Victory Banner Over the Reichstag, The

In one of the most iconic images from World War II, a Russian soldier raises a red flag atop the ruins of the German Reichstag on April 30, 1945. Known as the Victory Banner, this piece of fabric has come to symbolize Russian triumph, glory, and patriotism. Facsimiles are used in public celebrations all over the country, and an exact replica is the centerpiece in the annual Victory Parade in Moscow’s Red Square. The Victory Banner Over the Reichstag examines how and why this symbol was created, the changing media of its expression, and the contested evolution of its message. From association with Stalinism and communism to its acquisition of Russian nationalist meaning, Jeremy Hicks demonstrates how this symbol was used to construct a collective Russian memory of the war. He traces how the Soviets, and then Vladimir Putin, have used this image and the banner itself to build a remarkably powerful mythology of Russian greatness.

More Praise

The Victory Banner over the Reichstag makes an important and timely contribution to current reassessments of Soviet war memory. Scholars of Soviet film and television will find the analysis of visual evidence and film archives particularly illuminating, but anybody interested in the memory of World War II and the symbolic politics of Soviet socialism will learn much from this extensively researched and accessibly written study.

Russian Review

The breadth of the research is impressive and the book presents a well-argued narrative of the construction of the Soviet and post-Soviet symbolism of victory. It is well illustrated with interesting and lively vignettes.

SCRSS Digest

A short review cannot do justice to this informative book, easily one of the top two titles in Soviet film and television studies of the past decade. It is original (even genre-bending), well researched, and beautifully written, plus the history is impeccable.

Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television

Dynamically written and deploying a staggering range of sources, both visual and written, both published and unpublished, this absorbing and original study of the continuing, contested evolution of the cult of the Victory Banner raised over Berlin sheds vital new light on the way in which the Soviet Union of the war years has evolved into the Russia of today.

Julian Graffy, professor emeritus, University College London

There is nothing more central to Russian historical memory than World War II. By focusing on the powerful symbol of the Victory Banner, Jeremy Hicks adds new depth and nuance to our understanding of this crucial subject. Ranging from documentaries to video games, the book is full of insightful interpretation and fascinating discoveries.

Stephen Lovell, King’s College London

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