Alexei Prokopievich Berest (Russian: Алексей Прокопьевич Берест; Ukrainian: Олексій Прокопович Берест, romanized: Oleksii Prokopovych Berest; March 9, 1921 – November 4, 1970) was a Soviet political officer and one of the three Red Army soldiers credited with having hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag.
In December, he was sent to the Leningrad Military-Political School (Which at the time was located at Shuya, after being evacuated) and trained as a commissar.
After graduation in September 1944, Lieutenant Berest was assigned as Captain Stepan Neustroev's deputy for political affairs (Zampolit) in the 1st Battalion of the 150th Rifle Division's 756th Regiment.
On 1 May, at about 03:00, Berest and two scouts - Meliton Kantaria and Mikhail Yegorov - hoisted one of nine Soviet flags given to the division's commanders[4] on the building's dome, fastening it to Wilhelm I's statue.
[7] In May 1945, Neustroev, Kantaria and many others who were involved in the Reichstag assault were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.