament) that is completely in ruins during the last days of the Battle of Berlin .

The photo was extremely popular since it was published on May 13 in the Ogonyok magazine, so it was reprinted in propaganda publications throughout the world. Due to its great symbolism it became (and remains) as one of the most important and recognized images of this conflict.

It’s ironic that the image that better symbolized the defeat of Nazi Germany was the capture of the Reichstag, this institution lacked power, its real functions in the Government were symbolic since Hitler proclaimed himself as Fuhrer.

The history of the raising of this flag in the Reichstag is quite confusing due to the cold war and the influences of the Soviet and anti-Soviet propaganda that was derived from it. There are many theories about what really happened at the time of making the photograph, about the identity of the soldiers that appear in it, or the origin of the flag. But today there is a consensus and is that the image was modified.

Fighting for the Reichstag

The Battle of Berlin was the last major military operation of the Second World War in Europe. It happened between April 20 and May 2, 1945, being one of the bloodiest battles of the war.

The Soviets were aware of the moral blow that the loss of this building would mean for the few German soldiers who were still fighting. But complete the task would not be simple, the government building was defended by 5000 members (mainly French) of the Waffen-SS, these had mined the streets that led to the building, built barricades and dug trenches and anti-tank trenchs.

The soldiers of the Red Army had no choice but to fight room by room and in the basement of the building to expel SS soldiers from it. With the passing of the hours the situation worsened for the defenders, but these were determined to hold their position to death, if they were captured they already knew what awaited them. But finally, some of them surrendered and others committed suicide.

The modifications in the photography

This photo is actually a reconstruction of the takeover of the Reichstag on April 30, but which could not be captured by any Soviet cameramen. Then Yevgueni Jaldéi gathered some soldiers to build the scene to get a photograph that equaled the one that was taken by the Americans in Iwo Jima.

The photographer then moved to Moscow, where the propaganda services realized that one of the soldiers had several watches on his wrists, this was proof of the looting of the Soviet soldiers. Therefore one of the clocks is removed from the soldier's wrist, also more smoke was added to the background to increase drama.

The official version of the government states that on April 30 a Soviet soldier managed to reach the top of the building where he picked up a flag with the swastika and then raised the flag with the sickle and hammer. That moment was so shocking that a photographer immortalized him for posterity with his camera.

The image shown to the public

The opening of secret files of the Soviet Union showed that the press agency TASS, prepared the scene on May 2, when the Reichstag was already secured. For this he asked several soldiers to pose that way, placing the flag on the highest part of the building. Of the numerous photos resulting from the session, the one that would later become known worldwide was chosen.

The image would be published for the first time on May 13 in the Ogonyok magazine; from that moment on it would be widely disseminated in all Soviet publications. A war was coming to an end, but a false legend began.

Curiosities

• On May 9, 1945 the flag was delivered to the headquarters of the 150th Division and replaced by another one. On June 20, 1945 the flag, now called the Flag of Victory, was transferred to Moscow and since then it has been in the Central Museum of Armed Forces.

• In 1995 Jaldei received an international recognition where Rosenthal was also (author of the photo of Iwo Jima). Then he said the following: "If Hitler knew that two Jews immortalized the two flags of victory!".

Images extracted of Wikipedia.org