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Berlin Marks Tiergarten Memorial’s 80th as Russian Envoy Urges Against Politicizing Sites

Ambassador Sergey Nechaev cited treaty protections for Soviet graves, noting declining German official presence at commemorations.

Overview

  • Russian diplomats, embassy staff, students, and German activists laid wreaths at the Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten to mark 80 years since its opening.
  • The Russian Embassy in Berlin honored former GDR servicemen who led an “80 Soviet memorials” campaign, presenting certificates of gratitude.
  • Nechaev conveyed a letter from President Vladimir Putin and an honorary certificate from the Russian Military‑Historical Society to the activists.
  • The envoy warned against efforts to recast or remove Soviet memorials, stressing protections under bilateral agreements and German monument law.
  • Nechaev referenced a Berlin symposium organized by the Polish, Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian embassies with German Foreign Ministry funding that examined the monuments’ legal and political status.