Victory Day: Warning
Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.
There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.
My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.
Victory Day: Warning
Thousands of people, mainly representatives of Berlin’s Russian population, met on 9 May 2020 at the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, marking 75 years since the Nazis' unconditional surrender. From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, they commemorated the end of World War II and the countless victims of this devastating war.
There are hardly any veterans left who could tell about their wartime experiences. In the meantime, their grandchildren have taken over the conductorship in these celebrations, some of them with touching gratefulness and respect, some others in a rather playful tune. But there are also several illustrious and disconcerting individuals and groups who, under the guise of commemoration, are spreading nationalist, history-distorting and war-glorifying slogans. In the emotionally charged memory of a day when peace returned to Europe, they scatter the seeds of new conflicts and confrontations.
My photo story "Victory Day" documents an experience between emotion and scepticism, between grateful remembrance and exuberant party atmosphere.