Commanders in the Canopy: Soviet Marshals Lead the Charge from the Treetops

June 30, 2025 - Reading time: 3 minutes

Marshal Ivan Konev and Colonel General Dmitry Lelyushenko observe the frontlines from a pine tree during the Neisse offensive.

While the German generals sipped cognac in bunkers and buried their heads in sandbags, the Soviet high command climbed fucking pine trees.
Yes, you read that right.

In this rare and striking photograph, Marshal Ivan Stepanovich Konev, commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, and Colonel General Dmitry Danilovich Lelyushenko, commander of the 4th Tank Army, are spotted perched atop a pine tree, overseeing the fierce Soviet offensive across the Neisse River on the Polish-German border.

The setting? April 1945, deep in enemy territory, surrounded by dense forests and a maze of German defensive lines.
The solution? Turn the treetops into command posts. From their makeshift aerial observation point, the two war-hardened generals coordinated artillery strikes, tank maneuvers, and infantry charges as the Red Army broke through the Wehrmacht’s crumbling defenses on its final approach to Berlin.

This image is not just a testament to Soviet audacity and adaptability — it's a hell of a visual metaphor for what it took to win the war: guts, grit, and sometimes, a bird's eye view.

📷 Technical photo data:
📅 Date: April 1945
📍 Location: Neisse River area, Poland
📚 Source of information: Personal photo album of artillery reconnaissance officer G. Mirlin
🖼️ Photographer: Unknown Soviet Army photographer