Workers are finishing repairs on the stairs and surfaces of the former Stalin monument

Prague - Workers are completing partial repairs of the former Stalin monument in Prague's Letná. The main staircase connecting the area by the pendulum with Letenské sady has been repaired, as well as the surfaces. Joint sealing will be finished next week. The lower layers and waterproofing have also been reconstructed. The work cost about 10 million crowns excluding VAT. Prague councilor Jan Chabr (TOP 09) and the head of the capital's land management, Radoslav Borlovan, told this to journalists today. In recent years, the city reinforced the ceiling slab of the lower part of the monument. The space will continue to serve skateboarders and for recreation.

"The lower part is corroding because the top is not functioning, and the waterproofing is not working. That’s why the city decided on partial repairs. We consolidated and maintained the functionality of this space, so skateboarders will be able to continue to use it," said Chabr.

The repairs focused mainly on the aforementioned staircase, which had completely collapsed. Water was leaking into the underground areas through the broken staircase and between the stone slabs forming the surface. "The stairs not only degraded but were also mechanically damaged. Once one step became loose, it started to collapse like a puzzle," Borlovan said.

Some of the stones forming the individual steps were replaced. Other stone elements were also repaired. The repairs affected an area of about 10,500 square meters. Most of the stone slabs were reused; only the base and waterproofing underneath were adjusted. New benches were also added. "We are just about to finish, and next week we should be completing the joint work," Borlovan said.

The city leadership does not want to change the use of the space. The former monument will primarily serve skateboarders. "I think that not every place in Prague necessarily needs a top-down concept, and I believe that people will decide for themselves what they want where. The fact that a cult skateboarding spot has emerged here, I think it fits," Chabr added. The visual aspect will also remain unchanged, and tags and graffiti will not be removed. According to the councilor, as soon as one would be removed, a new one would immediately appear in its place.

Last year, the municipality completed the installation of supports in the monument's underground. They were placed in the most critical spots that were at risk of collapse. They cost 32.5 million crowns. The building authority closed the space above the underground part of the monument for several weeks in the fall of 2019. Tests later showed that the structure is in better condition than the city had thought. What will become of the remaining part of the monument in the future is still unclear.

The Stalin monument was created in 1955. At its time, with a height of over 15 meters, a width of 12 meters, and a length of 22 meters, it was the largest group sculpture in Europe. The monument was demolished at the end of 1962 when criticism of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev towards Stalin increased.