Last updated at 13:03 08 May 2008

The photograph of Russian troops hoisting the red flag over burning Berlin is recognised as one of the most famous wartime images.

Sixty three years after the photograph was taken, a new exhibition in Germany reveals the image was doctored to protect the soldier from the wrath of Joseph Stalin.

Despite having no problem with his Red Army troops raping German women, Stalin took exception to looting and warned any soldiers caught doing so would face execution.

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Iconic: The edited image of Russians raising the flag over burning Berlin in 1945, which was seen the world over, shows the bottom right soldier with only one watch and more dramatic smoke

The real McCoy: The original image shows the soldier in the bottom right wearing two watches

Stalin's no-looting rule created a problem for the soldier raising the flag on the roof of the Reichstag building - because he was clearly wearing two watches in the photo.

Photographer Yevgeny Khaldei, who captured the image on May 2, 1945, noticed the watches on the soldier's arm shortly before he was due to send the images back to the Kremlin for official approval.

When the Red Army took the city an enduring memory for survivors in those days was of Russian troops demanding "Uri, Uri!" - watches, watches! They were rare in the Soviet Union and regarded as great trophies to acquire.

Khaldei knew the fate likely to befall the soldier if Stalin noticed the watch, he scratched out the timepiece on the soldier's right wrist.

There were other alterations too; the flag was manipulated to make it swell in a non-existent wind and smoke was added to the burning skyline.

Khaldei saw no problem with the manipulation of the photograph. He believed in the propaganda cause and thought the picture was "good and historically worthy".

The exhibition of his and other Soviet war photographers' work will open at the Martin Gropius Bau building in Berlin on Thursday.