Berlin Pa-Russki

A mass grave in high Soviet style, complete with giant statue of the hero soldier stomping on a swastika while wielding a child and a sword. Five thousand Soviet soldiers … who died in the liberation of Berlin are buried here; despite the horrors of that "liberation" and the decades that followed, once a year posters appear across Berlin proclaiming "Spasiba" -- "thank you." [link]

The Russians deliberately planted this monument smack dab on the Strasse des 17 Juni, which Hitler had tried to remodel into the Nazis' triumphal boulevard. During the … Cold War, the stonework (raided from Hitler's Chancellery) and two tanks (supposedly the first into Berlin) sat on the Western side of the Wall, and the annual commemoration ceremony was a time of high tension as Soviet troops marched into West Germany -- and then left a few hours later. [link]

The Soviets didn't waste time after the World War II partition of the city, staking their claim on Unter den Linden with this hefty, Stalinist palace. The interior is … what you might call Soviet Versailles, but your chances of viewing it are low -- a security risk, you understand. Stands cheek-to-cheek with the Aeroflot headquarters. [link]

Tucked away in the Kulturbrauerei, this intimate 70-seater has a repertoire of plays in both Russian and English. Don't go after eating something smetana-heavy at nearby … Pasternak's, or your concentration might suffer, and everyone will know it's you snoring off your dinner. [link]

Sixty-two Russian soldiers left stranded in Prussia by the vagaries of the Napoleonic Wars were indulged in their homesickness by Friedrich Wilhelm III, who built this … peculiar little settlement for them in 1826. Straight out of a Russian folk tale, the houses are timbered with birch and decorated with filigree woodwork fit for Baba Yaga. It's still being restored, but you can visit the museum and stroll around and view the church where the men sang as a choir. [link]

The real deal -- serious Russian and Ukrainian food cooked and served by Russians and Ukrainians in a dark café with silver birch branches hanging from the ceiling. … Frequent performances by folk musicians -- if you don't like a balalaika accompaniment to your rich, gooey chicken julienne, check the calendar beforehand. [link]

Next door to Gagarin, a more formal establishment with dark furniture and patterned wallpaper fresh from David Lean's Dr. Zhivago. The Sunday brunch is an orgy of … blinis, grilled mushrooms, smoked salmon, hard-boiled eggs smeared with caviar, pastries, and berry jams, for the bargain price of €9. [link]

A bar/café combo papered with campy Soviet memorabilia. Great breakfast platters of cold cuts, cheese, and quark, and fruit salads in dainty stainless steel cups which … are enough to keep a hungover brain occupied for at least an hour. In the evenings, they have a nice take on classic Russian dishes like soljanka, cool music, and a typical Prenz'lberg clientele. [link]

Friendly and echt Russische basement bar in a trendy area. Waylay the owner, and he'll tell you all about his experiments in infusing vodka with tinctures of basil or … ginger. He also serves an extraordinary hazelnut brandy that smells like alcoholic Nutella, and he organizes pelmenyi rolling parties for Germans, who, he says, need to loosen up a bit. [link]