Historical photograph by Kuramshin from May 9, 1945, capturing the command staff of the 88th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment posing at the right wing of the captured Reichstag in Berlin.
Command Officers of the 88th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment at the Reichstag Wing (May 9, 1945)
This evocative archival photograph, taken by military correspondent Kuramshin on May 9, 1945 (Victory Day), captures the senior command staff of the Soviet 88th Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment during a victory tour of central Berlin following the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.
Posing adjacent to the right wing of the Reichstag, the officers stand framed by the building's distinctive rusticated stone masonry, arched passageway, decorative hanging lanterns, and grand colonnade.
Identified Regimental Leadership
The group portrait preserves the faces of the key officers who commanded the elite breakthrough formation armed with 122mm IS-2 heavy tanks (pictured left to right):
- Maj. N. P. Romanchenko: Deputy Regimental Commander for Technical Affairs (ZamPotech).
- Capt. I. German: Deputy Chief of Staff.
- Maj. N. V. Shiroky: Chief of Staff of the Regiment.
- Guards Col. P. G. Mzhachikh: Commander of the 88th Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment.
- Maj. F. M. Zharkoy: Deputy Regimental Commander.
- Officer Komarovsky: Deputy Chief of Staff.
- Officer Timchenko: Positioned in the upper left background on the steps.
Architectural and Uniform Details
The photograph offers a rich visual record of Red Army armored officers at the conclusion of the European theater. Several officers wear specialized leather tanker flight coats over service dress tunics decorated with high combat awards—including the Order of the Red Banner and Order of the Patriotic War—earned during the hard-fought campaigns from the Vistula to the heart of Berlin.
📍 Location: Reichstag (Right Wing), Berlin, Germany
📅 Date: May 9, 1945
📷 Photographer: Kuramshin (Military Press Corps)
📰 Primary Source: Soviet Guards Armored Units Historical Archives
Recommended reading:
- The 88th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment: Tactical operations during the Battle of Berlin
- Reichstag Architecture in 1945: Identifying archival photography locations
- IS-2 Heavy Tank Units in Urban Assaults: Organization and command structure
- Red Army Leather Uniforms and Tanker Gear: Insignia and awards of late-war officers