Memory of the Nation plans a debate on the relocation of the Red Army statue in Pardubice

Pardubice - The city of Pardubice is awaiting a debate with experts on April 8 about the relocation of the statue of the Red Army soldier from Republic Square. The liberation monument by Josef Malejovský from 1957 has been discussed by politicians and experts in the past. City representatives spoke about moving it, for example, in 2011 due to the revitalization of Tyrš Gardens, next to which it stands. Šárka Kuchtová from the Institute of National Memory, which is organizing the debate, told ČTK. She wants to remind young people of the historical events at the end of World War II and the circumstances of the subsequent political developments.

According to Kuchtová, the topic of the Red Army soldier and its potential relocation is known to people of middle and older generations, while schoolchildren and students are unaware of it. Through afternoon lectures for schools, which will precede the evening debate at 6 PM in the hall of Jan Kašpar, the Memory of the Nation wants to help young people orient themselves in the topic, Kuchtová told ČTK.

More than a decade ago, the city planned to restore Tyrš Gardens, claiming that the statue of the Red Army soldier obstructed the view of the castle, and the city considered moving it elsewhere. People opposed this in a survey, and the idea was also not liked by the Russian embassy. The Ministry of Defense would also have to give its consent, as it is a memorial to those fallen in the war. The relocation of the statue would not be cheap either; at current prices, it could cost millions of crowns.

The sculpture depicts a Red Army soldier with a weapon in hand. Below him stands a girl with outstretched arms holding a wreath. On the sides are pioneers standing guard. The first attempts to remove the statue of the Red Army soldier were made as early as 1968. Current supporters of relocating the monument, which has the status of a war grave, propose moving it to the municipal cemetery, considering it a dignified place.

On April 8, the Memory of the Nation plans a series of lectures for students followed by a public debate. The lectures will be opened by Martin Strakoš from the University of Ostrava, who will talk about the political art of the 1950s. He will be followed by Petr Placák from the Institute of Totalitarian Regimes with a lecture on the liberation of Czechoslovakia and the monuments to the Red Army.

Jan Tetřev from the East Bohemian Museum in Pardubice will speak about the liberation of Pardubice. His colleague Jan Ivanega will illustrate and describe how Republic Square changed in the 20th century and present the figure of the sculptor Josef Malejovský.

The series of lectures will be concluded by Petr Mücke from the State District Archive of Pardubice, who will present archival records documenting the development of the construction of the Red Army soldier statue. The competition for the architectural design of Stalin's monument was won in the early 1950s by the Pardubice academic painter Marta Horáková. Her design was not realized after the rejection of Stalin's cult.

"I designed the monument as a house; I completely turned it in a different direction. There were no figures there. I am proud that I succeeded with the only design," the artist told ČTK in 2010.