Most people, far away from the affected countries, only see the destruction of a war like that in Ukraine in the media. Two Berliners from the cultural scene wanted to change that.
On the anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, a destroyed Russian tank was placed in front of the Russian embassy in Berlin. The wrecked T-72 tank arrived in the capital early Friday morning. It is to serve as a memorial against the war for a few days in front of the embassy on Unter den Linden boulevard.
The tank is now on the trailer that was used to transport it from the Ukraine to Germany. The wreck was aligned across the central reservation of the main street, the cannon pointed at the message.
The initiators of the action said that on March 31, when the Russian army attacked Kiev, the tank hit a mine and was destroyed by the explosion. Soldiers probably died in it. They belonged to a tank unit stationed far in eastern Russia. The Military History Museum of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense lent the tank and also supported its transport.
Gable: “Here in the embassy sit the war criminals”
The author and publisher Wieland Giebel, who helped initiate the campaign, called the tank a “symbol of destruction”. He shouted: “The regime will go down like the Third Reich went down. (…) The war criminals are sitting here in the embassy. That’s why we’re putting their scrap tanks in front of the Russians’ door.” The second initiator, the artist Enno Henze, said: “The transience of man and machine is sadly easy to see here.”
The plan to erect the destroyed tank as a memorial in Berlin has a long history. After the Mitte district of Berlin initially refused approval, the initiators from the Museum Berlin Story Bunker pushed through their project in court. The tank was actually supposed to be there longer, but that ultimately failed due to the district’s specifications. According to the initiators, the tank will initially be exhibited in the Netherlands from next week.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
