Berlin Battleground – Pictures of The Battle for Berlin and 70 Years Later

The Battle for Berlin in April – May 1945 may not have been the final battle of the World War II in Europe, but it was certainly the concluding one. Reuters photographer Fabrizio Bensch unearthed pictures by Red Army photographer Georgiy Samsonov that depicted his portrayal of a city laid siege. Bensch bought an exactly equivalent FED camera, a Soviet copy of the German-made Leica II, and chose to use black and white film to capture images of the same locations he discovered in modern-day Berlin.

Russian soldiers next to their cannons at August Street or Rosenthaler Street in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 20, 2015.

Russian soldiers taking position in front of a burning building at Frankfurter Allee in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (L) and at the same location (R) on April 19, 2015.

Russian soldiers took aim on top of the Reichstag building in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 20, 2015.

Russians soldiers stand next to a sign at an entrance of the Neue Reichskanzlei (New Reich Chancellery), the Chancellery of Adolf Hitler at Voss Street, in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (L) and at the same location (R), showing a window of a kindergarden, April 20, 2015.

A Russian army vehicle next to the Neue Reichskanzlei (New Reich Chancellery), the Chancellery of Adolf Hitler at Voss Street, in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 20, 2015.

Russian soldiers in front of the Reichstag building in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 20, 2015.

Russian soldiers in front of the Reichstag building in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 18, 2015.

Russian army vehicle at Gruenberger Street in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 19, 2015.

Russian soldiers next to a cannon at August Street in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 20, 2015.

People walk on Borsig Street in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 20, 2015.

Russian soldiers in front of the Reichstag building in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 20, 2015.

A Russian armoured vehicle at Ritter Street or Alexandrinen Street in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 21, 2015.

Russian tanks at Proskauer Street or Frankfurter Allee in this undated photo taken May 1945 in Berlin (top) and at the same location (bottom) April 20, 2015.

(Photos by Georgiy Samsonov, Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)