Final Assault on the Reichstag: Soviet Storm Group Advances Under Fire

June 5, 2025 - Reading time: 2 minutes

Red Army troops storm the Reichstag under fire in May 1945 — a historic image of final victory and sacrifice.

Location: Berlin, Germany  

Date: May 1945  

Photographer: Ivan Shagin  

This iconic photograph captures a Soviet assault group from the Red Army advancing toward the heavily damaged Reichstag, the symbolic heart of Nazi power, in the final days of the Battle of Berlin.

Shrouded in smoke and debris, the soldiers press forward under continuous enemy fire, one of them proudly carrying the Red Banner — a symbol of inevitable Soviet victory. The gaping wounds in the Reichstag's facade testify to the ferocity of the battle.

Shot by legendary war photographer Ivan Shagin, the image immortalizes the climactic moment before Soviet troops would raise their flag atop the ruins, marking the fall of Hitler's regime.

Source:  

Ivan Shagin, war photography archives