The memorial to the victims of communism ( czech. Pomník obětem komunismu ) is a series of statues in Prague in memory of the victims of communist rule in the period 1948-1989 . It is located at the foot of the Petřín Hill , on улицеjezd Street in Prague’s Small Town .
It was opened on May 22, 2002, twelve years after the overthrow of the communist regime, and is a joint work of Czech sculptor Olbram Zubek and architects Jan Kerel and Zdenek Holzel. The construction of the memorial was supported by the local council and the Confederation of Political Prisoners ( KPV ).
The memorial consists of seven bronze figures, going down the stairs. As they move away from the viewer, the statues become more and more “destroyed”, their limbs are lost, and fractures appear in their bodies. This should symbolize how political prisoners suffered from the communist regime.
In the center of the memorial there is a bronze inscription indicating the number of victims of communism:
- 205486 arrested
- 170938 deported
- 4500 died in prison
- 327 killed while trying to escape
- 248 executed
Bronze plate next reads:
"The memorial to the victims of communism is dedicated to all the victims, not only those who were imprisoned or executed, but also those whose lives were destroyed by totalitarian despotism."
Public Resonance
Before the opening of the memorial in a number of media reports appeared scandalous about who should be present at the opening ceremony [1] . President Vaclav Havel was not invited to the last minute, and then refused to attend.
The monument also did not receive the approval of some artists for the fact that it does not represent the figures of women. One of the statues was damaged as a result of two explosions in 2003 [2] .