Admire Vienna’s Soviet War Memorial, which commemorates the sacrifice of Russian soldiers fighting the Nazis during the Battle of Vienna. This monument looks over the Schwarzenbergplatz in the centre of the city, and can be seen from the spectacular Hochstrahlbrunnen fountain.
The Soviet War Memorial was built in 1945 and serves as a reminder of the 17,000 Russian soldiers who died in a bloody clash with Nazi forces for the city of Vienna. The battle lasted two weeks in April 1945 and ended several years of German occupation. This 12-metre (39-foot) monument is also known as the Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee (Heroes Monument of the Red Army). It depicts a Russian soldier atop a towering column, with a metal helmet and shield.
The best photos of this imposing monument are taken from far away. From closer up, look at the detailed figure of the solider, who stands proud atop his plinth. Spot the Soviet flag clutched in one of his hands and a golden coat of arms in the other. Even closer to the monument, read the poem of Sergei Michaelkow carved into the foot of the plinth. The well-known wordsmith was commissioned to write for this monument, and praises the Soviet bravery with the words, “Monument to the soldiers of the Soviet Army, who for the liberation of Austria from fascism have fallen...”
Near the statue, a triumphal arch and a semi-circular white-marble colonnade add to the monument’s grand atmosphere. Read the gilded words around the colonnade, which resemble a crown.
Find the Soviet War Memorial at the southern end of the Schwarzbergenplatz in central Vienna. This area of the city is very busy, often seeing a great deal of traffic congestion, so it is best navigated on foot. Get there by tram to the Schwarzbergenplatz stop.
