, 2000

In April of 1945, one of the last battles of World War II took place near Seelow. German soldiers attempted to prevent the breakthrough of the Red Army which was far superior in terms of numbers. After four days, resistance had broken down and the path to Berlin was open. 45,000 people died on both sides. Our Red Army soldier commemorates that event. Those who have been to Seelow to visit the memorial have maybe encountered him before. There he stands, cast in bronze, high on a pedestal, holding a machine gun in hand and looking towards the East in the direction of home. Sculptor Lew Kerbel created the likeness right after the war. When it had to be restored after 55 years, the restorer molded the head of the soldier and created this casting for the coloring process. That is how we can encounter him literally at eye level.