Beyond the military dimension, almost every war extends into the sphere of culture. This manifests in various forms of domination, pertaining to both the individual and collective levels. One of its elements includes various ways of exerting power over space: from appropriating it at the linguistic level (renaming cities, streets, and even entire regions and countries), through filling it with elements of one's own culture (monuments, etc.) to changes in the urban layout or landscape. All these methods belong to the constant repertoire of the Russian state – both during the times of the Russian Empire and the period of the USSR's existence. This presentation will discuss the actions that were part of what befell Königsberg, seized by the USSR after World War II, and Warsaw (a city which found itself within its sphere of influence as the capital of a dependent state, though it did not come under the direct control of the USSR). The contemporary perception of Königsberg is largely influenced by its 20th century history. The city’s historic buildings were almost completely destroyed as a result of British bombing in August 1944. After the war, the city was incorporated into the Soviet Union, which was not interested in rebuilding culturally alien monuments