My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love, Graffiti mural in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany.
This large-scale mural depicts the 1979 socialist fraternal kiss between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker, measuring approximately 365 by 480 centimeters on the preserved Berlin Wall section.
Created by artist Dmitri Vrubel in 1990, the artwork references a photograph taken by Régis Bossu during East Germany's 30th anniversary celebrations, symbolizing the close political alliance between Moscow and East Berlin during the Cold War era.
The Russian inscription above the two men reads "ГОСПОДИ! ПОМОГИ МНЕ ВЫЖИТЬ", and below them "СРЕДИ ЭТОЙ СМЕРТНОЙ ЛЮБВИ". The German line "MEIN GOTT, HILF MIR. DIESE TÖDLICHE LIEBE ZU ÜBERLEBEN" repeats the title. The title refers to the victims who tried to cross the Berlin Wall.
Located at the East Side Gallery on Mühlenstraße near Heinrich-Heine-Straße, visitors can view this artwork freely as part of the 1.3-kilometer open-air memorial featuring murals from 118 artists representing 21 nations.
The original artwork deteriorated due to weather and vandalism, leading to its complete repainting in 2009 when Vrubel recreated the piece using more durable paints while maintaining the core message and visual impact.
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