The Pardubice historian proposes relocating the statue of the Red Army soldier from the city center

Pardubice – The statue of a Red Army soldier does not belong in the center of Pardubice according to historian Jiří Kotyk from the Friends of Pardubice Club. The city should follow the example of Jaroměř in the Náchod region, where the representatives voted for the removal of a statue with the same theme, Kotyk told ČTK. The removal of the statue was recently proposed by the municipal district I and also by city councilor and MP Jiří Hájek. Their proposal will be discussed by a committee of experts.

"I have held this opinion since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. We will see if there will be political will before the municipal elections; politicians may fear losing their leftist voters," Kotyk said.

In connection with Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, some cities in the Czech Republic are considering the removal of monuments from the past. For example, Jaroměř has decided it wants to remove the statue of the Red Army soldier from 1981 by the end of the year. The town hall is likely to relocate it to the fortress of Josefov.

"I proposed a middle solution, so that no one accuses me of wanting to destroy works of art. The monument has the status of a war grave, so it would be logical to place it in city cemeteries, where it would finally stand in the right place," Kotyk said.

The monument from 1957 depicts a Red Army soldier holding a weapon and a girl with outstretched arms holding a wreath. On the sides, there are pioneers standing guard. According to Kotyk, the work of Josef Malejovský does not have significant artistic value.

The statue of the Red Army soldier stands at Tyršovy sady in Republic Square and expresses gratitude to the liberators. "Totalitarian regimes, Nazis and communists regarded Republic Square as their cult space; if we left all their remnants there, it would create a strange open-air museum," Kotyk said. Once, there was a large statue of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in front of the theater in Republic Square.

The removal or relocation of the statue has been a recurring topic of discussion in Pardubice. The previous city administration addressed it before the reconstruction of Tyršovy sady. At that time, historians and the public opposed it. In 2017, architects Josef Pleskot and Petr Všetečka wanted the monument relocated, as they were proposing a reconstruction of the castle. The statue obstructs the view of the castle.

The Red Army arrived in Pardubice only on May 10, 1945, Kotyk noted. "There are fallen Soviet soldiers in the cemeteries, creating the impression that there was fierce fighting here, but that is not the case. I do not want to diminish the contribution of the Red Army in the fight against Nazism," Kotyk said. For example, one Soviet soldier tragically died here while fishing with a grenade. Other soldiers had injuries from earlier, and they succumbed in Pardubice, the historian added.

During the April city council meeting, various opinions were expressed, from clear calls for the monument to be moved to the cemetery, to more cautious voices suggesting that the city should not rush, as their action might come off as Russophobia.