A few flowers for the victims, a few photos of bombed-out houses, and the Ukrainian flag hanging from a barricade – it’s not much that the staff at the Russian embassy in Berlin confronts with their country’s war of aggression. What Ukrainians and their supporters have collected on Unter den Linden street, directly opposite the embassy building, is more reminiscent of a tomb than a memorial. The publisher and author Wieland Giebel wants to change that. “The perpetrators are in the Russian embassy,” he says. “The protest must be visible.”
That’s why Giebel, together with the activist Enno Lenze, has been trying to place a wrecked Russian army tank directly opposite the massive building since the beginning of the summer. Such trophies from the resistance are not only in Kyiv or other Ukrainian cities, but have already been displayed in Warsaw and Prague. “I want to attack this criminal regime,” says Giebel.
The fact that he could now achieve this, at least symbolically, is not due to military but to legal expertise. His application to set up the tank was originally rejected by the responsible Berlin district of Mitte. Among other things, for reasons of piety, because people died in the wreck and because Germany’s foreign policy interests would be affected by the action. The project finally became a political issue when the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany at the time, Andriy Melnyk, finally announced his support.
The administrative court dismissed these concerns. The judges argued that the exhibition “as an expression of opinion is subject to the constitutionally protected freedom of expression”. The tank may be set up on a side street exactly in line of sight of the Russian embassy.
Then the tank should go on a round trip
Giebel, 72, has experience in the spectacular processing of history. In the 1990s he founded the “Berlin Story” bookshop, which has given rise to a large number of historical events. These include a history festival that also took place regularly on Unter den Linden for several years. But something like the action with the tank is a new dimension, says Giebel. “We haven’t done that yet.”
For once, the problems are not in the details: there is now permission to set up a tank. But there is no tank yet. Before such war equipment can be imported into Germany, it must first be “demilitarized”. Giebel is currently negotiating with the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture so that officials can rededicate one of the numerous junked Russian tanks owned by Ukraine as a “museum piece”.
“It won’t be days before the wreck is in Berlin, but it won’t be months either,” says Giebel. A crowdfunding call has already raised tens of thousands of euros. This should also finance the low-loader that brings the approximately 40-ton device to Germany. They are then allowed to set up the tank in front of the embassy for two weeks. A tour of other cities is then planned. There are enough requests.