Shtalenkov looked up in awe at the massive building that stood in front of him, with so much of his families history lying inside, just waiting to be put to new light once again. Being an intelligence officer, he automatically went over what he knew of the buildings early existence. The Reichstag had been built in 1873, and had housed the German parliament up to 1933, when the Nazi regime came to power, and parliament voted itself out of existence. During WW2, it was used primarily as a military base, although its use was much reduced due to a fire in 1933, and continues allied bombing in the later stages of the war. That is where the past of this building and his family crossed. His grandfather had been in the 3rd shock army, which had stormed Berlin and wiped out the last Nazi resistance in the Reichstag in 1945. Shtalenkov has spent endless hours in the study of his grandparent's farm outside Mensk, listening to hair-raising tales of his grandfather's exploits. Finally, he had decided to visit this place, which he had spent so much of his childhood envisioning.
Now here he was, a tourist in the heart of Germany, finally discovering the truth. He took a moment to glance at his accompanying party. There were two American FBI agents who specialized in forensics, who, he had been told, were here to study some remains that had been found somewhere in Berlin. Next there were the three college under-grads, two boys and one girl, who were on a foreign exchange college semester from Yale. Finally, was the tour guide, one Dieter Hartwin, a recent college graduate with a degree in government, who had taken a summer job as a tour guide.
"Now, if everyone would wrap up the pictures, we shall head into the building itself. Now, I would mind everyone to watch your step, because there are still many holes and such inside from the damage it took in the 1933 fire, and during the war. Alright everyone, just follow me."
Shtalenkov was only half listening to him, still looking up in wonder at the massive pillars that held the outstretched roof. It wasn't until Becky, the girl undergrad from Yale, tapped him on the shoulder did he realize that they were moving off again. Grabbing his gear, he moved at a slow trot to catch up with the rest of the group.