Soviet Red Army Monument, Harbin

File:Возложение_цветов_к_Памятнику_советским_воинам_в_Харбине_(2024)_04.jpg Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the monument during his state visit to China (May 17, 2024)]]

As agreed with the United Kingdom and the United States (Western Allies) at the Tehran Conference in November 1943 and the Yalta Conference in February 1945, the Soviet Union entered World War II's Pacific Theater within three months of the end of the war in Europe. The Soviet invasion of Manchuria began on August 9, 1945, and led to defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army and toppled the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria.{{cite web |url=https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/Glantz-lp7.pdf |title=August Storm: The Soviet 1945 Strategic Offensive in Manchuria |newspaper=Army University Press |first=David |last=Glantz |author-link=David Glantz |date=February 1983 |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=January 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109071927/https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/Glantz-lp7.pdf |url-status=live }}

After the Soviet troops entered Harbin in the second half of August 1945, the Monument to the fighters against the Comintern, which honored the White Russian émigrés who died in the fight against the Soviet Union, was demolished by Soviet troops.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x2t2BgAAQBAJ&dq=soviet+red+army+monument+harbin+white+army+demolished&pg=PA41 |title=China's Civil War: A Social History, 1945–1949 |first=Diana |last=Lary |page=41 |date=2015 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781107054677 |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=August 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804062222/https://books.google.com/books?id=x2t2BgAAQBAJ&dq=soviet+red+army+monument+harbin+white+army+demolished&pg=PA41#v=onepage&q=soviet%20red%20army%20monument%20harbin%20white%20army%20demolished&f=false |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.rg.ru/2004/07/29/repatriaziya.html |title=Русские эмигранты из Китая |first=Gennady |last=Litvintsev |newspaper=RG.ru |date=July 29, 2004 |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701124345/https://www.rg.ru/2004/07/29/repatriaziya.html |url-status=live }} In its place, it was decided by the Soviet Red Army Command to erect a monument to honor fallen Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of Manchuria from Japanese control. Construction began in August 1945 and was completed on November 7 of the same year, which was the 28th anniversary of the October Revolution. On the same day, the dedication ceremony of the monument was held.{{cite web |url=http://www.russia.org.cn/ru/war_memorial_object/harbin-pamyatnik-sovetskim-voinam-v-gorode-harbin/ |title=Памятник советским воинам в городе Харбин |newspaper=Russian Embassy in China |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=August 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805190149/http://www.russia.org.cn/ru/war_memorial_object/harbin-pamyatnik-sovetskim-voinam-v-gorode-harbin/ |url-status=dead }}

In the 1960s and 1970s, Sino-Soviet relations deteriorated significantly due to the Sino-Soviet split and the 1969 Sino-Soviet border conflict. As a result, many monuments honoring Soviet soldiers were affected including the Red Army Martyrs Monument in Harbin were covered by scaffolding. However, on Qingming Festival and Victory in Europe Day, the Soviet embassy, Soviet consulate, China-Soviet Union Friendship Association and other organizations would lay wreaths in front of the monument. Following the normalization of Sino-Soviet relations in the 1980s, the scaffolding was removed and the monument underwent repairs.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

The monument became one of Harbin's cultural relics protection sites in 1995 and on November 11, 1997, then President of Russia Boris Yeltsin, during his state visit to China, visited Harbin and laid a wreath in front of the monument.{{cite web |url=http://218.10.232.41:8080 |title=部分文物保护单位简况 |newspaper=The People of Local Chronicles of Harbin |access-date=June 18, 2022 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160817071736/http://218.10.232.41:8080/was40/detail?record=111&channelid=34829 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/far_east/29433.stm |title=Yeltsin ends China visit with "journey of reconciliation" |newspaper=BBC News |date=November 11, 1997 |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701070327/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/far_east/29433.stm |url-status=live }} On January 10, 1999, the monument was listed as the fourth batch of Heilongjiang Province's cultural relics protection sites.{{cite web |url=http://china.findlaw.cn/fagui/p_1/94445.html |title=关于公布黑龙江省第四批省级文物保护单位的通知（附名单） |newspaper=Find Law |access-date=July 7, 2023 |archive-date=July 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130707105852/http://china.findlaw.cn/fagui/p_1/94445.html |url-status=dead }} In 2010, the monument was declared as Harbin's fourth batch of first-class historical buildings and in 2011, it was repaired as a whole with some of its parts and the commemorative words on the monument repainted with the damaged parts of the monument completely replaced.{{cite web |url=http://news.my399.com/system/20110429/000169919.html |title=[手机记者] 苏联红军纪念碑正在进行整体维修） |newspaper=news.my399.com |access-date=July 7, 2023 |date=April 29, 2011 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160817072133/http://news.my399.com/system/20110429/000169919.html |url-status=dead }}

On May 17, 2024, during his visit to Harbin as part of his state visit to China, President of Russia Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the monument.{{Cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/putin-visit-china-xi-907134e5d2ec2cc62376caca5d8df79b |title=Putin concludes a trip to China by emphasizing its strategic and personal ties to Russia |first1=Huizhong |last1=Wu |first2=Emily Wang |last2=Fujiyama |newspaper=Associated Press |date=May 18, 2024 |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701010109/https://apnews.com/article/putin-visit-china-xi-907134e5d2ec2cc62376caca5d8df79b |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.dw.com/en/putin-hails-russia-china-cultural-and-economic-ties/a-69106603 |title=Putin hails Russia-China cultural and economic ties |newspaper=DW |date=May 17, 2024 |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701070327/https://www.dw.com/en/putin-hails-russia-china-cultural-and-economic-ties/a-69106603 |url-status=live }}

The Soviet Red Army Monument consists of a monument top, two parts of the monument body and a monument base. It is {{cvt|18|m}} high and faces east. There are two life-size sculptures of a Soviet Red Army soldier and a Soviet Navy sailor. They hold a rifle that has fallen to the ground in one hand and raise a five-pointed star with the other hand together, symbolizing victory in the war.{{#tag:ref| As can be seen from the photo, the five-pointed star is similar to the Soviet military decoration Order of Victory. However, the Local Chronicles of Harbin first pointed out that it was the Soviet national emblem and then the Soviet Red Army emblem. Some local residents also recalled that earlier there was a hammer and sickle inside the five-pointed star.|group=N}}{{cite web |url=http://218.10.232.41:8080/was40/detail#selection-251.1-251.9 |title=哈尔滨市志 文化 |newspaper=The People of Local Chronicles of Harbin |access-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160817071626/http://218.10.232.41:8080/was40/detail#selection-251.1-251.9 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://military.cnr.cn/kx/20150514/t20150514_518559386.html |title=难忘二战 追忆历史(七)：真诚的同盟国 |newspaper=military.cnr.cn |access-date=July 1, 2024 |date=May 14, 2015 |archive-date=May 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515034946/http://military.cnr.cn/kx/20150514/t20150514_518559386.html |url-status=dead }}

On both sides of the upper part of the monument body, there are reliefs composed of wheat ears, flags and hammer and sickle patterns. Below the relief are the numerals "3-IX-1945" (September 3, 1945), the official Soviet and present-day Russian commemoration date of VJ Day. The State Emblem of the Soviet Union is sculpted on all four sides of the lower body of the monument, and reliefs depicting Soviet troops in battle are carved on the north and south sides. The front of the monument has two inscriptions, one in Russian and the other in Chinese. The Russian inscription reads "eternal glory to the heroes who fell in battles for freedom and independence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" ({{langx|ru|link=no|Вечная слава героям павшим в боях за свободу и независимость Союза Советских Социалистических Республик}}) while the Chinese inscription reads "the Soviet heroes who died for the independence and freedom of China in the battle to liberate Northeast China will live forever" ({{zh|c=为中国的独立与自由，在解放东北作战中牺牲的苏军英雄们永垂不朽|p=}}). The base of the monument is made of white granite and is surrounded by pillars connected by iron chains. There is a bronze plaque on the lower left side of the front of the base, recording the origin of the monument.

{{Reflist|group=N}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Commons category inline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soviet Red Army Monument, Harbin}}

Category:1945 establishments in China

Category:1945 sculptures

Category:Buildings and structures in Harbin

Category:China–Soviet Union relations

Category:Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Heilongjiang

Category:Soviet military memorials and cemeteries

Category:World War II memorials in China