Putin's Post - Raw Footage of Stasi Headquarters in Dresden, East Germany (1989)

On 19 December 1989, just weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, ITN's cameras travelled to Dresden in East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR) ahead of a visit by West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. As well as capturing scenes in the city centre, the crew focused their attention on the headquarters of the Stasi, the feared East German secret police.
The city of Dresden was at the time the posting of young KGB officer Vladimir Putin. Just two weeks before this footage was filmed, the 37-year-old Putin had watched from the KGB headquarters where he was stationed as crowds of protesters stormed the Stasi headquarters across the road. He hastily set about burning documents in fear that the KGB building would be the next target of the mob. The experience - along with the collapse of the USSR that he witnessed on his return to Russia - impacted him profoundly, and did much to shape the worldview of Russia's future president.
#EastGermany #DDR #Dresden #Communism #SovietUnion #SovietWave #Soviet #KGB #Stasi #Putin #VladimirPutin
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[@seamusrichard]

These recent videos full of footage this account has posted in regard to the fall of European communism in the late 80's/early 90's have been absolutely phenomenal and a true blessing for history geeks. Please keep posting things like this, they're positively fascinating!

[@tonyb9864]

Thanks for this video! Good stuff.

[@Czechbound]

I first visited in December 2007 ( so 18 years after this was filmed ). The city centre was already much revived, with pedestrianised shopping streets with new big shopping malls. They weren't replacing anything old, so it appears that most of the centre around the old town square had not been rebuilt after the war. Now, another 17 years later, the remaining vacant lots have all been developed. While obviously not as prosperous as Munich or the nicer parts of Berlin, there's still been a huge improvement since I was first there. And lots of cyclists. When I come back here to Prague, it's so obvious that *nobody* cycles here

[@fratercontenduntocculta8161]

That first shot I thought was someone's kid wearing their hat. Those East German Soldiers were so very young.

[@MultiVince95]

Tuesday 19th December 1989

[@asdvet1918]

Почему фасады домов и зданий не реставрировали? Странно!!

[@naukkis222]

finland street where he used to train judo

[@marceloquiroga8877]

no hay casas, todos son edificios, me hubiera gustado vivir alli pero seguro que la STASI me hubiera vigilado

[@MultiNike79]

Entiendes que no se puede dejar a los alemanes desatendidos. Sin el control de los rusos, no pueden vivir de manera civilizada.

[@wilmerherrera6587]

El gran error de la unión soviética es que dividir la ciudad tenía que ser una ciudad Berlín ,capital de Alemania 🇩🇪 oriental!!

[@peterregorsek1504]

Life was better then. Now all cities look too much digital and plastic, with modern hollow facades with agressive colours, artificial LED lights...

[@markhall6306]

The air was nasty and polluted plus you drove around in some papier-mâché, smoky barbecue grill, two-stroke piece of garbage

[@Sibyltec]

@@markhall6306don't insult my lada

[@AK-ic1yj]

You can still live this wonderful lifestyle. Move to some little village in bumf@ck Russia.

[@MikeBrown-dk7or]

In the video, Dresden looks like crap.