War trophy?

[Soviet]

Did the Russian soldiers brought back many war trophies at home like the Americans did? I'm just curious to know if many soldiers brought souvenir from Berlin or from other campaigns during the war. I'm not thinking here about emptying the pockets of a dead soldiers, but I'm more thinking about IIIrd Reich era stuff brought back by the soldiers.

[Nack]

I believe that they did. Attached is a picture, which isn't great, but you can see these two soldiers in Germany after the war sporting some TR stuff. The one guy has one or more daggers in his boot, and the other guy is wearing a German belt and dagger.

[abr]

Originally Posted by Soviet

Did the Russian soldiers brought back many war trophies at home like the Americans did? I'm just curious to know if many soldiers brought souvenir from Berlin or from other campaigns during the war. I'm not thinking here about emptying the pockets of a dead soldiers, but I'm more thinking about IIIrd Reich era stuff brought back by the soldiers.

I think anything with swastika was a big no-no for many reasons including being accused of betrail.

I think most popular was to bring watch.

[ekclete]

I know in my trips to Moscow I (and others in my travel party) were able to purchase a variety of TR medals. I do not remember anything as uniquely German as the Iron Cross but I did purchase a Selisian eagle, some campaign medal and some other medal I just do not remember right now.

Another in our group purchased a set of German general's collar tabs, a German visor of some sort (cocade and eagle removed) and a few other cloth items. If I remember correctly there were also some assult type badges that were ground dug that he purchased.

My first trip was in June of 1993 and I know there was TR stuff there for sale and it was a pretty good bargain. When I returned to Moscow the following summer; someone got a copy of a popular auction catalog and prices were never the same.

Thanks, Clete

[Al-muell]

There's an old story most of You have probably heard about...
The famous photograph of soviet soldier placing the flag on the Brandenburg Gate was modify in order to hide the multiple watches on that soldier's hand...

[Yeti]

In the book Berlin-The downfall 1945, Antony Beevor mentions that they were alowed to send home packages with most likely war trophys. Was it 5 kg every month? I can't remember and I will not read it again.

/Erik

[Dave]

If they could dismantle it and take it, they did. From the Soviet vets that I've talked to, they were pretty much a vaccuum for anything lose - be that German military items, household items, etc... I was always amazed at how much stuff on the markets when I lived in Moscow during 1992-1996 was German made from the 1940s that had been brought home by veterans... if it was loose and they could either carry it or transport it home, it came home with them!

Dave

[desantnik]

I have two large pieces of furniture that I purchased in Tashkent that are of obvious German/Austrian manufacture - one even has 1930-era German markings on it.

[abr]

Officers were a different story. Things were moved literally by railway track loads.

[willie777]

Originally Posted by Al-muell

There's an old story most of You have probably heard about...
The famous photograph of soviet soldier placing the flag on the Brandenburg Gate was modify in order to hide the multiple watches on that soldier's hand...

Dont you mean the reichstag?
But otherwise, you are correct. The bottom soldier in the picture was wearing two watches, but in the retouched version, one was removed.