Братские могилы
Владимир Высоцкий Lyrics

The song "Братские могилы" by Vladimir Vysotsky is a poignant depiction of the graves of fallen soldiers who died in battle, particularly during World War II. The song begins by highlighting the lack of crosses on these graves and the absence of widows weeping over them. Instead, people bring bouquets of flowers and light eternal flames in their memory. The graves are marked by granite slabs, a sharp contrast to the once upturned earth that marked them before.

The lyrics suggest that there is a shared fate that binds these soldiers together in death. There is no one "personal destiny" that distinguishes one soldier from another, making each grave a testament to the collective sacrifice of all soldiers who lost their lives in the war. The lyrics also touch on the horrors of war, as seen by the burning tank, Russian homes, Smolensk, the Reichstag, and the heart of the soldier.

The song ultimately questions whether the absence of crosses on these graves makes it any easier to bear the loss of these brave soldiers. It speaks to the emotional weight that the memory of these soldiers carries and how it is something that is shared by all humanity.