Few images encapsulate the end of World War II more poignantly than the iconic photograph of Soviet soldiers unfurling the red flag atop the Reichstag in Berlin, 1945. Known as the “Raising a Flag over the Reichstag”, the photograph embodies victory, resilience, and the end of one of humanity’s most devastating wars. However, the story behind the lens, of the photographer and the depicted soldiers, is one filled with intrigue, controversy, and a dose of Soviet propaganda.
The photograph was taken by Yevgeny Khaldei, a Jewish photographer working for the Soviet Union’s TASS news agency. Born in Ukraine, Khaldei survived the horrors of the Holocaust, losing his father and three of his four sisters to a German execution squad. With a personal vendetta against the Nazis, he was determined to capture the ultimate symbol of their defeat.
By the spring of 1945, the Red Army was closing in on Berlin. Khaldei, tasked with capturing the monumental moments, carried with him a large red flag sewn by his uncle, a tailor. This flag was to be a key prop in his composition, representing the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany.
On May 2, 1945, Khaldei reached the Reichstag, the once grand parliamentary building, now reduced to a charred shell after years of intense bombing. Amidst the debris and ruins, Khaldei persuaded two soldiers, Abdulkhakim Ismailov and Aleksei Kovalev, to scale the building with him, despite the dangers of unexploded ordnance and potential snipers. The pair hoisted the flag on the rooftop under Khaldei’s direction, marking a symbolic Soviet claim on the German heartland.
The image was not captured in a single shot; rather, it was the result of staging and multiple exposures. Khaldei had the soldiers repeat the flag raising several times, each time adjusting their positions to achieve the perfect composition. This was not a simple documentary photograph, but a meticulously crafted image designed to resonate powerfully back home and throughout the world.
However, the image that went on to become one of the most iconic photos of the 20th century was not without its controversies. When Khaldei returned to Moscow, his superiors pointed out that one of the soldiers had wristwatches on both his arms, a sign of looting. In the spirit of Soviet propriety, the incriminating detail had to be airbrushed out. Other ‘improvements’ were made as well: the smoke in the background was intensified with dramatic effect.
Furthermore, the identity of the soldiers in the photograph has been a contentious issue. Initially, the flag-bearer was misidentified as Meliton Kantaria, a claim that stood uncontested for decades. It wasn’t until 1995, with the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII, that the real flag-bearers were correctly identified as Ismailov and Kovalev, following thorough investigation by Russian journalists.
Interestingly, while Khaldei’s photograph was hailed in the Soviet Union as a symbol of their victory, it was not well-received everywhere. Many Western allies viewed it as a symbol of the beginning of Soviet domination in Eastern Europe, a sign of the looming Cold War.
Despite the controversies and the manipulation, the photograph’s historical significance and impact remain undiminished. Khaldei’s “Raising a Flag over the Reichstag” is more than just a photograph. It’s a visual chronicle of victory against a dark chapter in human history, and a testament to the power of the human spirit.
As for Khaldei, the photograph came to define his career, securing his reputation as one of the foremost photographers of his generation. He passed away in 1997, but his legacy lives on in this immortal image. Whether viewed as a symbol of victory, defiance, or the onset of the Cold War, “Raising a Flag over the Reichstag” continues to be a stirring reminder of the world-shaking events of 1945.
