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Soviet Union / Russia For the Just Cause In the self-perception of the Soviet Union, they alone fought against "Fascism" until the Allies landed in Normandy, and it was the Red Army which had won the victory. The Soviet Union's master narrative developed out of the victory, the liberation of the different peoples, and the sacrifices which they had brought. It began with the victory parade on 24 June 1945 at Red Square in Moscow. The greatest of all heroes in the immediate post-War period was of course Stalin. The first victory monuments erected in the 1940s in the "liberated" countries were embodiments of general values such as strength and courage. But they symbolized above all the idea of liberation. Up until Stalin's death the commemoration of the War was linked with a tribute to the Socialist system and its great leader who had achieved the victory. It was only later that the cult of the "Great Patriotic War" became established. The official holiday on the 9 th of May which Stalin had abolished was reinstated in 1965 and has been celebrated since then with big victory marches. The victory now became a victory of the Soviet people. Central victory memorials were erected everywhere. The "Great Patriotic War" as inviolable, heroic success left no room for individual suffering, but rather had to confirm the superiority of the Communist system. When the Communist system came to an end, this master narrative collapsed with it at first, but its symbols returned during the celebration of the 50 th anniversary of the end of the War. The myth of victory in the "Great Patriotic War" and the veneration of its heroes appear to be regaining a foothold in the Russian Federation. |
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On the occasion of the 20 th anniversary of the victory in 1965, a special coin was minted in the Soviet Union for the first time. It was devoted to the memory of the victory and showed a picture of the central figure of the Treptow War Memorial. This figure represents a gigantic soldier of the Red Army holding a German child in his arm, which, according to the legend, he is supposed to have saved during a gun battle. With the sword in his other hand he has smashed the swastika to pieces which lies at his feet. The rescue of the child stands for the liberation of the innocent German population, the destruction of the Swastika for the victory of the Soviet Union. The liberation of the other peoples of Europe is included in the symbolism of the figure. |
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The Volgograd "Motherland" was used again as the motif for a poster commemorating the 30 th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad. On this poster a soldier of the Red Army raises his machine gun in imitation of her gesture. The lower right-hand corner reveals a view of the city in ruins, coloured in sombre red and black. Behind the soldier rises the silhouette of the reconstructed city, crowned by the outline of the "Motherland". The battle of the Red Army has been rewarded by victory and the resulting prosperity, and the monument serves as a memorial to the future. |
The Victors / USA 
