Soviet soldiers were originally Ukrainians; the hero who raised the flag in the Battle of Berlin was posthumously awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title by Russia.

Ukraine stripped the Soviet hero title of the soldier who raised the flag in the Battle of Berlin! Putin posthumously awarded the Russian hero title to the Soviet soldier who raised the victory flag in the Battle of Berlin!

In the 1945 Battle of Berlin, Soviet soldier Alexei Berest raised a victory flag at the German Reichstag Building in Berlin. This became a symbolic image of the Soviet Union's victory in World War II.

Soviet soldier Alexei Berest was actually an Ukrainian, and there were many Ukrainians in the Soviet army. In 1970, Alexei Berest sacrificed his life saving a girl from a tram accident.

After the 2014 Crimean incident, Ukraine-Russia relations broke down. Ukraine also revoked Alexei Berest's Ukrainian hero title. However, Putin posthumously awarded Alexei Berest the title of Russian Hero and presented the medal to Alexei Berest's grandson.

Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1840323590321354/

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