Soviet War Memorial (Vienna)
Encyclopedia
The Soviet War Memorial in Vienna
, more formally known as as the Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee (Heroes' Monument of the Red Army) is located at Vienna's Schwarzenbergplatz. The semi-circular white marble colonnade
partially enclosing a twelve-metre figure of a Red Army
Soldier was unveiled in 1945. The Heroes' Monument of the Red Army in Vienna was built to commemorate 17,000 Soviet
soldiers who fell in the Battle for Vienna
of World War II
.
were ordered by Joseph Stalin
to capture Vienna
, both for strategic military purposes and for use as a post-war bargaining chip with the Allies
. After intense urban fighting, Vienna finally fell firmly into Soviet hands on April 14, 1945.
at the various sessions of the European Advisory Commission
and established by the Agreement on control machinery in Austria in London on July 4, 1945. The agreement mandated the creation of four occupation zones (American, British, French and Soviet) in Vienna, similar to Berlin
. Perhaps not coincidentally, although several sites were considered for the Soviet memorial, ultimately a prominent location in the 3rd district near the Palais Schwarzenberg
was chosen, imposingly within sight of the location used by the four allies to govern Vienna. German prisoners of war and Austrian construction workers were used to build the 3000 square feet (278.7 m²) site.
The memorial includes a triumphal arch and is dominated by the figure of a soldier with a Shpagin submachine gun
on his chest. The soldier wears a golden helmet and holds a Soviet flag
and a golden Soviet coat of arms. The Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee has generally been an unpopular reminder for Viennese
of the painful Soviet occupation in the weeks following the war, often referred to with derisive names including “Looter’s Memorial” and “Memorial to the Unknown Rapist”. Russian President Vladimir Putin
visited the memorial in 2007 to lay flowers and specifically give thanks to Austria for not demolishing it. The city paid to refurbish the memorial, despite objections from certain members of the local press.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, more formally known as as the Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee (Heroes' Monument of the Red Army) is located at Vienna's Schwarzenbergplatz. The semi-circular white marble colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
partially enclosing a twelve-metre figure of a Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
Soldier was unveiled in 1945. The Heroes' Monument of the Red Army in Vienna was built to commemorate 17,000 Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
soldiers who fell in the Battle for Vienna
Vienna Offensive
The Vienna Offensive was launched by the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front in order to capture Vienna, Austria. The offensive lasted from 2–13 April 1945...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Background
Near the end of World War II, Soviet forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front3rd Ukrainian Front
3rd Ukrainian Front was a Front of the Red Army during World War II.It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwestern Front. It included 1st Guards Army, 8th Guards Army, 6th, 12th, and 46th Armies and 17th Air Army...
were ordered by Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
to capture Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, both for strategic military purposes and for use as a post-war bargaining chip with the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
. After intense urban fighting, Vienna finally fell firmly into Soviet hands on April 14, 1945.
Construction details and Austrian perception
The creation of an Allied Commission for Austria was envisaged by Allied leadersAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
at the various sessions of the European Advisory Commission
European Advisory Commission
The formation of the European Advisory Commission was agreed on at the Moscow Conference on October 30, 1943 between the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Anthony Eden, the United States, Cordell Hull, and the Soviet Union, Molotov, and confirmed at the Tehran Conference in November...
and established by the Agreement on control machinery in Austria in London on July 4, 1945. The agreement mandated the creation of four occupation zones (American, British, French and Soviet) in Vienna, similar to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Perhaps not coincidentally, although several sites were considered for the Soviet memorial, ultimately a prominent location in the 3rd district near the Palais Schwarzenberg
Palais Schwarzenberg
Palais Schwarzenberg is a Baroque palace in front of Schwarzenbergplatz, Landstraße, the 3rd district of Vienna, Austria. It is owned by the princely Schwarzenberg family....
was chosen, imposingly within sight of the location used by the four allies to govern Vienna. German prisoners of war and Austrian construction workers were used to build the 3000 square feet (278.7 m²) site.
The memorial includes a triumphal arch and is dominated by the figure of a soldier with a Shpagin submachine gun
PPSh-41
The PPSh-41 was a Soviet submachine gun designed by Georgi Shpagin as an inexpensive, simplified alternative to the PPD-40. Intended for use by minimally-trained conscript soldiers, the PPSh was a magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun using an open-bolt, blowback action...
on his chest. The soldier wears a golden helmet and holds a Soviet flag
Flag of the Soviet Union
The flag of the Soviet Union consisted of a plain red flag, with a setting or cross-peen hammer crossed with a sickle and a red star in the upper canton...
and a golden Soviet coat of arms. The Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee has generally been an unpopular reminder for Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
of the painful Soviet occupation in the weeks following the war, often referred to with derisive names including “Looter’s Memorial” and “Memorial to the Unknown Rapist”. Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
visited the memorial in 2007 to lay flowers and specifically give thanks to Austria for not demolishing it. The city paid to refurbish the memorial, despite objections from certain members of the local press.
Stone tablet text
The text of the stone tablet in front of the monument begins:See also
- Soviet War Memorial (Treptower Park)Soviet War Memorial (Treptower Park)The Soviet War Memorial, is a vast war memorial and military cemetery in Berlin's Treptower Park. It was built to the design of the Soviet architect Yakov Belopolsky to commemorate 5,000 of the 80,000 Soviet soldiers who fell in the Battle of Berlin in April–May 1945...
- Soviet War Memorial (Tiergarten)Soviet War Memorial (Tiergarten)The Soviet War Memorial is one of several war memorials in Berlin, capital city of Germany, erected by the Soviet Union to commemorate its war dead, particularly the 80,000 soldiers of the Soviet Armed Forces who died during the Battle of Berlin in April and May 1945.The memorial is located in the...
- Soviet War Memorial (Schönholzer Heide)Soviet War Memorial (Schönholzer Heide)The Soviet War Memorial in Schönholzer Heide in Pankow, Berlin was erected in the period between May 1947 and November 1949 and covers an area of 30 000 m²....
- The Motherland CallsThe Motherland CallsThe Motherland Calls, , also called Mother Motherland, Mother Motherland Is Calling, simply The Motherland, or The Mamayev Monument, is a statue in Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Russia commemorating the Battle of Stalingrad. It was designed by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and structural engineer...
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of EuropeMemorial to the Murdered Jews of EuropeThe Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe , also known as the Holocaust Memorial , is a memorial in Berlin to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, designed by architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold. It consists of a site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or "stelae", arranged in a...